Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-27
CLIFFORD PINCHOT CHARGES
CONSERVATION is ABANDONED

servationists to save it for the people.
A water-power measure. the Adam
son bill, came before the House in
1914. 1t favored monopoly and gave
the special interests. for nothing, the
public water power on navigable
dorsed 1t.
On its way through the House the
bad parts of the Adamson bill were
stricken out and the public rights
were secured. Thereupon Wilson re-
versed his previous stand and Endorsed
the amended bill.
This good bill then went to the SEN
ate where 1t was shelved, and the in.
defensible Shields bill was reported
in its place. The Shields bill gives
away the public water powers forever
and for nothing. Both Roosevelt and
Taft vetoed bills drawn on the same
principle. Yet, by another reversal.
the Wilson Administration got behind
1t, and when a widely circulated pub
lie appeal was made to the President
for his help to defeat 1t he refused.
AS to water power on the public
lands. there Is but one reversal instead
OF two. Wilson first, by the mouth of
a member of his Cabinet, indorsed the
Ferris bill, which was mainly good. 1t
was replaced in the Senate by the
Myers bill. which Is thoroughly bad.
Among other things, this bill actually
throws the Grand Canyon. the great
est natural wonder of America, wide
open to individual appropriation.
Nevertheless, Wilson reversed himself
in order to give 1t In the same way his
Endorsement.
gable streams and on public lands,
the last reversals leave the Admins
tration standing with the special in
terests against the people.
The Phelan oil land measure would
hand over to private individuals who
have no legal rights the valuable oil
lands set aside as reserves for the
navy. The Navy Departm has
made public announcement that the
mere threat of the Phcian bills. pass
age has caused it "to consider serious
ly the advisability of abandoning" the
policy of constructing oil-burning
ships. Only oil-burning ships can
develop and maintain the high speeds
required in modern war, and without
them no navy can be even second
class. The Secretary of the Interior
actively supported this surrender of
national safety to private greed. The
Secretary of the Navy and the At
torney General opposed 1t. Wilson re-
mained neutral and did nothing.
Because Wilson refused to take
sides, or took the wrong side, the
interests shall win or lose In the
Shields and Myers water power bills
and the Phelan oil bill is still unset
tied. These bills are still before
Congress and will pass or fail at the
coming session. The public water
powers and the efficiency of the navy
are at stake. There can be no COM
promise between the men who would
grab the public resources for private
profit and those who would conserve
them for the use of all the people.
Either the interests will get them or
the people will keep them. There is
no middle ground.
TO sum up, as in many other mat
ters the promise made was not per-
formed. Instead of PROCESS in con-
serving our resources, the last two
years have seen a bitter and often a
losing fight to hold what we had. Will
son talked well, began to act well and
then, yielding to the political pressure
of the special interests. went back on
conservation.-Giffo Pinchot in the
Philadelphia Public Ledger.