Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-18
President Calls Upon State Ex-
ecutives to Meet at White
House in May
NATURAL RESOURCES
President Desires to Insure Future of
Forests and Rivers and Asks States
to co-operate-Must Plan for the
Future-Questions of Interest to
Whole Nation.


Roosevelt has invited the governors of
the states and territories to meet him
at the White House May 13, IA and Is,
next, to discuss the question of means
to conserve the natural resources of
the country. Invitations are to be ex-
tended to the members of both houses
of congress and to the inland water
ways commission. The Importance of
the subject and the manner in which
it is to be considered are indicated in
the presidents letter to the governors,
which was made public at the White
House Sunday, and in which the pres
ident says:
1.-The natural resources of the terri
tory of the United States, were, at the
time Of settlement, richer, more varied
and more available than those of any
other equal area on the surface of the
earth. The development of these re-
sources has given us for more than
century q rate of increase Of popu-
lation and wealth undreamed of by the
men who founded our government and
without parallel in history. 1t is OBJ
vious that the prosperity which we
now enjoy rests directly upon these
resources. 1t is equally obvious that
the vigor and success which we desire
and foresee for this nation in the future
must have this as it's ultimate material
basis.
Must Plan for Future. -
"In view of these evident facts 1t
seems to me time for the country to
take account of it's natural resources,
and to inquire how long they are
likely to last. We are prosperous
now; we should not forget that it will
be just as important to our descendants
to be prosperous in their time as it is
to us to be prosperous in our time.
Recently 1 expressed the opinion
that there is no other question now
before the nation. of equal gravity
with the question of the conservation
of our natural resources; and l added
that 1t is the plain duty of those Of
us who for the moment are respon-
sible to make inventory of the natural
resources which have been handed
down to us, to forecast as well as we
may the needs of the future and so to
handle the great sources of our pros
perity as not to destroy in advance all
hope of the prosperity of our descend
ants.
1T is evident that the abundant ma
tural resources on which the welfare
of this nation rests are becoming de-
pleted, and in not few cases, are al
ready exhausted. This is true of all
portions of the United States; it is es-
pecially true of the larger settled COM
munities of the east. The gravity of
the situation must, I believe. appeal
with special force to the governors OF
the states, because of their close re-
lations to the people and their respon-
sibility for the welfare of their COM
munities. I have therefore decided,
in accordance with the suggestion OF
the inland water ways commission, to
ask the governors of the states and
territories to meet at the white house
on May 10, IA and Is, to confer with
the president and with each other
upon the conservation of natural re-
sources.
Whole Nation Interested.
at gives me great pleasure to in
vite you to take part in this confer
ence. l should be glad to have you
select three citizens to accompany you
and to attend the conference as your
assistants or advisers. I shall also
invite the senators and representatives
of the Sixtieth congress to be present
at the sessions, so far as their duties
will permit. The matters to be con-
sidered at this conference are not con-
fined to any region or group of states,
but are the vital concern of the nation
as whole and to all the people. Those
subjects include the use and conserv-
alton of the mineral resources, the re-
sources Of the land and the resources
of the waters, in every part of our
territory.
'In order to open discussion, shall
invite a few recognized authorities to
present brief descriptions of actual
facts and conditions. without argu-
ment, leaving the conference to deal
with each topic as it may elect. The
members of the inland water ways
commission will be present, in order
to share with me the benefit of in
formation and suggestion and, if de-
sired, to set forth their provisional
plans and conclusions.
"Facts, which 1 cannot gainsay. force
me to believe that the conservatism
of our natural resources is the most
weighty question now before the peo-
pie of the United States. If this is SO,
the proposed conference, which is the
{1,0
most important gatherings in our his
tory in it's effect upon the welfare
of all our people"