Evening star., 1916-05-03
FIGHT THREATENED
WATER RIGHTS
Conservation Congress Facing
the Problems Which Arose
Three Years Ago.
DIFFERENCE OVER POLICY
RELATING TO POWER SITES
Report of Committee. Also Present
ed, Recommends Government Gull
tivation of Forests.

/ Delegates to the National Conserva-
| ton Congress, in session here. today
| face a threatened fight over the ques-
| ton of whether the body will maintain
| its opposition to removing from public
ownership any undeveloped water
power sites in the country. Another
| feature of the day was the report of
| the forestry committee. which strong
! " urged the cultivation of forests by
| federal state and even municipal gov
! ernments as national defense meas
| ure.
| The ma jority report of the water
power committee. ready for presenta-
! tion. recommended Endorsement of the
Shields bill. while the minority report
urged condemnation of the measure.
| The bill, now pending in Congress,
| would authorize the Secretary of war
| to hermit private interests to construct
dams in naviga BILE streams and operate
| power plants for fifty years. Az tne
! expiration of that time the plants
might be purchased by the govern
ment.
Similar Dispute Three Years Ago.
| At it's last meeting three years ago
the Conservation Congress became in
volved in similar dispute which was
ended in victory for the opponents OF
! the proposal that the government give
up its ownership of water power sites.
Clifford Pinchot led the winning fight at
| that time and the same element was De-
| hind the minority committee report today.
| Added interest was provided during
| the course of the morning by the ap-
pearance of Mr.. Pinchot upon the moor
40
| forester declined to say whether or not
| he planned to take part in the coming
contest.
| Report in Three Sections.
/ The report of the committee on
water power, nitrates and phosphates
was taken up late in the morning. Di-
vided into three sections, it was read
| by three chairmen of subcommittee
| appointed by B. NJ. Bell. chairman of
| the main committee.
c. C. Bell read the majority water
power report. which recommended con-
cessions to private interests in water
power development. Following the read
| ing OF the reports of the subcommittee
| on nitrates and phosphates the meeting
was adjourned, to be taken up on recon-
vention this afternoon, when the minority
| reports will be heard and discussion from
the floor be allowed.
| 1t was rumored about the floor that
an effort would be made by minority
! interests this afternoon to put former
Secretary of the Interior Garfield in
I the chair
| The minority report will definitely
| ask for a condemnation of the Shields
| bill 1t is drawn up by men who are
/ a part of the Pinchot element which
won out on the floor of the Congress
| three years ago.
Forestry Committees Report.
| The forestry committees report,
presented early in the session by Prof
J. W. Tourney. pointed out that in case
of great quantities of wood pulp
| and rosin would be used in the manu-
facture of explosives and surgical sup
( plies.
| Commenting on the prospective sup
! ply of forest products. it said: While
/ for the next forty or fifty wears at
! least the United states as a whole will
{ have no difficulty in supplying high
grade structural timber. many sections
| Of the country which We're once tim
/ bered are already experiencing a short
| age Of local timber and depending
! on Importation from other states.
| The report recommended that the
! government adopt permanent policy
! of acquiring land "in the Appa la char
region by purchase and the western
| forests by consolidation and extension
wherever possible through the exchange
| of tim Der for privately cut-over land
hand inclusion of the remaining tim bered
| domain" The most wealthy and pro-
sressive states, municipa alities and pri-
; vate corporations of semi-public nature
! should set an example in acquisition
| and cultivation of forests, the report
suggested
! Conservation of Iron Products.
! The need of conservation in the iron
products of the United States was
! pointed out by f. f. Burchard chair
! man of the committee on iron, who
! said that at the present rate of consump-
| ton the iron ore. deposits of the coun-
| try would be used up in 15O years.
Some of the most important. he stated
would be gone by 1880. Mr. Burchard
advocated the Importation of iron ore
| from South America and the export of
| high priced manufa ctured steel TO Eu-
| ropean and other purchasers.
A brief report was submitted by Dr.
| r. G. White. chairman of the commit
| tee on mineral fuels, who said that SO IL
per cent of the coal of the country is
| still in the ground. that there is a great
| reserve in oil, that the deposits of both
| these products are well distributed and
| that mobilization of these resources
| would only involve the securing Of
| miners and cars.
| An address which was to have been
| delivered by DR.. w. J.. Saunders vice
| chairman of the naval consulting
| board was temporarily postponed ow-
ing to the amount of business before
| the convention.
DIR. G. f. Condra, chairman of the ex-
ecutive committee. presided during the
course of the morning session Fur
ther committee reports will be heard
this afternoon. Tonight an Illustrated
lecture will be delivered by DR.. c. j
Blanchard and DR.. q. r. Condra
! MARcuAII HAcE HAITc