The Coconino sun., 1916-12-01
THE CONSERVATION QUESTION

session which opens December q,
whether natural resources belonging
to the people, and officially valued at
hundreds of millions of dollars, shall
or shall not be given away to certain
interests which are already rich
enough. Unless the people take hand
the decision is sure to go against
them.
The UBIQUITOUS Shields waterpower
bill has passed the Senate. 1t makes
a present of the public waterpowers
on our navigable streams to the water
power interests. The power thus
handed over without compensation is
estimated at sixty million horsepower,
or double the power of every kind now
used to run every train, trolley, fac
tory, shop, mill, boat, mine, and cleo
trio light plant in the United States.
While the grant is ostensibly limit
ed to fifty years, it is in fact perpe-
tual, because the conditions under
which the people might regain con-
troll of their property are made pro-
hibitory, as even advocates Of the bill
frankly admit. In practical effect a
perpetual monopoly is given away for
nothing.
The bill has passed the House, but
in different and better form. 1t is
now in Conference We know from
the statement of Senator Nelson on
the floor of the Senate that the friends
of the waterpower interests expect TO
control the Conference. 1t is worth
noting, therefore, that he Conferees
from the House and Senate are now
meeting, although Congress does not
convene until December 4.
A vigorous effort was made to pass
this indefensible raid on the public
property while public interest was
fixed ON the international crisis last
winter. 1t failed because editors Of
the country came to the defense of the
public rights, and the bill was post
poned until after election.
Another vicious measure is the My
ers bill, which does for waterpowers
on public lands what the Shields bill
does on navigable streams. The two
are cut from the same piece of cloth,
and have the same interests behind
them. The Myers bill is on the Senate
calendar, and will be considered early
in the coming session.
These two bills give away public
property to powerful monopolists.
That is bad enough, but the oil land
provisions Of the Phelan bill are even
worse. This bill will be taken up i'm
mediately when Congress convenes.
1t disposes Of vast areas of public oil
lands on terms unfair to the public.
1t is almost unbelievable, but this
measure actually gives away the fuel
oil reserves Of the United Suites Navy
to claimants whom the Supreme court
recently declared to have no legal
rights whatever. The efficiency of the
Navy, our first and most important
line of National defense, is to be
sacrificed to the profits of the oil
companies, the railroad interests, and
a few other claimants, who want what
they have no right to get.
AS to this, the Navy department
has officially said:
"Oil burning naval vessels possess
such manifold military advantages
over coal burning vessels that it would
be practically suicidal from military
point of view for the Navy Depart
ment to abandon the policy Of building
oil burning ships; but the demand that
this legislation be enacted and the
support that this bill has received,
have caused the Navy Department to
seriously consider the ACCESSIBILITY of
abandoning this policy, and thus de-
sign ships known to be inferior to
ships which country possessing an
oil supply can build"
These bills have made such prog
ress that the advantage of position is
with them and against the public.
Every effort will be made to jam them
through at the beginning of the short
session of Congress. Powerful water
power and oil interests are fighting
for them.