The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-10-24
CONSERVE RESOURCES.

NO OLnef question: Oh eluhl BrhFl-
~ IL now before the nation" says
the president, urging the necessity
OF conserving the country's natural
resources "We are face to face, 7"
be asserts In his Memphis sp eoh,
with the great fact that the whole
future of the nation Is directly at
stake In the momentous decision
that Is forced upon us. Shall we
continue the waste, and destruction
of our natural resources, or shall we
conserve themY' II Is announced
that the Inland Waterways Commits.
sion will call q conference on the
subject In Washington this winter.
'"rhis conference" says President
Roosevelt. Fought to be among the
most important gatherings In our
history, for none have hnd q more
vital question to consider" Regard
less Of party lines, the attitude of
the press toward the Presidents plea
IL sympathetic, and In many in
stances enthusiastic. According to
the Wall Street Journal, II Sounds
the birth Of new era, although the
ideas advanced are not new, having
''been urged In public and private,
for years. by struggling minority
Of leaders In thought and action. F"
But while hitherto they "Iay as scat
tered Ideas gaining strength but
slowly In popular falth," they are
now "crysta lized into unity which
makes their support self evident
duty OF every citizen. 4" To quote
further:
'eThe old era passed away with
the unbridled exploration OF forests,
mines, waterways, and soils, unRuid.
cd by systematic concern for the
welfare Of future generations. But
President Roosevelt has, as 1t were,
gathered up into one sheaf the var
ious elements Of constructive nat
ional policy and outlined once for all
the paths that progressive statesman
ship must take, In outstanding the
powers OF nature and Ia enhancing
the opportunities Of the people foi
ell time to come. In this turning
Of the face Of the nation to the fu.
tire, with Its several tasks so clearly
defined, a new era Is opened so
clearly that the citlzens Of the faint
est vision can not fail to see 1t to
and to feel 10 as a fact. A program
Of progress 10 created, which trans.
cend the limitations Of provincialism
and puts the welfare Of the whole 80
far to the front that no sort Of par
tioularism can ever overtake II.
Nothing In the wide range OF Mr..
RoOsevelt's activities, +" says thew ash.
ington Post, has demonstrated the
penetration and grasp Of his states
manship az clearly as is effort to
safeguard for the people the priceless
natural resources they have Inherit
ed. " In private business, " remarks
the Chicago News, ''it Is considered
highly desirable for a man 30 to
manange that his property will bring
to him and his heirs steady In
Gomez" aud should a nation, II asks,
show lees foresight The President,
II adds, has pointed the way to task
that 10 worthy to engage the best
Thought Of the nation. Even the
New York Sun has no fault TO find
With this latest Presidential PROPOSE
tlOn. That the country 10 squandsr-
Ing It's heritage, says The World,
admits OF no denial. The Globe,
which detects In the Memphis speech
"a oommingling Of ideas. recently
associated with the names of James
J. Hill aud Robert LA Toilette ana
70 some extent exploited by Cover
nor Hughes In his water power mes
sage" points out the difficulty of
applying any remedy to the present
conditions, since the natural resour-
cea which are 10 peril ARE almost
entirely under private ownership"
The newspaper comment on the
Presidents policy regarding our nat
uFal resources, a. quoted above,
shows unantmity of opinion that Is
seldom Expressed ON great national
subject. II is not a question OF
party or parlisanship, bat Que Of pro-
viding for the future Of the people
and Ia u every person who does not
live for self alone will agree with
the president and his newspaper sup.
p0rters.