第65章

Ofthefightofthewater-powermenforStatesRightsattheSt。PaulConservationCongressinSeptember，1909，CommissionerSmithsays：

“ItwasthefirstopensignoftheshiftofthespecialintereststotheDemocraticpartyforalogicalpoliticalreason，namely，becauseoftheavailabilityoftheStatesRightsideaforthepurposesofthelargecorporations。Itmarkedopenlytheturnofthetide。”

Mr。SmithbroughttotheattentionoftheInlandWaterwaysCommissiontheovershadowingimportancetowaterwaysoftheirrelationwithrailroadlines，thefactthatthebulkofthetrafficislongdistancetraffic，thatitcannotpassoverthewholedistancebywater，whileitcangoanywherebyrail，andthatthereforethepoweroftheraillinestopro-rateornottopro-rate，withwaterlinesreallydeterminesthepracticalvalueofariverchannel。Thecontrollingvalueofterminalsandthefactthatoutoffiftyofourleadingports，overhalftheactivewaterfrontageintwenty-oneportswascontrolledbytherailroads，wasalsobroughttotheCommission’sattention，andreportsofgreatvaluewerepreparedbothfortheInlandWaterwaysCommissionandfortheNationalConservationCommission。Inadditiontodevelopingthebasicfactsabouttheavailabletimbersupply，aboutwaterways，waterpower，andironore，Mr。Smithhelpedtodevelopanddriveintothepublicconsciencetheideathatthepeopleoughttoretaintitletoournaturalresourcesandhandlethembytheleasingsystem。

Thethingsaccomplishedthathavebeenenumeratedabovewereofimmediateconsequencetotheeconomicwell-beingofourpeople。Inadditioncertainthingsweredoneofwhichtheeconomicbearingwasmoreremote，butwhichboredirectlyuponourwelfare，becausetheyaddtothebeautyoflivingandthereforetothejoyoflife。Securingagreatartist，Saint-Gaudens，togiveusthemostbeautifulcoinagesincethedecayofHellenisticGreecewasonesuchact。InthiscaseI

hadpowermyselftodirecttheMinttoemploySaint-Gaudens。Thefirst，andmostbeautiful，ofhiscoinswereissuedinthousandsbeforeCongressassembledorcouldintervene；andagreatandpermanentimprovementwasmadeinthebeautyofthecoinage。Inthesameway，ontheadviceandsuggestionofFrankMillet，wegotsomereallycapitalmedalsbysculptorsofthefirstrank。Similarly，thenewbuildingsinWashingtonwereerectedandplacedinproperrelationtooneanother，onplansprovidedbythebestarchitectsandlandscapearchitects。IalsoappointedaFineArtsCouncil，anunpaidbodyofthebestarchitects，painters，andsculptorsinthecountry，toadvisetheGovernmentastotheerectionanddecorationofallnewbuildings。

The“pork-barrel“SenatorsandCongressmenfeltforthisbodyaninstinctive，andperhapsfromtheirstandpointanatural，hostility；

andmysuccessoracoupleofmonthsaftertakingofficerevokedtheappointmentanddisbandedtheCouncil。

Evenmoreimportantwasthetakingofstepstopreservefromdestructionbeautifulandwonderfulwildcreatureswhoseexistencewasthreatenedbygreedandwantonness。DuringthesevenandahalfyearsclosingonMarch4，1909，morewasaccomplishedfortheprotectionofwildlifeintheUnitedStatesthanduringallthepreviousyears，exceptingonlythecreationoftheYellowstoneNationalPark。TherecordincludesthecreationoffiveNationalParks——CraterLake，Oregon；WindCave，SouthDakota；Platt，Oklahoma；SullyHill，NorthDakota，andMesaVerde，Colorado；fourbiggamerefugesinOklahoma，Arizona，Montana，andWashington；fifty-onebirdreservations；andtheenactmentoflawsfortheprotectionofwildlifeinAlaska，theDistrictofColumbia，andonNationalbirdreserves。Thesemeasuresmaybebrieflyenumeratedasfollows：

TheenactmentofthefirstgamelawsfortheTerritoryofAlaskain1902and1908，resultingintheregulationoftheexportofheadsandtrophiesofbiggameandputtinganendtotheslaughterofdeerforhidesalongthesoutherncoastoftheTerritory。

Thesecuringin1902ofthefirstappropriationforthepreservationofbuffaloandtheestablishmentintheYellowstoneNationalParkofthefirstandnowthelargestherdofbuffalobelongingtotheGovernment。

ThepassageoftheActofJanuary24，1905，creatingtheWichitaGamePreserves，thefirstoftheNationalgamepreserves。In1