Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-09-23
WILSON AND CONSERVATION.

In the campaign which resulted in
his electio to the presidency President
Wilson was a conservationist. One Of
the principV planks in the democratic
platform of 1912 was for conservation
Of natural resources and in his
speeches and in his inaugural address
he committed himself fully to the pol
icy of conservation.
The history of President Wilson as
a conservationist is the history OF
President Wilson in other important
affairs and on other important policies
"a story of vacillation and ina sur
render.
In the beginning he signed the Alas
ka railroad bill and the bill giving the
government control Of the coal lands.
He vetoed the bill that would have
given away the national forest lands.
But the damage came as it came in
other important respects and on other
important issues. Perhaps he began
to look forward to the reputation Of
the one term plan even then. For a
bill was proposed which would turn
| the natural resources Of Alaska over to
a political commission was urged re-
peatedly by Wilson's secretary OF the
| interior which, if it had passed, Woulo
have thrown Alaskan resource into
the hands of special interests. hi
conservationist, however, managed to
stop the bill and defeat the purpose.
The story is well told by Clifford
Pinchot. He says:
When Wilson became president, the
reclamation service, in it's great WORK
of ~irrigating the arid lands OF the
west, was wholly free from politics. by
the mouth of his secretary OF the IN
terror Wilson advocated, and later
signed. q bill which leaves the choice
of land to be reclaimed TO a COMMITTEES
CT congress, and so makes politics
dominate the service.
Director Newell was the man who
created the reclamation service. He
made and Kept 1t one Of the most eff
lcPnt BUREAUS uiIuVl -
The secretary of the interior forced
him out, and replaced him by a com
mission in which politicians control.
The Newlands bill is a conservation
measure which proposes to develop al
the resources Of our inland waterways
-vaterpower, navigation, irrigation
and domestic supply-for the puone
benefit. Altho Wilson strongly en-
dorsed it during his campaign, as pres
ident he let it drop, and instead mas
signed two waterway bills OF the or
pork barrel type, which are everything
the Newlands bill is not.
Water power is the most valuaoif
resource still in public hands. There !:
undeveloped water power in our naVl'
gable streams equal to twice the poWe'
Of every kind now used in the Unltee
States. 1t Is a huge prize. For year
the water power interests have peer
fighting TO seize It, and the conserVa'
tionists to save it for the people.
A water power measure, the Adam
son bill. came before the house In 1919
1t favored monopoly, and gave the spe
ciaI interests, for nothing, the puDn'
water power on navigaple streams
Nevertheless Wilson endorsed II.
On its way thru the house, the pa
narts Of he Adamson bill were strlcK
en- out. and the public rights were Sc
cured. Thereupon Wilson reversed HI
previous stand, and endorsed Tn
amended bill. This good bill Their wen
to the senate, where it was sheiveo
and the indefensible Shields Dill wa