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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1915)
TTTF: MORXIXO OREGOXIAy. FRIDAY. SKPTEMRETl 24. 1915. - " i ; ! In WEST DECLARES FOR OF STATES RIGHTS Federal Control Idea Beaten, 28 to 7, by Conference at 'v Close of Session. STATES' MR. WALSH TWICE LOSES UTort to Promote Policy of fifty- year Lease Is Defeated Brisk Two-Hour Debate Precedes Final Vote on Resolutions. (.Continued From Flrat Page.) gation, from each delegation at- ile conference. Desnite Governor Lister's stand, three of the four other members of the Wash ington delegation stood firmly for the principle of state control and voted tor the resolution. Even the Montana delegation was not eolid behind the minority leadership of Senator Walsh in benali of federal control. Two members stood with him, hut the other, J. B. Coilins, of Miles City, supported the resolution. IVorth Dakota Divided. The North Dakota delegation of two stood one for federal and the other for state control. A. 12. Chandler, the lone California delegate, who voted against the l evolu tions, did not take an unequivocal stand in that position, for he took pains in the debate preceding Its adoption to say that he did not believe Federal fixing of rates on water iDver sites leased by it, on the basis of corse power told, as provided in the Ferr.s bill, was constitutional. His attitude apparently was that the West should taiie ,vhat ever water power legislation It could set from Congress. Walxh Report Drfraiiil. There was about two hours of debate preceding the adoption of the resolu tions, the first part of the sessii-a teing levoted to hearing the addresses of United States Senator Clark, of Wyoming-, and Frank H. Short, of California. Before they came up for final pass use, the conference defeated by the same vote, 28 to 7, the substitution of Senator Walsh's minority report. This resolution also was published in The Oregonian of yesterday. A second motion by Senator Walsh, entertained by unanimous consent of the delegates, to substitute for th resolutions the preamble of his resolu tion. to the effect that power sites should be leased under Federal con trol for 50-year periods, also was voted down by the same vote. upon powers TEXT OF RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY WESTERN WATER-POWER CONFERENCE. Whereas. The new states admitted into the Union are of necessity upon an equal footing In all respects whatever with the original states; and Whereas. Each state has full jurisdiction over all lands within its borders, including the beds of streams and other waters; and Whereas, The ownership by the Federal Government of the tech- - l" puouc iana witnin a state does not confer inn TTdfl a 1 "Irtim . i . , atly greater or other governmental than it .............. : . . - . . wnnin me original states; and Whereas. The long-established and sound policy or the United States with respect to the disposition of its unappropriated public lands 1, opposed to the making of a direct revenue therefrom, beyond the expense incident to the surveying, classification and disposing of such lands, but. on the contrary, that said policy is intended to en courage and promote the settlement and development thereof; and that any act of Congress. or any administrative interpreta t on thereof, which is not in harmony with this policy, does an injus tice to the new states by placing them on an unequal footing with the original states, and by discouraging and preventing the settle ment of such new states and the development of their resources; and Whereas, The vacant land belonging to the Federal Government constitutes two-thirds of the area of the states represented in this conference, and amounts to more than twice the area of the 13 orig inal states; and Whereas. The vacant lands belonging to the Federal Government are under the law exempt from taxation, whilo the burden of maintain ing IoceU government over their entire area rests upon the states; and Whereas. The maintenance inviolate of the constitutional equality Of the States nf Iho Tnlnn I. : i ... , . . "w.uai uiui Daiance or power "",tu "le perieciion and endurance of our political fabric d to me harmonious operation of the scheme upon which was organized: now. therefore, ho it Resolved. That we are unalterably opposed to any legislation which is in conflict with the fundamental principles above declared Resolved, That the states have the constitutional right and power to control and regulate the appropriation and use of the waters with in their boundaries for all beneficial purposes except navigation and also the right and power to control and regulate the rates and serv ice of their public utilities. " Resolved. That we are opposed to any policy that looks toward Imposing the system of leasing generally upon the public domain for the reason that such system is contrary to the spirit of our free in stitutions, and would retard the development of the resources of the states in which there is still any public land Resolved, That in view of what we believe' to be administrative misconstruction of existing legislation, we are in favor of a declara tory act by Congress recognizing and acknowledging that the pro- j kjl Kuts LJiiittia estates in the states is subject to on epend, and the Republic FEDERAL DOTY SEEN Senator Clark Says Govern ment Has Hindered West. USE, NOT WASTE, WANTED the jurisdiction and vacant land within the eminent domnin nf thnc w iur an uses wnicn are declared by the laws of those states to be public uses and which are so essential to the development, well being, and prosperity of those states. Resolved. That the purposes of encouraging the development and utilization of the natural resources of the country by private enter prise which actuated Congress in the enactment of the right-of-way i ' iouu, aim marcn a, lsai, and in th acts or March 3. 