The daily tribune., 1908-05-13
IMPORTANT
CONFERENCE
HELD TODAY

| WnSUiuBtOhs A6y VI
many states. senators, representatives.
cabinet members, heads Of great COM
mercial and industrial bodies, labor
leaders. corporation presidents and
men distinguished in other walks of
life assembled today in the East room
of the White House as the guests Of
President Roosevelt and inauguratsd
a conference which is likely to 60
down in history rs the most notable
Of it's kind ever held in the United
States. The conservation Of the ma
tural resources of the country. its
forests aud waterways, is the subject
which will occupy the attention Of
the famous delegates during the three
days Of the meeting. President
Roosevelt presided at the opening of
the conference. declaring that the sub
ject under discussion is ''the most
weighty question now before the peo-
Pile Of the United States Two ses-
sions will be held each day Of the con-
ference.
President Roosevelt's first an
nouncement of the present conference
was made during the course Of his
address at Memphis on October 8 last,
while he was making his famous
trip down the Mississippi. The meet.
ing WAS at first scheduled for January
but for various reasons it was post
poned. 1t is believed that q per.
manent organization, wider in it's
scope and more influential than any
similar body. will be org ganized as
result of the conference opened to-
day.
OF the subjects outlined by the
president for consideration, that Of
the improvement of the nation 8
inland waterways is looked upon as
the most important.
river into deep water way will be
taken up.
Coupled with this are the saving of
the forests. the control Of floods. the
prevention of soil erosion and the
conservation Of the supply Of coal.
iron and other mineral resources.
Special attention will be given to
soil erosion by the Missouri river and
its tributaries. Investigation by the
experts Of the department of agricul-
ture shows that thousands Of acres
of rich land along the Missouri has
been carried away to the gulf.
Means Of systematic irrigation and
drainage in the far West without ex-
hausting the streams will be sought.
Uniform laws among the states of
the West and Southwest for the devel-
opmens of arid lands by the econom.
ical use of the streams will be urged.
One OF the most important addresses
Of the conference will be that of Pres.
ident James J. Hill of the Great
Northern railway, who received a
special invitation from President
Roosevelt. His subject will be 1.-The
Relation Between Rail and Water
Transportation.
Mr.. Hills dicussion inevitably
will lead him to confederation Of
the competitive relations between the
railroads and the canals of the coun
try. and he is expected to touch upon
the significant revelations which
recently have been made through gov
ernment tigation into that sub
ject. The internal water ways OF
the country always have been an i'm
portant check on railway freight
rates. Now that the freight business
Of America has grown beyond the
railroads. II is necessary that the in
ternal waterways should be taken
into important consideration.
Other notable addresses will be
made by william Jennings Bryan
Andrew CrAnegie and John Mitchell.
former president Of the United Minc
Workers OF America. All Of tho visit.
ing governor will take part in tho
general discussion. following the pre-
sentation Of reports by numerous ex.
perts on the various subjects under