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。