The Pulaskian., 1919-02-07

HEM IN | ANI,
 The Trade Record is in receipt of the following letter from Clifford Pinchot, well-known conservationalist, which sounds note of warning. If what Pinchot says is from the record, then it is up to us all to lend helping hand. Read and ponder, then write your representative in Congress.
 Here is what MT. Pinchot says:
 'The end of fighting in France opens many question at home. Dur ing the war the hearts and minds of the men and women of America were overseas, but with the coming of victory We can turn again to home affairs. It is right and fitting, there fore, that the friends of Conservation should inquire once more as to the statusVof the conservation movement. It is particularly right and fitting at the moment when Theodore Roose- welt, the man to whom this movement was most indebted, has left us con- servationists as heirs to the task which he began.
 ''The people of the United States own natural resources of enormous valuellands that contain more than six hundred million barrels of. oil, four hundred and fifty billion tons of coal, two million acres of phosphate lands, and more than fifty million undeveloped water horsepower.
 Legislation is now pending in l Congress to trade or give all this away. While public attention was absorbed by the war, measures to dispose of these resources quietly passed both the House and Senate. As usual, the House bills are mainly sound, the Senate bills thoroughly bad. There is serious danger that the latter will be jammed through in the dying hours of the present session.
 "The Senate, on January ', 1918, after brief consideration, passed a bill (S. 2812), dealing with the coal, oil, gas and phosphate resources now in public ownership This measure, masquerading as leasing bill, would surrender, with the title, all control of waste, output, price and labor con- ditions. It fosters speculation in coal, gas, oil and phosphate and gives no assurance of prompt development. Even the leasing provisions afford no protection to the public against ex- tortion or monopoly. Still worse, it gives title to fraudulent oil claimants, many of whom have already had their claims denied by the courts. Finally, there is a joker which would over throw the present lease law for coal l lands in Alaska, for which we fought so long, and would turn them over forever to private hands.
 "A bill for the leasing of these same resources was passed by the House on May 25th, 918 This meas ure (H. R. 3232) is much fairer to the public interests than the indefensible companion bill passed by the Senate.
 "On December IA, 1917, the Senate passed bill IS 1439) providing for the granting of franchise for water power on navigable streams. It is substantially the notorious and dis reputable Shields Bill of the previous Congress, which was defeated by pub- lie condemnation The House did not approve it, but passed instead an en- tirely new bill, drawn by the Admin istration and covering waterpower not only on navigable streams, but also upon public lands and national forests, and international waterways. "When this Administration bill was first introduced I endorsed it heartily The House Committee on Water Power later wrote in new clause l the most vital in the bill, which was l very properly opposed by the Presi- dent. Nevertheless, on September 5 , 1918, the measure passe the House ) with this clause included.
 "The two sets of bills are now ir conference. The Senate measures both on minerals and waterpowers are worse than the notorious Ballingel bills-more hostile to the public in , terest and more helpful to corporate monopolies. The House bills are en { tirely different and vastly better. A! ICan4;n.od nr r,ano 4 third col,,n,r r,A