Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1916-10-05
Pinchot on
Wilson's Conservation

The conservation of natural re-
sourc has become one of the largest
issues of our time. In the campaign
of 1912, it formed n of the chief
planks of the democratic platform,
and was often endorsed in Wilson'S
speeches. His inaugural address COM
mitted him fully to support it.
For these reasons it is important to
know what the Wilson administration
has done. AS one man deeply inter-
/ ested in conservation and familiar
with the record, | am writing to lay
it briefly before you.
When he took office, Mr.. Wilson
ceased to say much on conservation,
preferring TO let the members of his
| cabinet speak for him. After his in
auguration, the friends of conserva-
ton, regardless of ~partisanship, of
fered him their help in putting the
conservation policies through. The
iSPDol tbliilS oStlo1l. l. lie IlSII
to saw Alaska from the G%uggenheims
had created a living body of public
opinion which lacked only official
leadership to save what
still remained in public hands. 1t
seemed at first that President Wilson
would lead.
- I'M .N,,t-lt +l1 1,~.1- - ~. xxy.,
son administration in conservation
was good. Congress passed, and MFR.
Wilson signed, the Alaska railroad
bill and the bill which assured gov
eminent control of coal lands in Alas
ka. These measures are excellent,
and President Wilson deserves praise
for their enactmnt. So The does for
his veto of a bin to give away national
forest lands.
Unfortunately these c%reditable In
stances form but little of the record.
Politics came into control. Thus a
bill seeking to turn the natural re-
sources of Alaska over to a political
tSihiiiiooioli NuS iSpcEtCulS lCCfJii-
mended by the administration through
the mouth of the secretary of the in
terror. If passed it would have thrown
Alaska into the hands Of the special
interests and established a policy al
most certain to destroy the national
control of natural every
where else as well. This measure we
were fortunately able to stop.
Il When Wilson became president, the
reclamation service, in its great work
of irrigating the arid lands of the
West, was wholly free from politics.
By the mouth of his secretary Of the
interior Wilson advocated, and later
signed, a bill which leaves the choiet
of lands to be reclaimed to a conf.
mittee of congress, and so makes pol.
itics dominate the service.
Director Newell was the man who
created the reclamation service. He
made and kept it one Of the most e.
ficient bureaus under the government
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
all the of our inland water
, ways-waterpower, navigation, irriga-
ton, and domestic supply,-for the
public benefit, Although Wilson en-
dorsed 1t during his campaign, as
president he let it drop, and instead
has signed two waterway bills of the
old pork-barrel type, which are every
thing the Newlands bill is not.
Waterpower is the most valuable
resource still in public hands. There
is undeyeloped waterpower in our
navigable streams equal to twice the
power of every kind now used in the
United States. 1t is a huge prize.
For years the waterpower interests
have been lighting to seize it, and the
conservationsists to save it for the
people.
A waterpower measure, the Aadm-
son bill. came before the house in
1914. It favored monopoly. and gave
the special interests. for nothing, the
public water power on navigable
streams. Nevertheless Wilson en-.
dorsed II.
On its way through the house, the
bad parts of the Adamson bill were
stricken out, and the public rights
we're secured. Thereupon Wilson re.
yersed his previous stand, and en-
dorsed the amended bill.
This good bill then went to the sen.