The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-03-09
STUDY AND TALK
CONSERVATION
(By Dante Barton)

in distreSSful need of its own natural
resources of oil, phosphate and pot
ash. The country has abundant sup
plies of oil, phosphate and potash on
it's own public lands. But it cannot
get at these vital necessities for the
governments own use or for the peo-
pies relief from private extortion
because the United States Senate will
not let decent development and con-
servation bill for a leasing system
become law. The water powers Of
the nation as well as its oil and other
lands are in this same status.
Thanks to the House of Representa-
tives, which has passed fairly good
leasing bills guarding the natural re-
sources remaining in public owner
ship, and thanks to the National Con-
servation Association of which Gift
ford Pinchot is president, the Senate
has not been able to enact it's own
audaciously bad bills. 1t has not been
able to hand over the nations oil and
potash and phosphate lands and its
water powers to private monopolists.
Thanks for this also are due to Secre-
tary of the Navy Daniels, who fought
the oil land sections of the Phelan
Bill and to President Wilson, who
served informal notice that he would
veto the indefensible Myers and
Shields water power bills if they
were passed.
But at the command of wealthy
privilege grabbers and land monopol-
lists the United States Senate refuses
to agree to the House bill and blocks
development of natural resources
which are national necessities. 1t in
sists on giving away by perpetual
leases to private corporations the
water powers on navigazle streams,
by the Shields Bill, and on the public
lands and reservations, by the Myers
Bill. 1t wants to give, by the Phelan
Bill, private concessions in the oil
lands including even those reserved
for the needs of the Navy.
1t has it's humorous as we'll as sad
phases, that, when Secretary Lane
has to come with his hat in his hand
begging the Senate please to let the
people have some use Of their own
property, he must address his letter
to Senator Myers of Montana, who
has been particularly active against
the right legislation and for the
wrong legislation. If instead of tax
ing his hat in his hand Secretary
Lane will take in his hand the club
of public ownership and operation of
power plants and of oil wells and pot
ash and phosphate beds on the public
domain, he will find great sentiment
in Congress and throughout the ma
ton to support him.
The action of the privileged monop-
olists has stimulated tremendously
the demand for public ownership and
development of the natural resources.
This was shown surprisingly the 9TH
er day in the vote that was given in
the House on Rep. Huddleston's
proposition to erect publicly owned
and operated power plants at Niagara
Falls on the American side, as Cana
da has already installed public own
ership and operation on its side.
But the critical period in these oil
and water power and phosphate and
potash grabs is at hand. The very
fact that Secretary Lane has empha-
sized the need of quick development
will incite the special interests to new
attacks and new deceits against the
public rights. A prophetic warning
of this danger was given by Clifford
Pinchot in a bulletin issued by him
last month:
at is evident that an effort will be
made to amend or substitute other,
but equally vicious measures for the
Shields and Myers Bills, and then
let the impression go out that the
bad parts of these measures have
been eliminated. They will then be
offered for passage in the confused
rush of the closing hours of Con-
gress."
The same warning has been offered
for the oil land grabs in the Phelan
Bill.
LOOK OUT!
Look out now for these grabs. With
the Secretary of the Interior demand
ing quick legislation as a possible
war and preparedness measure, watch
for powerful patriots" to take adj
vantage of public necessities and seek
to take over the rest of the public's
natural wealth. During the Civil
War Lincoln wrote that in time of
t1yo1, tho Iifr IF tho ,,,,L1;o