Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-13
Rail Magnate Expected to Make
Wa.m Discussion at Con-
ference OF Governors
is THE FIRST OF ITS KIND
East Room Of White House to Shelter
First Conference of President With
Governors of All States = Water
ways to Be an Important Topic Con-
sidered.

Especial Washington Correspondence.
Washington, April 13.-Iames j. Hill
president OF the Great Northern rail-
road. will make one of the leading adj
dresses at the White House conferences
of governors. in May. on the conser-
walton of natural resources. His sub
jcct will be, The Relation Between
Rail and Water Transportation"
In accepting the invitation to attend
the conference, Mr.. Hill says in q let
ter just received by President Roose-
welt: '"rhe people of this country
rapidity with which they are consum-
ing what was probably the most noble
heritage of natural resources to be
found in any country. The greatest
foundation of value, and, l might say.
soil, and this is being wasted as reck-
lessly and rapidly as any of the 9TH
ers."
1t is understood President Hills
subject will inevitably lead him into a
discussion of the competitive relations
between the railroads and canals of
this country. regarding which signifi-
cant revelations have recently been
made. For instance, the tonnage of
state and corporation canals fell from
16,304,323 in 1880 to 6,606,S14 in 1906,
according to a recent census report.
These canals were in part competitors
of the railroads, and helped to regulate
freight rates. The cause of their de-
cline is now under investigation by
the bureau Of corporations. The cost
of canal improvements which are
known to have been abandoned be-
tween 1889 and 1906 was s21.997,779.
and this large amount of money was
when railroad facilities were fast APP
preaching their working limit The
and developments of the
canal systems will be one of the most
important topics before the confer
ence.
President Hill is one of five distn-
guished citizens who have been per-
sonally invited to attend the confer
ence, the other being Grover Cleveland,
Jennings Bryan, John Nit
chell and Andrew Carnegie. Those
guests, with the governors of the
states, will be entertained by Presi-
dent Roosevelt at a dinner on the even
ing of May IL. The sessions will be-
gin the following morning. The plan
is to hold two sessions a day for three
days. President Roosevelt will open
the conference with an address and he
Is also expected to preside at each
session if not turnout each session.
The meetings will be held in the
least room of the White House. This
room has been the scene of many his
toric events, but it has never before
been used to accommodate a confer
ence dealing with such an important
public question. Nor has 1t, or any
other place, been heretofore GALLEY up
on to shelter the president Of thu I'm
tied States and the governors of the
states in joint deliberations. The pos
of such a history making
gathering have led many organizations
and individuals to suggest they would
like to send delegates. Many of these
are pressing for representation, but
they are necessarily meeting with dis
Secretary Loeb informs
them that it has been determined to
hold the conference closely to the sub