East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-11-28
FROM THE PEOPLE
FROM CLIFFORD PINCHoT.

[ washington, -. T., NOV, ~, ltlh,
Editor East Oregonian:
Congress is about to decide in the
session which opens December I,
whether natural resources belonging
to the people and officially valued at
hundreds Of millions Of dollars, shall
or shall not be given away 10 certain
special interests which are already
rich enough. Unless the people take
hand the decision is sure to go
against them.
The iniquitous Shields waterpower
bill has passed the senate. II makes
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, trolly, factory
shop, mill, boat. mine, and electric
light In the United States.
While the grant is ostensibly limit
ed to fifty years, 1t is in fact perpetu-
al, because the conditions under which
the people might regain control Of
their property are made prohibitory,
as even advocates Of the bill frankly
admit. In practical effect a perpetual
monopoly is given away for nothing.
This bill has also passed the house,
but in a 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 eX-
pect to control the conference. II is
worth nothing, therefore, that the
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 attention was
fixed on the international crisis last
winter. It failed because editors OF
the country came 20 the defense of
the public rights, and the bill was
postponed until after election
Another vicious measure is the
Myers bill. which does for waterpowers
ron public lands what the Shields bin
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 SEN
ate calendar, and will be considered
early in the coming session.
These two bills give away public
property to powerful monoplists. That
l.. hut ha oil la nd
ions of the Phelan bill are even worse.
This bill will be taken up Immediately
when congress convenes. II dispOses
of vast areas Of public Oil lands on
terms unfair to the public. It is al
most unbelievable, but this measure
actually gives away the fuel oil re-
serves of the United States navy to
claimants whom the supreme court
recently declared to have no legal
rights whatever. The efficiency Of
the navy our first and most import
ant line of national defense. is to be
sacrificed to the profits OF the Stand
, ard oil company, the Santa Fe Rail.
road interests, and a few other claim
ants. 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 IL would
be practically suicidal from a military
point of view for the navy department
20 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 advisability OF
abandoning this policy, and thus de.