Evening star., 1949-05-15
ParIey on Resources
Ends After Discussion
OF New Setup, Loans

OF New Setup, Loans
The National Emergency Con-
ference on Resources ended a
three-day meeting here yesterday
after giving special attention dur
ing It's session to proposals for a
separate National Resources De-
partment and a new governmental
lending ageiSv to help conserya-
ton pay its wk- without hurting
the taxpayers.
These proposals were advanced
by James II. Rowe, jr., of the
Hoover Commission on Reorgani-
xation of the Executive Branch.
and Stephen Raushenbush, United
Nations economic consultant.
A general discussion over which
Former Attorney General Francis
Biddle presided in the Interior
Department Auditorium developed
general approval, though 1t
brought admissions that neither
proposal is likely to be put into
effect soon.
Start At Bottom Urged.
Mr.. Rowe said he had been
around Washington long enough
to know how hard it is to get
Government departments to give
up anything and how strongly they
are entrenched politically,
Referring to the power Of the
Army Engineers. the Interior and
Agricultural Departments. Mr..
Rowe said it might be necessary
to start this miye toward unified
coordination in the administra-
ton of resources on lower levels"
Even If we do have a separate
department. you're going to have
very serious problems OF co-ordin-
alton" he said. do not get the
idea that a Department OF Nation
al Resources would be a panacea
In solving all problems"
Mr.. Rowe prefaced his espousal
of the Hoover Commissions recon-
mendation by criticism OF the COM
petition" between Army Engineers
and the Interior Departments Re
clamation Bureau. He praised
former Gov. Leslie A. Miller OF
Wyoming. chairman OF the Hoover
Commissions National Resources
Committee for exposing the tre-
mendous waste of dollars which
this competition is costing In the
West.
Loans Are Urged.
In proposing National Re-
sources Corporation, Mr.. Raushen-
bush said that Congress could
authorize the agency to make low
interest loans totaling $4,000, ,000,-
600 over a 10-year period to enable
farmers, foresters and other
owners Of natural resources to
practice approved methods Of con-
servation.
Private owners cannot be ex-
pected to do the whole job through
five per cent bank loans and
compound interest" he warned.
He said there would be ga per
cent interest on loans up to 20
years for farm conservation. 4"
and az per cent interest on loans
up to 60 years for forest and wood
lot conservation.
With NRC loans, plus $4,000
900, 900 In private bank loans on
similar terms, he said the con-
servatioh Job could be done On
405,000. 900 acres of potential crop
land, 270,000,000 acres of forest
land and $4,000 acres Of range
land.
New Bureaucracy Seen.
BY utilizing existing govern
mental agencies. he said the plan
for the lending agency would
make 1t unnecessary to create a
new bureaucracy"
Russell Smith, legislative secre-
tary of the National Farmers Un-
ion and Leon Keyserling. an e1U
nomic advisor to the President,
were speakers at the closing ses-
sion. Mr.. Smith pleaded for the
enactment of the Patman- Muir
ray-Sparkman Full Employment
Act.
Budget conservation and re-
sources development was dis
cussed by Mr.. Keyserling. The
United States has under -util-
lied its natural resources" in pro-
portion to its wealth and poten-
tialities, to an extent unequalled
nv anY nfher country he cla irnad