1S77. and June 4, 1897 30-ar Leans, Proposed. This preamble was as follows: ii is trie opinion of this Congress that no subject likely to engage the attention of the National Legislature at its ensuins session transcends in im portance that which will deal with the disposition of power sites on the pub lic domain. Development is retarded, if not wholly interrupted, because capi tal does not find in the existing law the security to which it is entitled. "An act framed upon the following principle would. In the judgment of this Congress, prove inviting to in vestors, safeguard the public interests and be generally acceptable to the peo ple of the states directly interested, namely: Brink Debate Kollona. "The sites should be leased for a period of 50 years." The debate on the resolutions was brisk. Senator Walsh was the only ad vocate of Federal control to take part in the discussion, however, the remarks of Delegate Chandler, of California, be ins merely to explain his vote. In his fight for the substitution of the minority for the majority report, i-'enator Walsh took a violent fling at iue u. jjawson, head of the Colo rano delegation. me committee in saying it," he de clared hotly, "that the resolutions were drawn and presented to th. by Clyde C. Dawson, of Coin- enactment of the makinff all nnn.nnvihia waters on public lands, including forest reservations, free for appro priation for beneficial uses, should actuate Congress today in the en actment of any further legislation upon those subjects Resolved, That any legislation by Congress, the purpose or ef fect of which is to substitute arbitrary or discretionary authority of executive officials for the fixed rules of law governing the ad ministration, sale or other disposition of public lands and reservation and rights-of-way over the same will be unwise and inconsistent with the spirit of our Constitution. Resolved, That we are opposed to ownership or control either di rect or indirect by the United States Government of intrastate public utilities. "It is appropriate for me to say, and think I am violating no confidence of f erence rado. would no legis- neces- Flinar Taken at Colorado Delegate. "AnH It i t i. iJt" upnaie significance mat me jsiaie or Colorado, which h - vci milieu more tnan 100,000 acres of its coal lands, one of its sources of jjuwei, to oecome controlled by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, which me BiMie witn a hand and will of iron, should now take the ormnrf.,- ity to give the corporations control of ia ciier power, too. "The resolutions are historically false and contrary in spirit in many respects to the constitutional principles laid tiown by the Supreme Court of the United States." He said that in adopting the resolu- me u states represented i-e uecianng practically that idiion in water-power matters is .iii y . Minority Barking Dexcrlbe. "But the great states of California, Washington, Nevada and Montana." he continued, "stand here in the minority report declaring that this does not represent the sentiment of their peo ple." He referred sarcastically to Delegate Iyons. of Nebraska, for having signed the majority report. "Why, Senator isor-ris. of that state, signed the ma jority report in Congress for the I-erris bill," he declared, "and Senator Hitchcock is more than sanguine in expecting that the bill will pass. That makes five states. South nuf t ist "... iums, aiso not represented." Mr. Jones Said to Favor BUI In claiming tUe support of Washing- .v, fald ,Senato'' Jones is committed to the doctrine that power rights shall not be granted in perpetuity He said that Senator Jones had told him personally, not once, but a dozen times, ihat he would r,.,nn .. v.?,. Inl'nnoln, . ... T T " " ... ... , , s,LCiie rignts. Senator Walsh declared. that the main argument against his own rni.lnn was that 50 years hence th .m ....... La.nit riKni OVf T. ..... . i-eueiai aomain when takes them over from fhi ,PrelSnted- but wU1 vote againsi the principles of these resolutions, anc lose plants me Government the lessees. "Are you afraid the generation that comes after us 50 .years hence will not be able to devise some plan by which w 111 nui get enough ' ne inquired Mr. property sarcastically. Dawiton Answers Attunk. "Again it has been charged that this would take away from the states the w reguiate the rates of corpor ations. 