The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-05-13
BIC CONFERENCE
IN WHITE HOUSE
Governors and Heads Of Indus
trial Organizations Confer
with the President.
RESOURCES OF THE nation
Conservation OF the Forests and the
Waterways VIII Occupy Atten-
ton Of Delegates-Two
Sessions Daily

Washington. May 13-Governors
| of many states, senators, represen-
tatives. cabinet members, heads Of
great commercial and industrial
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 inaugurated con-
ference which is likely to go down
in history as the most notable of
its kind ever held in the United
States. The conservation of the nat
ural resources of the country, its
forests and waterways, is the sub
iect 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
subject under discussion is "the
most weighty question now before
the people of the United States. +"
Two sessions will be held each day
of the conference
President Rooseyelt's first an
nouncement of the present confer
ence was was made during the
course of his address at Memphis on
October 8 last, while he was making
his famous trip down the Mississip-
,pi, The meeting was at first sched-
uled for January, but for various
reasons it was postponed.
1t is believed that a permanent
organization, wider in it's scope and
more, influential than any similar
body, will be organized as result
of the conference opened today
! OF the subjects outlined by the
president for consideration, that of
| the improvement of the nations in
land waterways is looked upon as
| the most important.
| The conversion of the Mississippi
r.yer into a deep waterway Will be
taken up.
Coupled with this are the saving
/ of the forests, and the control of
| floods, the prevention of soil ero-
! sion and the conservation of the sup
| ply of coal, iron and other mineral
RESOURCES.
| Special attention will be given to
soil erosion by the Missouri river
and it's tributaries. Investigation by
the experts of the department OF ag-
rieulture shows that thousands of
acres of rich land along the Mis-
souri, has been carried away to the
gulf.
Means of systematic irrigation
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 de-
velopment of arid lands by the eco
nomical use of the streams will be
urged
One of the most important ad-
dresses of the conference will be
that of President James ] Hill OF
the Great Northern railway. who re-
ceived a special invitation from
President Roosevelt. His subject viii
be 'The Relation Between Rail ant
Water Transportation"
Mr.. Hills discussion inevitably
Will lead him to a consideration o
the competitive relations between
/ the railroads and the canals of th'
country, and he is expected to toucl
upon the significant relations which
recently have been made through
government investigation into tha
subject. The internal waterways o
the country always have been an i'm
portant check on the railway freigh
rates. Now that the freight bushes
of America has grown beyond tn
railroads, 1t is necessary that the in
ternal waterways should be takel
into important cosideration.
Another notable address will b
made by William Jennings Bryan
Andrew Carnegie and John Mitchell
former president of the United Min
Workers of America. All of the visit
Ing governors will take part in tn
general discussion, following tn
presentation of reports by numer