The Washington times., 1908-05-17
GOVERNORS SESSION
HAS WORKED GOOD
Results Exceed Expectation
OF President When He
Called Meeting.
CONGRESS FORCED
TO PASS MEASURE
Executives Realize Waste of Re-
sources, and Folk Will APP
point Commission.

among the governors who remained
| IN Washington yesterday it was the
general expression of opinion that the
conference OF governors and delegates
Wilch assembled at the White House
al the request of the President TO de-
wise ways TO conserve the natural re-
sources Of the country. will be more
fer reaching in its effect than any ac-
ton taken for the benefit Of the coun-
try since the days Of the signing of
the Declaration of Independence.
II IS known that the President is en-
thusiastic Ia his praise OF the great
good accomplished By the conference
and he has Informed Secretary Wilson
that the conference was successful lar
beyond his expectations
Even during the first days session
of the conference 1t was freely pre-
dicted that at best the gathering could
only be educational in it's results, but
before its close It became apparent
that Il the action 20 be taken by Gov
ernor Folk IS followed IN other States
the conservation Of the forests,
strf.ms, and mineral resources of the
country viii take definite shape within
a comparatively snort time.
Folk to Name Commission.
As soon as he arrives home. Governor
Folk viii appoint a commission TO in
vestigate the matters brought before
| the conference. He mas also consulted
with a number OF governors about sim
/ Ilar action in other States and IN near
| Iy every instance he was informed that
the matter would be given immediate
attention.
The gathering has already resulted
/ IN the formation OF a House OF Gov
errors" the organization OF which was
! prompted by a desire not only 10 con-
! serve the natural resources of the couu-
/ try, but 20 have annual consultations
between state executives 10 bring
aD0ut uniform laws.
The President ana the conference GER
! tainly did start things ia Congress. It
/ vas rather mere prompt than dignifed.
( the way Congress got active about pry-
I ing loose one of the pc. features Of
/ the Presidents program after the gov
/ errors had gotten 10 town and cheeTed
/ every criticism that was passed on Con-
/ sress.
! Congress comes 20 lime.
/ The President was especially deter
mined TO have legislation passed. TO
| make permanent the present entirely
| unofficial Inland Waterways Commits
/ sion. 1t was mrely appointed a year
/ ago by tile PresiHant, without authority
| OF law and without appropriation for
/ expenses. He repeatedly asked Congress
/ 10 make It a legal body, and just as
/ often Congress snubbed the recommen-
/ dalton. Now comes the chronology Of
l the sudden activity OF Congress.
/ Thursday forenoon. the President, sd-
/ dressing the conference, says 'AnI Les
/ me say 10 you that if Congress doesn't
| pass the legislation. I'll ma means to
/ perpetuate the commission anyhow;
/ though Il would be vastly better Il
| Congress should act" GGreat and coz
/ tinued applause.l
/ Thursday afteTnOOn-Meeting OF Sen
/ ate Committee on Commerce. announced
! at conclusion OF meeting that the bill
| TO make the Inland Waterways Com
| mission permanent body had been or
! dered reported
! Friday Misunderstanding Of House
/ Committee on Interstate and Foreig<l
| Commerce. Mr.. Burton introduced new
/ bin TO make Inland Waterways Com
mission permanent. Committee laid
! aside the bin on which it had held va
/ rious hearings. and unanimously report
| ed the Burton bill. Mr.. Burton is CHAIR
man of the Inland waterways COM
/ Saturday afternoon the House. with
only two votes in opposition, passed the
Burton bill, giving the commission lhe
legal standing which II was denied IN
der the direct appointment Of the Presl-
dent.
Realize Tnie Conditions.
That wss only one of the good re-
suits Of the conference. The various
papers submitted and the speeches made
by eminent experts brought home 70 the
governors with great force the actual
condition Of the resources Of the coun-
try. and William Jennings Bryan, a
close student of such matters, admitted
that the disclosures made were Of a
startling nature.
It is now a foregOne cone fusion that
some action viii be taken by the several
States to put au end to the enormous
waste OF lumber. The same action will
undoubtedly be taken IN regard TO the
mineral resources. and the agitation for
]
ments so transportation by boat may
have a fair opportunity to compete with
transportation by rail has received a
greater boom than it has ever had be-
fore.
II is unlikely. however, that beneficial
results of contemplated action VIII be
felt for some years to come. In the
opinion of Pres. lent Hadley Of Yale
University the present crisis in forest
devastation must be tided over for a
score of years before the country viii
begin to see the results of the good
work now being done in the forests by
experts graduated from the forestry
school at Yale. a similar lapse of time
also must inevitably result before the
inland waterways Will begin 10 take
definite shape, even though Congress
contributes liberal sums of money "a
tcarry out the projects so much desired
by the inland States.
Prevent Waste of Minerals.
In the opinion of the experts the con-
servation of the mineral resources is
merely a question of preventing the con
tinued waste of the various products
beneath the ground. and this may be
accomplished by suitable legislation.