Norwich bulletin., 1916-11-28
Three Danuerous Bills.


 Three Dangerous Bills.
 MT. Editor: Congress is about to decide, in the session which opens on December 4. whether natrffal re- sources belonging to the people, and officially valued at hundreds of mill lions of dollars, shall or shall not be given away to certain special inter ests which are already rich enough. Unless the people take a hand the de- cision is sure to go against them.
 The iniquitous Shields waterpower bill has passed the senate. It makes on our navigatable streams to the wa terpower interests. The power thus handed over without compensation is estimated at sixty million horsepow- CT, or double the power Of every kind now used to run every train. trolley factory, shop. mill, boat, mine, and electric light in the United States While the grant is ostensibly 1im-i tied to fifty years. it is in fact per petual, because the conditions under which the people might regain con trol or their property are made pro- hibitory, as even advocates of the bill frankly admit. In practical effect a perpetual monopoly is grven away for nothing. This bill has also passed the house, but in different and better form. It Is now in conference. We know from the statement of Senator Nelson on the floor of the senate that the friends or the waterpower interests expect to control the conference It is worth noting, therefore, that the conferees from the house and senate are now | meeting. although congress does not convene until December f.
 A vigorous effort was made to pass l this indefensible raid on the public property while public attention was 1 fixed on the international crisis last | Er-T TrnEc I,<l 1 the country came to the defense of the public rights. and the bill was post poned until after election.
 Another vicious measure is the Myers bill, which does for waterpow : | CT on public lands what the Shields l two are cut from the same piece of | cloth, and have the same interests be- | hind them. The Myers bill is on the senate calander. and will be consider 1 ed early in the coming session. These two bills give away public property to powerful monopolists That is bad enough. but the oil land l provisions of the Phefan bill are even worst. This bill will be taken up inn 1 mediate1y when congress convenes. Ii | lands on terms unfair 70 the public I It is almost unbelievable, but this 1 measure actually gives away the fuel l oil reserves of the United States navy | to claimants whom the supreme court | recently declared to have no lega | rights whatever. The efficiency oi | the navy, our first and most import | ant line of national defense, is to be l sacrificed to the profits of the Stand 1 ard oil company. the Santa F'e railroad l interests, and a few other claimants | who want what they have no right tc | get.
 As to this. the navy department has | officially said:
 1 "Oil burning naval vessels possess 1 such manifold military advantage: l over coal burning vessels that il would be practically suicidal from z military point of view for the navy 1 department to abandon the policy o1 building oil burning ships; but the de. mand that this legislation be enacted and the support that this bill has re. ceived, have caused the navy depart.
 nent to seriously consider the advisa. bility of abandoning this policy, ant | thus design ships known to be in. ferior to ships which a country pos sessing an oil supply can build" l. These bills have made such pro. gress that the advantage of position is with them and against the public Every effort will be made to jam then l through at the beginning of the shor | session of congress. Powerful water power and oil interests are fighting fo them. I appeal to you as citizel interested in the public welfare with out regard to politics to lend a 1nant in defeating these attacks on publi property on the safety and welfar of the navy and the nation.
 Sincerely yours,
 CLIFFORD PINCHOT.
 Washington, Nov. 22, 1916