TheideathattheExecutiveisthestewardofthepublicwelfarewasfirstformulatedandgivenpracticaleffectintheForestServicebyitslawofficer，GeorgeWoodruff。Thelawswereofteninsufficient，anditbecamewell-nighimpossibletogetthemamendedinthepublicinterestwhenoncetherepresentativesofprivilegeinCongressgraspedthefactthatIwouldsignnoamendmentthatcontainedanythingnotinthepublicinterest。Itwasnecessarytousewhatlawwasalreadyinexistence，andthenfurthertosupplementitbyExecutiveaction。Thepracticeofexaminingeveryclaimtopubliclandbeforepassingitintoprivateownershipoffersagoodexampleofthepolicyinquestion。Thispractice，whichhassincebecomegeneral，wasfirstappliedintheNationalForests。Enormousareasofvaluablepublictimberlandweretherebysavedfromfraudulentacquisition；morethan250，000acreswerethussavedinasinglecase。
Thistheoryofstewardshipintheinterestofthepublicwaswellillustratedbytheestablishmentofawater-powerpolicy。UntiltheForestServicechangedtheplan，water-powersonthenavigablestreams，onthepublicdomain，andintheNationalForestsweregivenawayfornothing，andsubstantiallywithoutquestion，towhoeveraskedforthem。Atlast，undertheprinciplethatpublicpropertyshouldbepaidforandshouldnotbepermanentlygrantedawaywhensuchpermanentgrantisavoidable，theForestServiceestablishedthepolicyofregulatingtheuseofpowerintheNationalForestsinthepublicinterestandmakingachargeforvaluereceived。Thiswasthebeginningofthewater-powerpolicynowsubstantiallyacceptedbythepublic，anddoubtlesssoontobeenactedintolaw。Buttherewasattheoutsetviolentoppositiontoitonthepartofthewater-powercompanies，andsuchrepresentativesoftheirviewsinCongressasMessrs。TawneyandBede。
ManybillswereintroducedinCongressaimed，inonewayoranother，atrelievingthepowercompaniesofcontrolandpayment。WhenthesebillsreachedmeIrefusedtosignthem；andtheinjurytothepublicinterestwhichwouldfollowtheirpassagewasbroughtsharplytopublicattentioninmymessageofFebruary26，1908。Thebillsmadenofurtherprogress。
Underthesameprincipleofstewardship，railroadsandothercorporations，whichappliedforandweregivenrightsintheNationalForests，wereregulatedintheuseofthoserights。Inshort，thepublicresourcesinchargeoftheForestServicewerehandledfranklyandopenlyforthepublicwelfareundertheclear-cutandclearlysetforthprinciplethatthepublicrightscomefirstandprivateinterestsecond。
ThenaturalresultofthisnewattitudewastheassertionineveryformbytherepresentativesofspecialintereststhattheForestServicewasexceedingitslegalpowersandthwartingtheintentionofCongress。Suitswerebegunwhereverthechancearose。Itisworthrecordingthat，inspiteofthenoveltyandcomplexityofthelegalquestionsithadtoface，nocourtoflastresorthaseverdecidedagainsttheForestService。ThisstatementincludestwounanimousdecisionsbytheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesU。S。vs。