Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-05-21
CONFERENCE
Of Governors to be Made a
Permanent Organization.


AS has been expected ever since
the proposal was made to hold in
Washington a Conference of the
Governors, the meeting at the White
House, May Is, IA, and Is, has at
tracted perhaps the widest and most
serious attention of any gathering
of public men that has been held in
the history of the country. Forty
one governors, their advisors, and
the representatives of a number of
national organizations faced Presi-
dent Roosevelt in the famous East
Room of the White House when the
President called the first session to
order on the morning of May 18th;
and before the days session was COL
cluded, the opinion had been advanc-
ed by number of State Executives
present that out of this Conference
will grow a permanent organization
of governors, perhaps holding ses-
sions annually in different parts of
the country and from which good re-
suits, too broad to be measured at
this present time, will undoubtedly
follow.
Owing to his multitudinuous du-
ties, President Roosevelt was unable
to preside over all of the sessions.
However, the President called each
session to order and occupied the
chair until the first paper had been
read, then or later, relinquishing his
position to one or another of the
governors present.
Many of the state executives in at
tendance expressed the opinion that
this meeting of governors will I'M
doubtedly result in more uniform
laws for the states on many subjects
besides that of conservation. 1t was
the generally expressed opinion that
the White House Conference gave
opportunity for action along the line
of securing a uniform divorce law,
concerted action by the states in re-
gard to the extradition of criminals,
the enactment of child labor laws, of
state pure food laws, and of meas
ures governing commerce between
the states; and the perfecting of a
permanent organization was conf
IDENTIFY predicted as early as the first
day OF the Conference. Steps nave
already been taken to bring about
such permanent organization, and
committee of Governors has been
chosen to formulate necessary plans.
1t was realized by the Governors
that the time of the Conference was
entirely too short and too complete
ly filled to permit just now the for,
nation of a permanent body, but it
was the unanimous opinion that with
in the next six months such an or
gaAization will be completed and in
working order, and at the final session
the initial steps toward permanent
organization were taken.
Mr.. Bryan For Conservation.
In a brief, pointed paper, Mr.. Will
liam Jennings Bryan, as "a private
citizen" presented to the Conference.
his views on conservation. Every
progressive step proposed in the
Conference-forestry, both national
and state, irrigation, drainage, in
land waterways, and careful use of
coal and iron-was Endorsed by him.
He pointed out that the under-fiow,
supplying we'll water to large wes-
tern areas, was menaced by defor-
estation in the Rocky Mountains. He
advocated removal of the lumber
tariff. Speaking of the relative
fields of state and nation he pointed
out that the Constitution provides
no twilight zone" between the two
in which predatory, exploiting inter-
ests may safely hide.
The Timd Lion.
H. 4o-,.. 49, -,