The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-02-03
OUR DOMESTIC PROBLEMS

Editor Star: The end of fighting in
France opens many a question at
home. During the war the hearts and
minds of the men and women of Am
erica were overseas, but with the
coming of victory, we can turn again
to home affairs. 1t is right and fit
ting, therefore, that the friends of
conservation should inquire once more
as to the status of the conservation
movement. It is particularly right and
fitting at the moment when Theodore
Roosevelt, the man to whom this
movement was most indebted, has.
left US conservationists as heirs to the
task which he began.
The people of the United States
own natural resources of enormous
value-lands 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 un-
developed water horsepower.
Legislation is now pending In Con-
gress 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
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 z, 1913,
after very brief consideration, passed
q bill Is. 2812), dealing with the coal,
Gil, gas and phosphate resources now
III public ownership. This measure,
masquerading as leasing bill, would
Of waste, output, price and labor con-
ditions. 1t fosters speculation in coal,
oil, gas 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 joker which would over
throw the present lease law for coal
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 or
May 25, 1913. This measure III. r
3232) is much fairer to the public in
terests than the indefensible ocmpan
ion bill passed by the Senate.
/ On December IA, 1917, the Senatt
passed a bill IS. 1439) providing fol
the granting of franchises for water
power on navigable streams. 1t is sub
stantially the notorious and disrep
utable Shields bill of the previous
Congress, which was defeated by pub
lie condemnation. The House did no
| approve it, but passed instead an en-
4 tirely new bill, drawn by the admins
II tration and covering waterpower no
only on navigable streams, but upol
public lands and national forests, an,
international waterways.
When this administration bill wa
| first introduced endorsed it heartily
The House committee on water powe
later wrote In new clause, the mos
vital in the bill, which was very prop
erly opposed by the president. Never
theless, on September 5, 1913. tn
measure passed the House with thi
clause included.
The two sets of bills are now in con
ference The Senate measures both O
minerals and on waterpowers ar
worse than the notorious Ballinge
; bills, more hostile to the public inter
lest and more helpful to corporal