1 have already showed yoi ed you ui.i mere .ouidn't be any control by the Government in states that had pub lic utility commissions to regulate." A.,ierei rose to white heat when Clyde C. Dawson took the floor to n,Te.,;,Swnator Wash's attack on him. It 111 becomes a representative from Montana to throw any rocks at the people of Colorado, for the troubles they have had were brought on by the same class of people who have made troubles in Montana," he declared. He leaned o-'er until he was looking Senator Walsh full 'n the face. "Well handle our trouble in Colorado if you will handle yours in Montana, and with out calling in the Secretary of the In terior, either. Yes, it is true the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company has large coal land hold ings in our states," he went on with warmth, "'gut who gave those) lands to them? The Government, Yet it is a good thing the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company has Hie lands, for they have developed them and the State of Colcri rado. They hold just one per cent of the coal lands that are now withdrawn from any use or development by the Government. Power Would Reduce Coal Demand. "If we could develop our water pow er resources under a wise administra tion, we'd have to buy less coal from the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, and would take less of our precious treas ures, for which the gentleman from Montana is so solicitious, from the earth." Mr. Dawson said an officer of the company had told him within the last two months that by its withdrawal and classification and raising of the price of coal lands, the Interior Department had at one stroke of the pen increased the value of the company's holdings ?2, 000, 000. un, mats now we protect the peo ple!" he cried, shaking a long finger at Senator Walsh. "The people who have the votes!" Interest Influence Denied. "The Senator from Montana has seen fit to violate the confidence of the reso lutions committee," he continued, "so I will tell something else that hap pened in the committee. He didn't tell you that when Governor Lister voted for the resolutions of the Senator he said he did it with a reservation. Tes, two of them did that." Mr. Dawson said that no man could call him a power attorney. "I have lived in Colorado 40 years." he declared with fervor, "and no one can say that in all that time I have ever tied myself up with any interests. "And in preparing these resolutions I had the assistance of Senator Smoot; of Mr. Bailey, of ,SaIt Lake City, and of the best-informed men. And I want to say that they are constructive. They call for a declaratory act by Congress recognizing that it holds only a pro prietary right to the lands in the states, and recognizing the principle of state control so that development can take place." Elsplonaare System Condemned. He spoke of the system of "espionage" to wnicn the Western states are sub jected by the Federal departments. "Oh, we are an outlaws out nere. be cried. "And whenever you put the power sites under control of the Federal Govern ment you add to that system of espion age which is held over us out here. I have always found Secretary Lane ana ivir. laiiman courteous gentlemen. I am not objecting to any man. but to the system which reduces to vassalage tne western public lands states." Another speaker was Senator Clark or Wyoming. "I am glad the minority report has been presented," began the oenator, oecause in it more clearlv and succinctly than in the Ferris bin its many iniquities are presented." Subservience Called Worst Foe. "It does indulge the bone at least. that the power development of our re sources shall be carried on under the strong arm of the United States. It says in set terms that if the state of Washington, or Oregon or Montana, has no comm.sion to fix rates, that whether they want it or not. there shall be imposed on them some official to ex ercise that power. "There is a worse thing than war. 1 would rather our Nation were des troyed by bullets from without than by truckling subservience from within. If our Nation must be destroyed, let's pray God it comes from without and not from within. "We are warned by the Senator from Montana, and he is one of the leaders for the Administration and knows, that no bill that does not embody these principles will be passed by Congress. I will go further and voice my fear that the Ferris bill, or some other like it. will be passed by Congress, but not by omy vote. The time is far distant when I would surrender the sovereign power of the states. j No man knows - the delights and I honors of high position better than I but a hundred times would 1 resign my place m the Senate than to surrender subserviently the fundamental rights of my state. If there is any one thing we must guard against it is the con tinual encroachment on the rights of mc ,uM,viuuai oy tne Government It is the purpose of the Ferris bill to take away from the people of the . . C "vc.eign rignt which each state has to take care of its own -nawo. i wouia nave the general Gov ernment keep at its business of sro erning and not go Into affairs that the oiaica uoh transact as well. And when 6ci uuwn to it, tney base it on the "t. w - e can 1 govern ourselves, mm is so. lets abolish our states ",,u su duck to tne position of terri- ii. ica anu provinces. I.nnd Grants Mentioned. "We have heard much about the frit- C.-v. s vay oi me public domain. .ni uas aone it. the states or the vy.cuiineni.