The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-05
President Roosevelt Will CaII General Convention in
 January
PROJECT IS DEVELOPEB
 ON MISSISSIPPI TOUR
Governor Folk of Missouri Presdes at Meeting On Steamer, But Opposl- ton Develops to the Scheme
 Among the Governors.

Memphis October 4.-President Roose- welt. in his speech here today. announced that he would call convention to be held in Washington January next to ad- vocate the preservation and conservation of the natural resources of the country, including coal, water power, oil, etc The fact that such call would be is- sued was noised yesterday on some of the boats accompanying the Mississippi on her voyage down the river. It has been under consideration for some time by the members of the inland waterways commission, and the details were present. ed by the members of that body to the President at luncheon given him on the commission boat, Colonel Macken- zie" and the sixteen governors on the Alton were taken into the commissions confidence when that body went aboard that vessel after dinner to present the matter to them.
 A meeting was organized on the main deck of the Alton, over which Governor Folk presided, and at which 1t was soon made evident that a detertmined effort would be made to secure an indorsement of the project in advance of action by the President Statements In explanation of the commissions plans were made by Chairman Burton, Senator Newlands, pr. McGee MT. Pinchot and other members of the commission from which it appeared that they desired to have the proposed convention follow the river and harbor convention to be held in Washington in December, and to have it devoted largely to other than navigation matters.
 Opposition to Move.
 Responses were made by practically all inc governors present, and from being at first approving in their nature they de- yeloped into such opposition that reso- Iution of commendation which had been offered by Governor Chamberlain when tbez ,lneeting was called to order at oclock was withdrawn by him just be- fore it adjourned shortly after 10. All g the speakers except Governor Brooks of Wyoming announced approval of the idea of a convention. But the general expres- sion was opposed to an expression of opinion previous to the Memphis conven- ton which might be construed into an effort to displace the deep waterways matter as the question of importance. This was first voiced by Governor Blanch- ard of Louisiana and the opposition sen timent developed so rapidly that by the t time the meeting had adjourned the opin- ion against action at that time was almost unanimous.
 In the course of his speech Senator New lands expressed the opinion that unless the governors and others not in Congress took up the matter of protecting the countrys interests it would be difficult to secure their proper conservation. He declared that many senators and con gressmen owe their election to the infiu- ence of the interests which are destroying the national resources and said that the public lands committees of both houses are composed largely of men from the public land states, and added that 1t was evident that if reform is to come at all 1t must come from the outside. He at- tributed the. labor troubles in Colorado to the operations of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company in that state.
 A Timber Famine.
 Mr. Pinchot said that the country is al- ready entering upon timber famine, and that unless something is done to conserve the forests, the situation will soon be- come very serious. Dr. McGee declared that under present conditions it would be possible for two or three wealthy men to get control of all the power develop Ing capacities of the streams of the coun- try, and thus paralyze all the industries of the nation.
 Governor Brooks took a positive posi- tion against the whole idea of a con- vention, saying that the people of the west want the vast resources of that section developed and do not want them tied up even by the government itself
 The commissioners letter. requesting the call for the meeting is as follows The President, on Board the United
 States Steamer Mississippi.
 Sir:-In the course of inquiries made under your direction that the inland waterways commission shall consider the relations of the streams to the use of all the great permanent natural resources and their conservation, for the making and maintenance of prosperous homes, the members of the commission have been led to feel that it would be desirable to hold a conference on the general subject of the conservation of the natural re- sources of the nation.
 Reasons for Conference.
 Among the reasons for such a confer ence are the following:
 T. Hitherto our national policy has been one of the most unrestricted disposal of natural resources, and this in more lavish measure than any other nation in the worlds history: and this policy of the federal government has been shared by the constitution of the United States. These consequences have ensued. First unprecedented consumption of material resources; second, exhaustion of the re- sources to the extent that large part of our valuable public lands have passed into great estates or corporate inter- ests. our forests are so far depleted as to multiply the cost of forest products, and our supplies of coal and iron ore are so far reduced as to enhance prices and, third. unequaled opportunity for private monopoly, to the extent that both federal and state sovereignties have been compelled to enact laws for the protec- tion of the people.
 70 We are of the opinion that the time has come for considering the policy of conserving those material resources or which the permanent prosperity of our country and the equal opportunity of all our people must depend we are also O. the opinion that the policy of conserva- yation Is so marked an advance on that policy adopted at the outset of our na- fionaI career as to demand the consider ation of both federal and state sponsors for the welfare of the people.
 of the onininn that the cou-