Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-04
HERITAGE OF The PEOPLE
Americas Natural Resources Should
Be Preserved 10 America
CLIFFORD PINCHOT ISSUES WARNING

ulffUkD PlNGhUl lSSUtS WARNlNG
Unless Americans Make q Fuss the
United States Senate Is Liable to
Give to a Few Individuals Property
That Belong tc the Whole People.
Correspondence of The Yorkville Enquirer.
The end Of fighting in France opens
many question at home. During 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, therefore, that the friends
of conservation should inquire once
more as to the status Of the conser-
vation movement. 1t 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 hun
dred million barrels Of oil. four hun
dred 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 Con-
gress to-. trade or give all this away.
While public attention was absorbed
by the war, measures to dispose Of
these resources quietly pass both the
house and senate. AS usual the house
bills are mainly sound, the senate bills
thoroughly bad. There is serious dan
ger that the latter will be jammed
through in the dying hours Of the pres
ent session.
The senate, on January Z, 1918, after
very brief consideration, passed bill
Is. 2S12), dealing with the coal, oil,
gas, and phosphate resources now in
public ownership. This measure, mas
querading as leasing bill, would sur
render, with the title. all control 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 extor-
ton 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 overthrow the
present lease law for coal lands in AL
aska, for which we fought so long and.
would turn them over forever to pri-
vate hands.
A bill for the leasing Of these same
resources was passed by the house on
May, 25, 1918. This measure (H. r.
3232) is much fairer to the public in
terests than the indefensible compan-
ion bill passed by, the senate.
On December / g. -Io17, tse-eenate-
passed a bill Is. 1439) providing for
the granting of franchises for water
power on navigable streams. 1t Is sub
stantially the notorious and disrepu-
table Shields bill of the previous con-
gress which was defeated by public
condemnation. The house did not ap-
prove it, but passed instead an entire
" new bill, drawn by the administra-
tion 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 a new clause, the most
vital in the bill, which was very pro-
perly opposed by the president New
ertheless, on September 5, 1918, the
measure passed the house with this
clause included.
The two sets Of bills are now in con-
ference. The senate measures both
on mineral and on waterpowers are
worse than the notorious Ballinger
bills,-more hostile to the public inter-
est and more helpful to corporate
monopolies. The house bills are en-
t'reIy different and vastly better. AS
you know, a bill-reported from confer
once cannot be substantially amend
ed in the house or senate. but must
be accepted or rejected as it stands.
The danger is that the bills reported
w the conference, both on minerals
and on waterpower, may be like the
senate bill, and unlike those of the
house. and that in the confusion of the
closing hours they may pass. The
mon who, without regard to party,
strive to defeat the passage Of the
senate measures, or any measures Ike
them. will deserve we'll of their coun-
try.
The vast natural resources which
ore still held by the people can be made
to supply a sound and solid basis for
reconstruction. Properly conserved and
administered, they might almost wipe
ont our gigantic debt. There Is no
good reason why they should go to
make milliqSaires instead of helping
our people to pay for the war.
In the public interest I ask you to
give these facts the widest publicity
at your command.
Sincerely yours,
clifford Pinchot.
Philadelphia, January 80, 1919.
NATIONAL DEBT SETTLEMENT.