The sun., 1908-05-12
The Presidents Collection of Cow
ernOrs.

The Presidents Collection ~ Gov.
ernOrs.
SO natural ia the tendency and 50 laud-
able the disposition to find good in any
thing done or wanted TO be done by Mr.
ROOSEVELT that we fear there is danger
Of Understanding the mschievous
possibilities OF his conference Of the
Governors at Washington on Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday Of this week.
At first view little appears that is not
innoCuous and even desirable in this
gathering Of State officers at the call Of
the Federal Executive. 1t is true there
il a trace Of the humOrously audaCiOus
in the idea of a conference of the several
representatives OF the reserved powers
Of the States to devise means for enhanc-
ing Federal authority in various direc-
tions II the occasion proves as successful
IA Mr. ROOSEVELT hopes, the conyoked
Governors will at least have helped might
ily III without knowing il to pump more
wind into that steadily increasing gale
which Mr.. STIMsON described the other
day as "the cyclone Of Capitalization, y
But apart from this political cOnsidera-
ton, which has come to signify little or
nothing to many minds once alert on the
subject Of boundaries and limitations,
can the result of the conference Of the
Governors be other than to excite a
greater popular interest in certain topics
specified by Mr., ROOSEVELT as matters OF
importance to all the States and about
which there can scarcely be two opinions?
These matters are the destruction Of our
forests. the exhaustion Of our mineral
resources and the development Of our
interior waterways
Let us pass over the destruction Of our
forests and the conservation Of Our min
eral resources a. subjects for cooperative
thought by the fOrty-six Governors, and
inquire what lies behind the apparently
innocent presentation to these Governors
of the Presidents policy for the devel-
opment Of the nations waterways
In the pursuit Of this inquiry We COM
mend to the attention Of all citizens GER
tain ideas recently advanced by Mr..
MILTON n. SMITH Of Kentucky for the
past seventeen or eighteen wears the
president of the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company. ITO serve a railway
ia to be a malefaCtor, Mr.. MILTON H.
SMITH has passed through every grade Of
offence from juvenile perversity to hard
ened sin, for he began life as a clerk and
telegraph operator in superintendent :
Office and has worked his way up to the
post he now holds. We trust that the
Governors and others will consider his
suggestions upon their merits only, un-
prejudiced by the record 10 which we
have briefly referred.
The president Of the Louisville and
Nashville points out that the reasons
given by Mr.. ROOSEVELT for creating
his Inland Waterways Commission, so
called, and for recommending 40 per-
sistently and strenuously legislation and
enormous appropriations for the de
velopment" Of our interior waterways by
Federal activity and expenditure, we're
based originally upon the inodsquocy Of
rdilVdy transportation facilities. That is
TO say, his waterway policy was inspired
by conditions that have now VIGOROUSLY
ceased to exist.
This commission was created and this
policy inaugurated in March OF last
year. On March H. 1907, before the
Roosevelt panic had relieved the trans
portation system Of the country of any
excessive strain upon its resources, the
President designated certain gentlemen
as members Of the Inland Waterways
Commission, explaining that he created
that body because he had received
petitions from numerous commercial
organizations in the Mississippi Valley. "
Later in a message TO the Senate Mr..
ROOSEVELT stated that the commission
was created by him 4in response to a
widespread interest and demand from
the people" We quote from the Presi-
dents statement Of March IA, 1907:
1T Is common knowledge that the railroads Of
the United states are no longer able to move crops
and manufactures rapidly to SECURE the prompt
transaction Of the business Of the nation and there
ID small prospect Of immediate relief, Represen-
iatlve railroad men point out that the products oi
tue northern interior states have doubled In ten
years while the railroad facilities have Increased
hut one eighth. aud there Ia reason TO doubt
whether any development OF the ralloads possible
In the near future will suce 10 keep transportation
abreast Of production. There appears to be only
one complete remedy the development Of com
Elementary system Of transportation by water"
Such was the reason, the only reason,
alleged by Mr.. ROOSEVELT for the inaugu-
ration Of that special policy in which the
forty-six Governors are to be invited to-
morrow or next day to participate. Con-
eestion Of transportation facilities! With
apertinence and cogency from which the
circumstance that he is a railway presi-
dent In no way detracts, Mr., MILTON II.
SMITH remarks:
-Severai months before the communication ol
Asrch ~, 1901 some Of thoss eonnse'sd With trah'