Evening star., 1919-02-09
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

SlleS Oh lnS streams WnlCn are To-Day
undeveloped. With a war debt reach
ing into the billions, the question
arises. why not let these resources
help pay this war debt and at the
same time aid in providing work for
the demobilizing army and war muni-
tions workers?
The development of these resources
is practically at a standstill. The
failure to develop is due. not to the
war-in fact. the country's needs dur
ing the war were given as an impera-
tive reason for the development of
these resources-but to the fact that
Congress has so far failed to Iegislate
so as to permit the work of devehpp-
ment-
Six Years of Struggle.
For more than six years a struggle
has been going on in Washington be
tween two schools of thought on these
natural and national resources. The
conservationists on the one hand, snd
on the other the men who believe in
the old order, the right of the private
prospeetor and investor to take all he
can get honestly. even out of the pub
lie domain.
In these closing days of the war
Congress, however, a desperate efs
fort is being made to compromise the
differences between the old antago-
nists in Congress. so that legislation
may be Forthcoming before March 4,
Three reasons are given for this ef-
fort; first, to make available re-
sources vitality needed in industry and
TO the development primarily of the
- ls-I
source of revenue that may be used
in caring for share of the thirty or
more billions of dollars of war debt.
and. third, to aid in providing work
for the demobilized soldiers. sailors
and munitions workers.
1t happens that the conservationist
school, which insists that the federal
government shall not part with these
resources outright, but shall merely
lease to operators the privilege of
developing them on royalty basis,
has found favor in the House and with
the executive branch of the govern
ment- The Senate. on the other hand,
has been the stronghold of the sup
porters of the individualistic idea
The result has been a deadlock be-
tween the two houses of Congress.
Embodied in Two Bills.
The much desired legislation is con-
leasing bill and the water power bill.
The bills have been in conference for
months. The conferees had even
ceased to meet. owing to the appar-
emily irreconcilable differences. But a
short time ago interest in the meas
ures was revived. 1t was announced
final effort would be made to get
together.
Last week the conferees on the min
eral lands leasing bill did reach
complete agreement, and the confer
ees on the waterpower bill reported
progress"
simultaneously the conservationists
outside of Congress awoke and is
sued a warning to the country that
the people were about to be despciled.
Any compromise with the Senate, in
their opinion, meant disaster The
National Conservation Association
headed by Clifford Pinchof, former
chief forester and, under Roosevelt,
ment which developed at the time, is
out to fight the conferees' agreement
on the leasing bill, and will seek to
prevent its adoption through menu
bers of the Senate and the House.
Both Senator Pittman of Nevada,
chairman of the conferees of the Sem
ate, and Representative Scott Ferris
or Oklahoma, chairman of the House
conferees, have issued statements to
the eject that this Is the last chance
\
IL the agreement should be turned
down. They both insist that the in
terests OF the government have beeh
amply protected.
Leasing Plan Wins Out.
A strange feature of the fight which
mss sbeen waged between the Senate
and the House lies in the fact that
/. bills dealing with the natural re-
sources have been termed leasing
bills In both houses. Much as some
OF the western senators are opposed
to the establishment of a leasing sys-
ten, it became apparent several years
ago that II any legislation permitting
the development of these resources
was to be had. 1t must provide for
leasing system of some kind. The
!, lntrenched to permit of any other
! 1nal adjustment.
There is no manner of doubt but
: what legislation Is needed, and need
ed now. to permit the development of
these resources The water power of
the streams of the country has hard
ly5been scratched as yet. and vastly
more is needed in the coming indus
trial development of the country. It
Is estimated by the government ex-
perts that the total water power de-
veiopment is between 5000, geo and
f,eae-eeo horse power. These same
rxperts say that the total potential
water power of the country is 80. .0Qe,
o0o at the minimum and eo,oeo, 900 at
the maximum. This Is far more than
the entire available or potential wa
ter power of all Europe.
Greater development of water power
n this country has not been made be-
cause of the lack of adequate legis-
1ation, In the opinion of the Secretary
Of the Interior. The law applying to-
day is the so-caIied reyoca Bile permi,
law. passed In 1901. which. it is said,
has hindered rather than helped the
development 1t was intended to be
only temporary legislation.
Enormous Store Of Minerals.
The minerals in the public domain.
fsst locked by Withdrawals from en-
try under the old laws. are enormous,
TOO. The estimate of the oil is up-
wards of 500. 900, 900 barrels; of oil
shale. from which oil may be pro-
duced. 10000. .e0o. 900 tons; of coal,
100000. 900. 900 tons. and of phosphate
lands. 1000 .00e acres
Testimony has been given before the
congressional committees that IL new
oil fields are not developed in this
country, then the oil supply, includ-
ing the supply of gasoline, will fall
on from year to year at an alarming
Iste. rms az the time when the use
OF automobiles. tractors and other
gas engines is rapidly increasing, and
when the vessels of the Navy are he
ing constructed for oiI-burning, the
oiI-ourners attaining considerably
greater speed than the coal-burners.
Prior TO 1901. adequate legislation
dealing with the subject of water
power was lacking. In consequence
water power sites were snapped up by
private individuals and concerns with