Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-12-09

has, through it's work, been faYorably
land prominently brought to the at
tention of the country. Prominent
commercial organizations and men of
character and influence, throughout
practically every section of the coun-
try are enlisted in the cause it rep
lresents. Its work being strictly ma
l'tional and in no sense sectional, mer-
its and should receive the support of
our citizens.
thank all these organizations.
The results of the inventory Of re-
sources will be laid before the pres
ent conference by the National Con-
serration Commission. I shall not
attempt to review these results fur
tner than to say that the more strik-
ing facts brought out at the confer
ence last May were confirmed.
These results are SOLDERING. No
Iright-minded citizen would stop the
proper use of our resources, but every
good American must realize that ma
tional improvidence follows the same
course and leads to the same end as
personal improvidence and that need
less waste must stop. The time to
| deride or neglect the statements of
experts and the teaching of the facts
T. D.
has gone by. The time to act on what
we know has now arrived. Common
prudence, common sense, and COM
mon business principles are applica-
BILE to national affairs just as they are
to private affairs, and the time has
come to use them in dealing with the
foundations of our prosperity.
| We must not grow hysterical or
sensational in depicting our condition
But neither must we allow false Sc
curity based on conditions long since
| passed away to prevent us from see
ing the facts and applying business
| COMMON SENSE to the situation
they disclose. The purpose of the in
ventory was to give the facts-not to
| create alarm, but to take stock of
| what we have, and so to lead to the
| necessary action for it's preservation
and increase. e..ss..,... . v: =.
B Our natural resources are so re-
! lated that the use of one affects the
use of all the others. This is espe-
cially true of our waterways. Every
| man woman, or child within our bor-
ders has an interest in them, through
navigation, power, irrigation, or wa
ter supply, or through all four. We
nave neglected our waterways more
than any other natural resource and
We must put an end to that neglect
The Inland Waterways Commission
has told us how. a513: 5&
First, let us prepare a comprehen-
sive plan For inland waterway deve1-
opment along the lines pointed out
by the Commission. Such plan
must consider every use of the waters
it must put the interests of all the
people in advance of any private in
terests whatsoever. The preparation
of this comprehensive plan should be-
| gin at once. -'' *
Second, let us proceed Immediately
with the construction of the water
ways for which plans have already
been approved, and which we are now
certain will fit into the outlines of the
general plan. Our previous policy
of procrastination, delay, and fitful
and partial action, has borne its per-
feet fruit. Our waterways are de-
serted, and in return for our vast ex-
penditures we have little or no actual
navigation to show. The people are
ready for change. Let us have it.
and at once. If we can pay the cost
from current revenues let us do so
II not let us issue bonds. BY either
method, let us have the waterways
and that quickly. The plan and the
work can and should proceed togeth.
er. While the work we are sure OF
| is being begun, the plan for the rest
can be prepared. s,-,a5s ssrssi.
The work therefore should begin
at once. But there must not be the
! slightest recklessness or waste OF
money. No work whatever should be
undertaken that has not been thor.
oughly examined and fully approv-
ed by competent experts. Above all,
not one cent should be expended to
satisfy special interests, whether of
q business or locality, or. promote
any mans political fortunes. This is
too large a matter to be handled in
such a way. We must approach it
from the point of view of the nation
al Interest, under the guidance of the
wisest experts in engineering, in
transportation, and In ali the uses of
our streams. Forests and waterways
cannot be separated In any success