Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-05
of its military defenses. If necessary. in

of its military defenses. If necessary, in
| time of war
whether the conservationists will be
able to force the hooking up of the ma
tional defense idea with the conserva-
ton ideas remains to be seen. Inc
democratic majority in the House has
been cut down and the conservationis.s
will not have as many votes in the
House during the new Congress as they
had last year. Secretary Lane OF the
Interior Department has already an
nounced that the government will cause
| to be introduced in the new Congress
early in the session a bill very similar
to that known last year as the Ferris
water power bill, but nothing has been
said so far about the bills known as
the general development bill. the water
powers on navigable streams bill OF
the leasing of grazing and homestead
lands bill. The proposal to lease rights
by the government Is at the bottom OF
all these bills, and most OF the ad-
vocacy of or opposition to that idea mas
caused the debates that have been held
on the bills. Representatives Raker of
California and Taylor of Colorado, VINO
were the two House members principal
ly opposed to the leasing idea, will be
back in the next Congress. Representa-
lalso be in the next Congress. but Rep
resentative johnson of Utah was de-
feated. These men helped to oppose
the leasing idea.
Those Favoring Leasing Idea.
AS for those who favored the leasing
idea, Representative Ferris OF Okla
homa will be in the next Congress, and
so will Representatives Brown of New
York, Hayden of Arizona and Stout of
Montana. Representative Graham OF
Illinois, for the leasing idea, Is out.
These are all democrats. OF the republi-
cans in favor of the leasing idea, the
following will be in the next Congress-:
Representatives Lenroot of Wisconsin,
Kent of California and Sinnott Of Ore
gon. Representative Thompson of IL
linois, a republican, for leasing. was
defeated.
These were all members of the public
lands committee of the House This
committee handled the general develop
ment bill, the grazing on homesteads
and public lands bill and the water
powers on public lands bill.
But it is said that the question OF how
the water powers of the country shall be
regulated must come up and be settled
in Congress this winter. in some form or
other. Many laws dealing with the sub
ject are now lapsing or expiring by iimi-
tation, and it is said that unless the De-
partment of the Interior and the War
Department, which have control OF water
powers, can get authority to act under
new laws, they will be taken into the
courts. The Possibility of a rivers and
harbors bill. too, 1t is said. is entering, or
will enter, into the equation. because If
there is a rivers and harbors bill this
year the bill will undoubtedly carry some
appropriations for water power projects,
on which there will be debate. Incl
dentally, it is said, too, that Represent
alive Freer of Wisconsin intends to attack
the way the last rivers and harbors APP
preparation has been administered by the
engineers of the War Department the
minute Congress opens There are rumors,
too. of a quarrel between the National
Rivers and HarborS Congress and the
National Conservation Association on the
subject of rivers and harborS improve
mentS.
General Conservation Principles.
The National Conservation Associa-
ton is now sending to all the new
members Of Congress information on
the subject the organization has at
heart. The general development bill
was passed by the House at the last
Congress and favorably reported by the
Senate committee on public lands. This
contained general conservation princi-
Piles. The Ferris water power bill was
for the leasing of water powers on pub
lie lands or in the national forests for a
term of fifty years with a nominal
charge and minor regulations by the
Department of the Interior. It passed
the House of Representatives and was
reported favorably by the Senate COM
mittee on public lands. The grazing
bill provided for leasing grazing lands
on the public domain. The House COM
mittee reported out a substitute for
this bill, which passed the House, but
was not considered in the Senate. The
water powers on navlgable streams bill
was one over which Secretary Lane and
Secretary Garrison were reported to
have been in disagreement.
1t was originally known as the Adam
son bill, and was amended on the floor
of the House to conform to the prin-
ciples Of the Ferris bill. 1t passed the
House, but the Senate committee on
commerce substituted the original
Adamson bill. The latter provided for
an indefinite leasing term, no charges,
and indefinite regulation. Secretary
Garrison held that regulation was
state function, but the conservationists
are opposed to that idea, and declare
that the states will not regulate.
These measures were prevented Of
passage in the Senate because of the
filibuster on the ship purchase bill. Aft
er Congress adjourned people who were
opposed to the bills began building up
sentiment against them throughout the
country. in preparation for this winter.
Portland, Ore, during the summer, at
which resolutions aimed at the conser-
walton legislation in general were pass
ed, and resolutions against them were
also passed by the American mining
conference, the dry farming congress-
meetings of lumbermen and oil men,
and at other national conventions held
this summer and fall at the San Fran
cisco exposition.