Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1916-09-30
THE RECLAMATION SERVICE

est issues of our time. In the cam
paign of 1912, II formed one of the
chief planks in the Democratic plat
form, and was often endorsed in Mr..
Wilson's speeches. His inaugural |
address committed him fully to sup
port 1t.
For these reasons 1t is important |
TO know what the Wilson Admins
tration has done. AS one man deep |
ly interested in Conservation and |
familiar with the record, l am writ ,
ing to lay it briefly before you.
When he took office, Mr.. Wilson
ceased to say much on Conservation, |
preferring to let the members of his |
Cabinet speak for him. After his |
inauguration, the friends of Conser-
walton, regardless of partisanship, |
offered him their help in putting the
Conservation policies through. The |
opportunity invited action. The
fight to save Alaska from the Gug-
StulNllllS l1du NIDdbCu ~ IlfAn6 bOds
of public opinion which lacked only
official leadership to save what re-
sources still remained in public
hands. 1t seemed at first that Presi-
dent Wilson would lead.
At the outset the work of the Will
son Administration in Conservation
was good. Congress passed. and Mr.
Wilson signed, the Alaska Railroad
bill and the bill which assured Gov
ernment control Of coal lands IN
Alaska. These measures were excel
lent, and President Wilson deserves
praise for their enactment. So he
does for his veto of bill to give
away National Forest lands.
Unfortunately these creditable in
stances form but little of the record.
Politics came into control. Thus
bill seeking to turn the natural re-
sources Of Alaska over to a political
commission was repeatedly recon-
mended by the Administration
through the mouth of the Secretary
of the Interior. If passed OF would
have thrown Alaska into the hands
of the special interests and establish
ed a policy almost certain to destroy
the National control of natural re-
sources everywhere else as we'll.
This measure we were fortunately
able to stop.
When Wilson became President,
the Reclamation Service, in it's great
work of irrigatlng the arid lands of
the west. was wholly free from poll
tics. BY the mouth of his Secretary
of the Interior Wilson advocated,
and lated signed, bill which leaves
the choice of lands to be reclaimed
TO a committee of congres, and so
makes politics dominte the service.
Director Newell was the man who
created the reclamation service. He
made and kept it one of the most ef
Jul CduS llO BOfCIh
ment. The secretary of the interior
forced him out, and replaced him
by commission in which politicians
control.
The Newlands bill Is a conserva-
ton measure which proposes TO de-
velop all the resources of our inland
waterways-waterpower, navigation,
irrigation, and domestic supply
for the public benefit. Although
Wilson strongly endorsed 1t during
his campaign, as president he let 1t
drop, and instead has signed two
waterway bills of the old pork-barrel
type, which are everything the New
lands bill is not.
Waterpower Is the most valuable
resoudce still in public hands. That
is undeveloped waterpower in our
navigable streams equal to twice the
power of every kind now used in the
| United States. 1t is a huge prize.
It y
have been fighting to seize 1t. and
the conservationists to save 1t for
the people.
A waterpower measure, the Adam
son bill, came before the house in
1914. 1t favored monopoly, and
gave the special interests, for moth
ing, the public water power on navi-
gable streams. Nevertheless Wilson
! endorsed it.
On its way through the house. the
bad parts of the Adamson bill were
stricken out, and the public rights
were secured. Thereupon Wilson
reversed his previous stand, and en-
dorsed the amended bill. This good
| bill then went to the senate. where
II was shelved, and the indefensible
Shields bill was reported in its place.
The Shields bill gives the public
waterpowers forever and for moth
ing. Both Roosevelt and Taft vetoed
bills drawn on the same principle.
Yet, by another reversal, the Wilson
administration got behind it. and
when a widely circulated public ap-
peal was made to the president for
his help to defeat it, he refused.
AS to waterpoyer. on the public
lands, there Is but one reversal In
stead of two. Wilson first, by the
mouth of member of his cabinet,
endorsed the Ferris bill, which was
mainly good. 1t was replaced in the
senate by the Myers bill, which is
thoroughly bad. Among other things