- vvno gave these mag nincent land grants, to the Pacific rail- ,s- '"e uovernment, or the states through which they pass? "No. the states haven't been doing so badly, when you consider they are so young. They will keep on doing better all tne time. The states know better to ueai witn arrairs important to their own interests than any man not a citizen of the state no matter if he were endowed with the wisdom of th Aiimgnty. ueorge Lyon, Jr.. delegate from Nebraska, injected some comedy into the heat of debate when he replied to oenaior vvaisns remarks as to h haying signed the majority report. a. .i4)s nave Deneved that people ?..uu,u ian.e care oi tneir own affairs " he remarked. "So I believe in state's' rights. "Centuries ago they delegated all - -Aoranam. Do you want to go to the Secretary of the Interior as a Father Abraham' "Senator Walsh has said thatSenator Hitchcock and Senator Norris of mv xt o ivr or tne Ferris bill. nutuTOts is an intelligent h,T. c "e nas intelligence. But Senator Norris Lord God he'd vote for anything!" "I'rd going to vote for thi t-oi tions," he announced when th. l,,,,. .u '""u up the laughs again, though, when Senator Clark remarked -. .., ..auiruiu, saia mat "we U5i lo siana together." and asked if the gentleman from Nebraska would consent to have his remarks about Senator Norris expunged from me i ccui as. Constitution's Expression I'sed (ii. .. , can expunge them, but x rmuw iiim so well: retorted Mr. Lyon The conference, majority, minority and all. doubled up in a roar of mirth "I trust that when the Senator' from ".""J-".' cu "le mto this trap, he didn t Know what it was baited with " said Senator Clark, when he could get . ' C- A - . V tt , or Lta&. ended the . "B sala lnat tne first para graph of the resolutions, which Senator VValsh had sought in committee to have stricken out, was taken bodily from the Constitution of the United otates. "Far be it from me to refer in any disrespectful way to any state in the S11?1!' he said, rapping at Senator Walsh. "If the State of Utah is con servative in its laws, to invite invest ors into the state, and if in their judg ment the time has not arrived for a public utilities commission, that's for the people of Utah to decide, and not for the Senator from Montana." He said that years ago he was told no permits for water powers would be granted until the Western states agreed to Federal control. ."They have tai neu out tneir added. Passaic Wyoming 3Iember Declares Against Those Who Seek lo Bottle Up Kesources and Denounces Idea to Centralize Authority. thl . V." "s tne iatent resources of has! HH efV"e Federl Government b v " Uty' a duty tha cannot oe avoided riap r-i befn- .k'J1'6 Senator from Wyoming. aLCI jjuwer conference yes terday morning. contrasted the actual duty of the Government as he sees it with the rec ord of past performances as the West JrfST exPer,lenced- them, pointed, out that instead of aiding in the development of ...-,. ..csiem resources, the Federal Government actually has stood in the -!.. ji ueveiopment. "Within the last 20 years." he said, there has arisen a zealous and busy -. .i.v..i nas taken upon Itself the ""l ony or protecting ourselves from ourselves, but of undertaking to say in effect that this generation shall not eat lest those who come after may not have a banquet spread: that our homes shall not be warmed for fear that coming generations may not be fully supplied. to be horded programme," he Believed Likely. "The last session of Congress was a short one," he went on. "I want to say the Ferris bill would never have passed as long as God gave me voice and strength to talk. "I'm fearful that it' will pass this session. No matter what amendments the Senate may put into it. it has to go into conference, and under the Senate rules we can only consider the con ference report as a whole. Nobody knows those rules better than the Sec retary of the Interior, and nobody knows what will happen to It then but the Secretary of the Interior." Xot Wapcle Is Idear. "I am not unmindful that we should not waste or destroy the bounties which lie all about us, but we must remind these over enthusiastic gentlemen that unless this generation is sufficiently warmed and clothed and sustained there will be few future generations to auvamage or tne rich supplies no an sirenuousiy sought with miserly care. 1 believe in placing a careful guard llrAtln ... u Tj- eouurces. i Delieve in holding to strict accountability, civilly and criminally, any men or set'of men who. airectiy or indirectly, seek to ac 'tune, oy tne least exercise of fraud or ueceii, any rignts or claims whatever in me pudiic resources of the Nation; but, for one, I protest most strenuously (,a.ui any system or administration mni casis suspicion upon the just well as the unjust. Settlers Blocked at Every Stace. He would be a bold and uninformed ma.n wno would assert that such ...oic.,. uoa ol prevailed to a very great extent; a policy that, seeking tn aid the honest settler or enterprise, has as a matter of fact, little hv littio rftn 10 iook upon the settler upon the pub lic domain as at the best an interloper who, if not to be foiled nhsnlntplv in his designs, must be hindered and be set at ever stage of his endeavor. ine secret spy system: the snecial agent camped, on every doorstep; the wnoie red tape business of maklne It more dificult and a well-nigh hopeless task for any man or set of men to ac quire rights, individually or collective ly, are but illustrations of how those temporarily in power have sought with much success to impede the operations of the law. instead of to assist those in whose interest tne law was passed. State'n KiKtitx Considered. "This condition of affairs was not primarily brought about by those in authority. 