The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-05-18
MONDAY, MAY Is, 1908.
THE GOVERNORS CONFER
EECE.

lcIeHCcS LlldI Ildo DCCIl llClu III
some time it has been pronounce
ed by some the most important
conference ever held in this
country-was held in Wash
ington three days last week,
closing Friday. 1t was called by
President Roosevelt and its object
was to endeavOr to reach con-
illusions as to the best methods .
of conserving the natural resourc-
es of the United States. 1t was
participated in by the Governors |
of A States, Cabinet officers,
Supreme Court judges, Senators,
Representatives, and experts
along the lines indicated by the
nature of the conference. Two
important ideas were advanced
during the first day of the con-
ference that a permanent organ
ization between the States is
necessary to accomplish the ends
sought; and that there is no
limitation by the constitution to
the agreement that may be
made between the States, subject
to the approval of Congress. On
the second day Governor Glenn
made a speech, mentioned else
where in this paper, which
attracted more attention than
any other speech made during
the conference. A Washington
dispatch of the 18th states that
the printed record of the confer
ence, which will later be avail
able to every American home,
will be a compilation of facts,
startling in their meaning, con-
vincing in their universal conclu-
sion that the States must act,
and that the States and the ma
ton must cooperate to the end
that to the whole people of the ma
ton may accrue the lasting bene-
fit of its natural resources.
That there is need for the
exercise of more wisdom in the
use Of those natural resources
the intelligent and proper use Of
which serves to increase rather
than to diminish no intelligent
observer doubts for a moment.
The waste of timber, for one
thing, is something fearful, and
experts say we are on the verge
Of timber famine. In his open
ing address before the conference
President Roosevelt said, among
other things:
Neither The primitive man nor
the pioneer was aware Of any
duty to posterity in dealing with
the renewable resources. When
the American settler felled the
forests, he felt that there was
plenty Of forests left for the sons
who came after him. When he
exhausted the soil Of his farm he
felt that his son could go west
and take up another. So it was
with his immediate successors.
When the soil-wash from the
farmers fields chOked the neigh
boring river he thought only of
using the railway rather than
boats for moving his produce and
supplies.
Now all this is changed. On
the average the son Of the far
mer today must make his living
on his fathers farm. There is
no difficulty in doing this if the
father will exercise wisdom. No
wise use of a farm exhausts its
fertility. So with the forests.
We arc over the verge Of a tim
Der famine in this country, and
it is objectionable for the nation
or the States to permit any fur
Their cutting Of our timber, save
in accordance with a system
which will provide that the next
generation shall see the timber
increased instead Of diminished.
Moreover, we can add enormous
tracts of the most valuable DOS
sible agricultural land to the ma
tiOnal domain b% irrigation in the
arid and selni-arid regions and
by drainage Of great tracts of
swamp lard in the humid regions.
We can enormously increase our
transportation facilities by the
canaliZation of our rivers so as to
complete a great system of water
ways on the Pacific, Atlantic and
Gulf coasts and in the Mississip-
pl valley, from the Great Plains
to the Alleghenies and from the
northern lakes to the mouth of
the mighty Father Of Waters.
But all these various uses of our
natural resources are so Glossy
connected that they should be
co-ordinated, and should be treat
ed as part of one coherent plan
and not in haphazard and piece
meal fashion.
1t is to be hoped that this con-