Albuquerque citizen., 1908-04-24
CONGRESSWA|TS
FOR MEETING
IN MAY
VIII Not Quit Work Until Gov
ernOTS Convene and Discuss
the COuntry'S Resources.

Washington,April 24.-lf it were
not for the coming Conference on
the Conservation of Natural Resourc-
cs," which is to be held at the White
House May 1915, Congress would ad-
journ early in the second week of
May. When the leaders fixed upon
May 9 as the day of leaving they
had overlooked the fact that a scam
perng away on the very eve of the
arrival of the governors of all the
states i'm the Union would look
something very materially like a snub.
Not intending to do any snubbing,
and not intending to do anything
| having a trace of rudeness the lead
erS made haste to put off the day Of
| adjournment and made preparation
to act as hosts for the incoming Of
| hcials
I'm previous dispatches some things
| have been told about the forthcoming
conference. The subject is a big one,
! for it is the belief of the men who
are interested in the natural resourc-
! es which make for the greatness and
! for the wealth of nation that this
! conference will be the beginning of
! conferences and of a work which will
| make sure the safeguarding for all
time of the prosperity of the United
States.
The country has been a spendthrift
| of its resources. 1t has put its hand
/ blindly into the bag, drawn out the
| gold to scatter it broadcast, with
| seemingly no thought that the con-
tents of the bag one day might be
exhausted The is gold left. the. gold
| of forests, of coal. of water supply
and of minerals. Gold enough for
all purposes, if rightly used, and gold
that may be made to reproduce it
seh while a store sufficient for the
uses of the people is being consumed
daily.
All Interests to he Heard.
President Roosevelt wrote not only
to the governors of the states upon
the subject of the necessity for CON
serving the natural resources of the
country, but he wrote to the presi-
dents of all organizations having q
national scope in their usefulness
such organizations, for instance, as
the American Civic Association, which
was founded as its motto tells the
country, For better and more
beautiful America"
The Civic Association and the other
, organizations whose help the presi-
dent asks are at work today in arous-
ing public interest in the coming
conference at Washington. and in in
stllng into people the knowledge
that in a large measure at least the
welfare of the country depends upon
the outcome of the conference and
!, of the work for which the conference
will lay the foundation.
The men in Washington who are
at work preparing for the coming
| meeting of the governors and other
representatives Of the different states
. say that the conference "will be a
convention of conventions. There
!, win be 80 states and territories rep
. resented. The states ana territories
acting individually pass and admin
lister laws which tired To- dissiDate or
conserve the resources within their
respective jurisdictions The pur-
pose of the coming meeting at tht
/ White House, this convention of
conventions" is to take birds eye
view of the whole national field with
a mind and a purpose for the inter
, ests of each state and territorial unit
1t will be a truly national gathering
in which the good of the whole peo-
. pie is to receive first consideration
Inside Facts Promised.
From tn" program of the confer
ence which has been at least tenta-
lively arranged it is learned that
such practical men as Andrew Car
negie. John Mitchell James J. Hill
, Clifford Pmchot and others who have
intimate first-hand knowledge OF
natural resource subjects will discuss
the things of which they know
p plainly. directly and with the first
view of pointing out the dangers OF
the material exhaustion of the coun-
try. and the way that these dangers
can be avertod. For instance, the
70 delegates will be told how the sol
is being impoverished by lmpropel
cultivation and especially by erosion
. 1t may be something for the people
r | of the country To know that they lost
$500 Gu0. 900 every year through