1 have had, as I now have, the highest respect for those who have been called on to administer these great affairs in their earnest desire to fulfill properly the duties of their office." In his direct discussion of the Ferris hill Senator Clark called attention to those provisions which give "at least acit assent to the view that Congress or tne executive department of the Fed eral Government has a superior power over tne waters or our streams than nas tne state. Centralization Dancrr Feared. 10 even mis implied exercise of power. ne continued. I cannot g my consent. If the Government of the United states nas authority over the streams or the lntermountain region and the West for power purposes, it will be but a snort step until the same claim will be made as to its power for irrigation, domestic and other purposes: for such is ine irresisiiDie ambition to seize power and to exercise authority that the best of men when placed in posi tion are-prone to exercise that ambition to the fullest extent. "The. prime purpose, as I look upon it. of the Ferris biil and of similar egislation started along other lines, is the centralization of power In the executive departments of this Govern ment. See Varsity Fifty Five IN HART, SCHAFFNER & MARX Fall Suits You'll get more service, better style and finer fabrics than any ready-to-wear clothes on the market. Come in and try on a few. See how you look in one. Ask to See Varsity Six Hundred Overcoat Something; Different Priced $20 to $35 Others $15 and $18 ESLU Wll ks3mr.rry Copyright Hart Schaffoer & Marx Sam'l Rosenblatt Co, Our New Location: 266 Morrison, Between Third and Fourth Charlie Chaplin and other prominent and near-prominent stars of the screen. air. Johnson visited. California re cently and stopped, among other places, at Los Angeles. He traveled part of the way by steamer and carried an overcoat and several blankets. Those, together with two or three suitcases' gave him about all he could naudl when he stepped off the train. But just as he alighted a chap, acting like a drunken sailor, stumbled right in front of him and fell sprawling under his feet. Mr. Johnson, burdened with the im pedimenta of travel the way he was just couldn't get out of the way. He stumbled over the prostrate form, scat tering his overcoat and some other of his baggage over a considerable por tion of the depot platform. By the time the member of Congress had reaasembled his property, the man who had caused the trouble had risen to his feet and was performing other queer and ridiculous antics. Mr. John son recognized him as the Charll C hap in of moving picture fame. It lIlat ne Baw a camern operator grinding industriously' awav operator assured Mr. Johnson The Sidelights of the Conference GOVERNOR ALEXANDER, of Idaho, is interested more in the project of building a north-and-south railroad through his state than in any other particular piece of work demanding his official attention. "I .prefer that private canital Khali build the read," said the Idaho Gov ernor yesterday, "but if private capital doesn't interest itself I am in favor of the state building it." The Governor will ask the State En gineer to make a survey of several possible routes with the idea of deter mining the cost of construction. It ia possible that he will call a special ses sion of the Legislature to take action on the question. Governor Alexander will leiv. irith his family and other Idah n Ktat. riff" i - cials on board the- Rose City tomorrow tor c?an r rancisco to officiate at the Idaho day celebration at the worlds fair. While Representative Albert John son, of Hoquiam. who is attending the conference, is not exactly a moving pic ture actor, he is scheduled to appear in rilm. soon to he released, along with that his ungraceful performance had been faithfully preserved on several yards of film. Representative C. N. McArthur. of Portland, is the only Oregon member of Congress who was in constant at tendance at the sessions. He did not miss a meeting. The only other Ore gon Congressman who has attended at all was Senator Chamberlain. who spoke on Wednesday morning. Julius Kahn. of San Francisco. Rep resentative in Congress from that district, is serving his sixteenth con secutive year in Congress. Mr. Kahn arrived Wednesday- mornlr. r to take in the conference. He is noted for his golden smile, and for the absolute im possibility of beating him. Many can didates have tried it. but none has ever succeeded. .Governor Lister, of Washington, and his private secretary, Irvin W. Ziegaus. who have been attending the confer ence, left Portland late Wednesday night. This doesn t mean that the Governor walked out of the conference Yesterday was Governor's day at the Yakima State Kair. and he ised to attend before the began. had proni-conference Dr. J. R. Morris. Mayor of Lewiston is attending the sessions with the Idaho ucirsiuuii, nr. .Morris also with his cousin. J. W. Mori Engineer of Portland visitinsr ex-City Night School -BEGIN ANY EVENING Spend your evenings profitably, so that when the opportunity comes you are ready to grasp it. Select the subjects your are in terested in and write us better still, call at our office and we will help you plan your Winter's work, or phone Main 590 or A 1596 for particulars. SpiinfKh Con v-rn t lonn 1 Method). 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