Putnam patriot., 1908-11-27
Second Conference of Governors.

Dy stamps aHtSeh.
 Second Conference of Governors.
 The much talked of inventory Of the Nations resources K now practically completed. To consider the material Il has brought together the National Conservation Commission has just an- nounced its first full meeting for Tues day, December in Washington. At that meeting the first steps will be taken toward putting into tangible shape the results of the six months hard work on taking stock of the coun- try's waters, forests, lands and miner als.
 One week later. after the Commission has gone over the inventory, il will hold joint meeting In Washington with the Governors of the States and and Territories, or their representatives. Al this meeting the inventory will be further discussed. and the report which the President has requested the Com mission to make te him by Jan. l, will be formulated.
 With less than six months in which to make the inventory, the four branch es into which the Commission k di2i= ded, aided by the cooperation of the government departments have brought together what k probably the most use ful collection of facts about the mate rial things on which national industry and progress are based that has ever been assembled at one time. Reports presenting these facts and pointing out their significance, have been prepared These reports, summarized and index. ed, will be submitted to the Commis- sion at its coming meeting.
 All through the summer general in terest in the work and object of the GonsefsH alton Commission has been growing. The public k now well post. ed on Il subject of which only few specialists had knowledge at the time Of the Conference of Governors and ex. perts, at the White House, in May.
 Thei Governors carried the spirit of the Conference home with them to their own people, and have kept things moving ever since bs appoint. ing State Commissions to study lo- cal problems, by writing and speak ing upon the subject of conservation, and by keeping in close and helpful touch with the National Commissions 
 They are ready to take part in the ap. preaching joint meeting. The bare uns nouneement that il had been set for December s, resulted in number of aecepianccs before the formal invita- ton of the Commission had even got Into the malls.
 When the conservation movement was started, specific information about the actual state of our resources was partly wanting, partly inaccessible. Certain facts were broadly known. It was at least unquestionable that our resources had been wastefully used and that some of them, notably the mines, were sure In time to be completely ex haustcd, while others, for example the forests, would still he kept perpetually useful by right management. The first work was Ia get the facts, To show ex- actly what the situation was and how il could he improved by measures that would work. Without an inventory of the resources which show the pres ent condition of the resources and the way to develop them to the best adNan tage, conservation was in danges -of staying up In the air.
 But the work Is now practically done. The facts are these, In dollars and cents, tons of coal, board feet of timber, acre feet and horse power of water, acres of land. And the possible reform meas ures have been weighed. The final re port 10 the President will te the ncces- sary supplement 10 the addresses stthe White House Conference. The note af these addresses WAS note of warning. The report Is expected 10 show that the warning must be needed If the exhaus- ton of natural resources k not, one day, to impoverish the nation, and IL will almost undoubtedly bring out how the country's resources can be develop ed so as to last the longest possible time and serve the greatest good of the peo- pie.