ANTI-CONSERVATION ACTIVITY 175 



hand, that Colorado and Wyoming were trying to seat too many dele- 

 gates; and these two states really had a great majority of the dele- 

 gates present — perhaps 80 per cent — while California had only a few 

 delegates. On the other hand, it was freely charged that forest offi- 

 cials had tried to pack the convention with their own supporters ; and 

 there was an element of truth in this, for Pinchot later removed one 

 official who had been accused of favoring supporters of the Forest 

 Service in issuing the tickets to the galleries. 



AGGRESSIVE POLICY OF ROOSEVELT AND PINCHOT 



Not only did Roosevelt and Pinchot enforce the laws vigorously, but 

 they often did things which no law required — went beyond the manda- 

 tory provisions of the law, where it was necessary to protect the pub- 

 llic interests. They did not hang back, after the fashion of ordinary 

 ' government bureaus, and wait for Congi'ess to give specific orders ; 

 'but vigorously took the initiative whenever conditions demanded 

 faction. The regulation imposing a charge for grazing in the forest 

 ■reserves was an illustration of this. There was in the law itself no pro- 

 I vision authorizing such a regulation, but neither was there any law 

 forbidding it and the public interests demanded it. Such a policy as 

 this naturally aroused considerable hostility in Congress and else- 

 i where, among those who look upon Congress as the seat of all author- 

 [ity, and regard the administrative offices as mere agencies to carry out 

 the will of that august body. Roosevelt's and Pinchot's policy was 

 i regarded by some as "autocr9,tic," and subversive of our democratic 

 'liberties. 



Even though this aggressive policy thus aroused some hostility, it 

 [was wise — perhaps even absolutely necessary to the success of the 

 [forest reserve policy. If Pinchot had waited for Congress to take the 

 ; initiative and lay down rules for the administration of the forest 

 'reserves, he might be waiting yet; and the forest reserves, with little 

 intelligent provision for their use and administration, would have been 

 a failure. Instead of being a public enterprise beneficial to the people 

 > of the West, they would have been obstructions in the path of economic 

 [development, until the rising tide of irritation would have swept them 

 faway. It was extremely fortunate for the country that during these 

 [years there was a man at the head of the Forest Service with energy. 



