The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-05
Graf ting of the.
Publie's< Property
Legislation Now Pending in
Congress to Give Away Vast
Resources.

j Congress TO Give Away vast
Resources.
Philadelphia, Jan. 30.-The enc
of lighting in France opens many q
question at home. During the wal
the hearts and minds of the .nler
and women Of America were overseas
! but with the coming Of victory we
can turn again to home affairs, It is
right and fitting, therefore, that ths
friends Of conservation should inquire
] once more as to the status Of the
conservation movement.
The people Of the United States OWL
natural resources of enormous value
! lands that contain. more than sly
hundred million barrels Of oil. four
hundred and fifty billion tons Of coal
two million acres of phosphate lands
j and more than fifty million undeveloD-
/ ed water horsepower
! Legislation is now pending in con-
gress 20 trade or give ail this away
While public attention vas absorbed
! by the war, measures to dispose OF
these resources quietly passed both
! the house and seIate. AS usual the
house bills are mainly eound, the
senate bills thoroughly bad. There is
serious danger that the latter will be
| jaur1ed through in the dying hours
Of the present session
| The senate. on January 7. 1918. af-
ter very brief consideration. passed
3 bill IS. s23l2). dealing With ihe
coal, oil, gas. and phosphate. resources
now III public ownership. This meas
!urc, rnasluerading Is a leasing bill.
would Surrender, with the title, all
control of waste, output. price. and
labor conditions It fosters specela-
ticn in coal. OIL, gss, and phosphate,
and gives TO assurance Of prompt de-
ve1opment. Even TIE leasing pfoA IS
ions afford no protection TO the pub
lie against extort.on OF monopol, fo1ill
worse, il gives title to fraudulent oil
claimants. nnay Of whom have al
ready had their claims denied by the
courts Finally there is q joker which
would overthrow the present lease
law for coal lands in Alaska. for
which we Fought so; long, and would
surn them ovc, foi yer to private
hands
A bill for the Leasing. OF these same
resources was passed by the house on
May %. 1913. This measure Oh. Il.
3232) is much fafrer to the public il.-
terests han the indefensible co:n~
panion bill passed by the sena.te.
On December u. 1917, the senate
passed a bill IS 1899 providing for
the granting Of franchises for water
power on. navigable streams. 1t 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-
irely now Bill drawn by the admin
iStration :n6 covering waterpowcr
not only on navieahle streams, but
also upon p hlic 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 wrate in q new clause. the most
vital in the hill, which was very prop
eEly opposed b. the president. Never
the1ess- on September 5, 1918, the
measure passaa the house with this
cianse included.
The two sets OF bills are now in
conferences The senate. measures
both. on. minerals and on w:,terpowers
are worse. thar. the notorious Balling--
er bills-r1cca hos.ile TO the: public
interests and. more .lae!Dful to .corpor-
ate splonopoiies The house bills a-e
entiregy different and fas.ly. better
AS you, know, In reported from
conference cannot be substantially
amended in the house Or senate, but
must be accepted or rejected rs It
stands. The danger is that the bits
reported by the conference. both on
minerals and, on waterpower, may ne
IKE the senate bills. and unlike those
of the house, and that in the confus-
ion OF tho closing hours they maY
pass. The men who. without regard
to party. strive TO defeat the passage
OF the senate nleaEures. or any meas
ures like them; will deserve we'll OF
their. country. :,
The, vast natural resources which
are. still beld by the people can he
D1a1e to supply a. sound and solid pa
sis for reccnstruction. Properly cor
served ana administered. they might
almost wfi,S out cur gigantic nation
al DEBT, There u no good reason
why they Should 30 to make more
n,iilionaises instead of helping our
people to Fay Tor the war.
In the public interest I ask you 20
give these facts the widest. publicity
at your command
Clifford F'inchot.