The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-08
WATER WAYS
PROGRAM OUT
Roosevelt Will Preside at
Meeting to be Held on
May 18th.
GOVERNORS OF ALL STATES WILL
attendants J. HILL WILL
DISCUSS RIVER AND RAIL
Observation-Disclosures
WILL BE OPEN AND UNTRAM.
MELLEO AND A DEFINITE PLAN
WILL BE FORMED.
Special to The Journal.


Washington. April 6.-At 10 O'Clock
on the morning of the 18th, next May.
in the historic east room of the White
House. President Roosevelt will call to
order the conference 10 discuss plans
for the improvement OF waterways,
preservation of forests, etc. 1t will be
composed of the governors Of every
state in the Union, the president S
cabinet, the United States supreme
court judges, senators and representa-
tiveS in congress, and as special
guests, others of the nations most
noted men who will come prepared
to consider the question which the
president has declared to be the fun
damental problem" now before the ma
tion-the conservation of the country s
natural resources.
Assurances given out by those who
know of the advance plans of the
great meeting are based on the fact
that practically every governor in the
United States has accepted the preSi-
dents invitation TO meet with him in
the White House in May. Now the
names Of the three citizens of every
state and territory the president has
asked to bring with them, are rapidly
coming in. They include some of the
best-known men of the country, prom
inent business men, lawyers, newspa-
per men and state officers.
The Nations Experts.
II is evident that the conference will
bring together not only the nation S
most distinguished men. but also its
foremost experts and specialists on
the several phases of the question to
be discussed. Among these, under the
head of water. rpSnJroaS are
rail and water transportation, nayiga-
ton and water power; under land re-
sources are:
Soil. forests. sanitation, reclama-
ton, land laws, grazing and stock
raising; and under mineral re-
sources
Mineral fuels, ores and related min,
erals.
While the names of the men who
are to discuss these separate topics
have not yet been announced, they are
known to be recognized experts on the
subjects which have been assigned
them.
Open Discussion Feature.
For instance. it is generally under
stood that James J. Hill. the great
railroad builder, will discuss the reIa-
ton between rail and water transpOr-
tation. Mr.. Hill is not only an author
ity on this subject. but has shown
his deep interest in the subject of
water transportation in all his recent
public utterances on the subject.
The great features of the confer
ence. however, will be the open dis
cussion among the various governors
of the points brought out by the pa
pers presented. These papers will be
very brief and the subject will be open
for discussion among all the govern.
ors, with a view TO getting a concen-
sus of opinion of the whole United
States on the particular subject in
hand.
All of the sessions of the confer
ence will be held in the east room oil
the White House. and for that reason
the attendance will be necessarily lin
tied. The seating capacity of the east
room IS not over 500.
Three Days Session.
There will be two sessions of the
conference each day-at 10 o'clock il
the morning and at . O'Clock in the
afternoon. On the evening before the
conference assemblies, the president
will give a dinner 10 the governors al
which members of the cabinet, the
supreme court and the inland water
ways commission. will be present
great public mass meeting on some
evening of the. conference has beer
suggested, but it is hardly thought
that this will be practical. The ses
sions will continue thTe edays, May
IS, II and Is
Just what the conference will lead
To will rest with the conference itself
No attempt has been made to lay
down any lines for it TO follow Or
the contrary, every effort has beer
made to assure free and untramme!ed
conference The object Of the meet
ing is TO get down to a practical work
ing basis in the several states on the
cnnSePva riOy1 and UEp IF the nation :