The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-10-11
TO CALL ANOTHER
Protection of the Natural Resources
to Be Considered at
Convention.
WILL MEET IN WASHINGTON
President Roosevelt Announced at
Memphis His Intention to Issue a
Call for Such a Gathering
January Next.

Memphis, Tenn, Oct. 5.-President
Roosevelt, in his speech here Friday
announced that ne would call con-
vention to be held in Washington,
January 3, next, to advocate the pre-
servation and conservatism of the
natural resources of the country in
Guiding coal, water power, oil, etc.
The fact that such call would be
issued was rumored Thursday on some
of the boats accompanying the Mis-
sissippi on her voyage down the river.
1t had been under consideration for
some time by the members of the
Inland Waterways Commission and the
details were presented by the men,
bers of that body to the president
at luncheon given him on the COM
mission boat "Col. Mackenzie" Six
teen governors were taken into the
commissions confidence when that
body went aboard the governors boat
after dinner.
A meeting was organized on the
main deck, over which Governor Folk
presided, and it was soon made evil
dent that a determined effort would
be made to secure an endorsement of
the project in advance of action by
the president. Statements in ex-
PLANTATION of the commissions plans
were made by Chairman Burton,
Senator Newlands, DR.. MCGEE, Mr.
Pinchot and other members of the
commission from which it appeared
that they desired to have the proposed
convention follow the river and har-
Dor conference to be held in Washing
ton in December and to have it de-
voted largely to other than naviga-
ton matters.
Responses were made by practically
all the governors present and from be-
ing at first approving in their nature
they developed into such opposition
that q resolution of commentator
which had been offered by Governor
Chamberlain was withdrawn by him
after two hours of discussion. All
the speakers except Governor Brooks,
Wyoming, announced approval of the
idea of a convention, but the general
opinion was opposed to an expression
of an opinion previous to the Memphis
convention which might be construed
into an effort to displace the deep
waterways, matter as the question of
paramount Importance.
This thought was first voiced by
Gov. Blanchard of Louisiana and the
opposition sentiment developed so
rapidly that by the time the meeting
had adjourned the opinion against ac-
ton at that time was almost unani-
nous.
In the course of his speech, Senator
Newlands expressed the opinion that
unless the governors and others not
in congress took up the matter of pro-
tecting the country's interests it would
be difficult to secure their proper con-
servation. He declared that many
senator's and congressman owe their
election to the influence of the inter-
ests which are destroying the national
resources, and said that the public
land committees cf both houses are
composed largely of men from public
lands states and added it is evident
that if reform is to come at all 1t
must come from the outside. He at
tributed the labor troubles in Colorado
10 the operations Of the Colorado Coal
and Iron company in that state. Mr..
Pinchot said that the country is al
ready entering upon a timber famine
and that unless something is done to
conserve the forests the situation will
soon become very serious