Evening star., 1916-09-25
Great Issue of Day.


Mr.. Pinchot said that the conserva-
tion of the natural resources of the
country has become one of the largest
issues of the time.
"In the campaign of 1872" he said.
sit formed one of the chief planks in
the democratic platform, and was often
indorsed in Mr.. Wilson's speeches. His
inaugural address committed him fully
to support 1t.
when he took office Mr. Wilson
preferring to let the members of his
cabinet speak for him. At the outset
the work of the Wilson administration
in conservation was good. Congress
Alaska railroad bill and the bill which
assured the government the control of
the coal lands in Alaska. Mr.. Wilson
vetoed a bill to give away national
forest lands
Unfortunately, these creditable in
stances form but little of the record.
Politics came into control. A bill seek
ing to turn the natural resources of
Alaska over to a political commission
was repeatedly recommended by the
administration through the mouth of
the Secretary of the Interior. If passed
it would have thrown Alaska into the
hands of the special interests. This
measure we were, fortunately, able to
stop.
Politics in Service.
when Wilson became President the
reclamation service, in it's 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 choice of lands
/ to be reclaimed to a committee of Con-
gress, and so makes politics dominate
| the service.
"Director Newell was the man who
| created the reclamation service and
kept it one of the most efficient bu-
reaus under the government. The Sec
retary of the Interior forced him out
and replaced him by commission ir
which politicians control"
| Mr.. Pinchot criticised the President
and the democratic Congress because
| they did not support and pass the New
lands bill for the development of the
resources of inland waterways and kin
through two. waterway bills of the "old
pork barrel type" He attacked the
waterpower bills supported by Presi-
| dent Wilson before Congress- alleging
that they were calculated TO turn over
| the waterpower resources of the coun-
| try to private monopoly.
Evil Done in Senate.
| The waterpower bills. both as to
waterpower on public lands and OF
nayigablf streams, as framed in the
House, Mr.. Pinchot commended. In the
| Senate these measures were laid aside
and bills favoring the private inter
ests, he said, were substituted.
| Both Roosevelt and Taft vetoed bills
| drawn on the same principle. said Mr.
1, Hho Il
ministration got behind these Senate
bills, and, when widely circulated ap-
peals were made to the President to
defeat them, he refused his aid.
Mr.. Pinchot criticised the so-called
Phelan oil-lands leasing bill which, he
said, would hand over to private indi-
viduals who have no legal right the
valuable oil lands set aside as reserves
for the navy.
"The Navy Department has made pub.
lie announcement that the mere threat
of the Phelan bills passage has caused
it to seriously consider the advisability
of abandoning the policy of construct
ing oil-burning ships" continued Mr.
Pinchot.
only oil-burning ships can develop
and maintain the high speeds required
in modern war, and without them NJ
navy can be even second class.
Attitude of Administration.
The Secretary of the Interior ac
ltively supported this surrender to pri.
vate greed. The Secretary of the Navy
and the Attorney General opposed it
Wilson remained neutral and did moth
ing.
Because Wilson refused to take
sides, or took the wrong side, the
question whether the people or the in.
|
ters' is still unsettled. These bills are
still before Congress. and will pass OIL
fail at the coming session
The public waterways and the eff
lciency of the navy are at stake. There
can be no compromise between the mer
who would grab the public resources
for private profit and those who woult
conserve them for the use Of all thu
nrAs