The Pleasantville press., 1924-02-20
TEAPOT DOME MAY
RESULT IN GOOD
SCANDAL LIKELY TO HELP SAVE
THE NATURAL RESOURCES
OF THE COUNTRY.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

ington officials who believe that the
scandal attending the Teapot Dome
transaction will prevent for years the
exploitation of the mineral, forest and
Oil lands of the government by private
capital even If safeguarded sanely in
its operation.
1t seemingly is certain, however, that
out of the apparent evils attending the
Teapot Dome lease there will come
benefit for the cause of the saving of
what Is remaining of the natural re-
sources of the country. 1t probably
will be some time before consideration
Will be given to leases on a large
scale, and therefore the natural re-
sources will be saved until thorough
investigation can be made of proposed
means to exploit them
The government now apparently will
be afraid for time to sanction any en-
terprise of private capital in the public
domain even though it be hedged in
with all sorts of precautions to make
certain proper return to the people
for that which they have leased. Men
of capital probably will be afraid for
some time to come to enter into any
public domain enterprise because of
the suspicion which at once will at
tach to their projects.
The general feeling in Washington
is IL there had been a more thorough
study of conditions prior to the leas-
Ing Of the Teapot Dome to the oil
people all trouble would have been
avoided, and some men who apparently
KNEW what they wanted" would have
escaped their present plight and would
not today be called upon to prove their
innocence.
- Wallace and the Forestry.
1t is easy for Washington to under
stand now why Secretary Wallace of
the Agricultural department took such
a firm stand in opposition to the trans
fer of the forestry service from Agri-
culture to Interior about year ago.
Mr.. Wallace did not want to see the
forests under his jurisdiction turned
over to the exploitation of private cap
ltal without knowing all about what
ultimately was to happen to the gov
ernment preserves. There was rather
grave personal controversy over the
attempt TO transfer forestry from one
department TO another.
When President Harding started for
Alaska it was believed he was favor
able to the plan to give She Interior
department control of the forests.
After he had been to Alaska in the
company of Secretary Wallace ne
changed his mind and in public state
ment declared himself entirely satisfied
with things as they were and still are.
The navy has land set aside from
WIKI y - doe oft s,ra,s;it,s. p:sA.s,
4 these lands are in California and
rom time to time there have been
harges that private enterprise has
cen doing what it could to deprive
he navy of its holdings, or at least TO '
ecure them under some kind of A '
ease which seemingly would safeguard I
he sea service and yet give private
nterprise plenty of returns to justify z
s entry into the field. t
Not Likely to Happen Again. :
The understanding is that the far Y
istant fields were saved to the gov /
but whether or not private +
nterprise has succeeded in getting
)me hold upon them, Washington now n
eiieyes that the developments of the n
st few days will prevent any recur- n
snce of the Teapot Dome happenings. s
The attempt to save the government h
sources from private exploitation q
pes back 10 the days of Theodore c
ooseyelt when he interviewed TO pre- Y
ent an individual, or at any rate a il
nall company of men, from utilizing / e
e water power on a stream in Mis- G
'uri without proper compensation to 7
le government e
This case was seemingly of little
lportance, but It loomed large in the c;
lblic eye. The law has it that the a
deral government has control over d
lvigable streams. 1t was maintained G
at a small Missouri river, the wa ii
RS of which the private corporation Il
lshed to use, was not navigable. II a
as declared navigable after it had
en- ascertained that small fiat boats
uld be fioated upon its waters. The
vernment, therefore, assumed juris-
elton. Ct
So from that time on, at least dur =,
? the Roosevelt administration, priv
2 capital when ii undertook to ex-
Dit the government resources was
mpelled TO make arrangements for
Dper return to the federal treasury
lich, of course, meant a proper re-
IN TO the people. Checks have
me from time to time on the at
npts of men to secure government
lcessions for private gain. The de- ar
opmeAt of suspicion in the Teapot gi
me case probably will prevent for mi
ne time to come even the proper liz
oloitation of public holdings by pri- Sc
e concerns.
Conventions and Candidates.
IN old-time Democratic politician
man whose memory pli
is a long shadow, has said that In da
way history will not repeat itself VIC
New York city next June. 'In wi
s Horatlo Seymour" he said "ac-
lily was dragooned into accept
the Democratic nomination" He
ed that it will take no dragoon- tn,
to induce Mr.. McAdoo, Mr.. Under ii
I'd, Mr. Smith. Mr.. Ralston, or any mis-
er man of active or latent ambi- Wit
IIcIMN FL nnM NDEAeE aSsl