Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-14

president 10 thoroughly alive to the
situation and has In no wise gone
back on his principles that he has
been busy with the international crisis
| and with the national defense program
to such an extent that he has not had
the time to give consideration to the
development of the natural resources.
These arguments, however, do not
appeal to the conservation people. At
least, they want ito be shown" and
the National Conservation Association
Is issuing little bulletins Informing
Ithose who stop long enough to read
what is going on up on the hill, and
what it, the National Conservation As
ISOLATION, thinks about the whole bust :.
ness. In Mr.. Pinchots public letter to
President Wilson week or two ago,
| 1t was made plain to those who read
between the lines that the distinguished
former Forester does not wholly trust
Mr.. Wilson, and that, as an expert
| conservationist, he does not think tina.
| things are going we'll in congress.
Truth on Both Sides.
Unquestionably there is truth on
both sides. 1t is difficult to believe
that the president can or will set back
the clock Of progress and sign bills.
even tho passed by a congress of his
own political color, which plainly do
not conform to the most advanced
thought on development of natural re-
sources Such an act by the president
would be disastrous in more ways than
one. 1t would hurt him in his cam
paign numerically, and it would not
advance his cause except with very
small but powerful group. Yet there is
a general feeling, wholly independent Of
the conservationists themselves, that
the president is more or less lying
down on the job that at least if he is
not, his secretaries of the interior and
of war are, and that the time is very
nearly here when he should indicate
where he stands. If he has indicat ted
his position to senators and congress-
men, and if the present attitude of con-
gress Is based upon that indication,
there are many who would like to know
it; while if he has not indicated his
position to congress, it might be the
part Of wisdom to do SO before they
get in too deep to be able to retreat
with dignity and no confusion.
Yesterday the senate agreed to print
the famous report OF the Forest Service
on water power concentration and con-
trOl. Inc deDate on the resolution to
print this document had been carried
on in some fashion for nearly two
weeks. In fact it was openly charged
by a republican senator yesterday that
those who were opposing the printing
Of the document were flibustering.
1nasmuch as the report was ordered
by the senate in response to a resolu-
ton put in by Senator Borah, of Idaho,
it was almost a goregone conclusion
that the senate would eventually make
it available to the public
In the course of the debate a rather
amusing fact came to light. The pages
in the senate have established a little
mock senate Of their own, with imagin-
airy salaries of $500 a year, and they
have declared a reduction in the pay
OF the real senators of $3.50 day.
Commenting on this incident, Senator
Stone said just before the final vote
on the resolution took place:
II do not think the pages could do
much worse than the senators them
selves are doing in taking hours on
three or four days merely to repeat
what has been said by them the day
before"