The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-05-16
THREATENS
LIFE OF THE
COUNTRY
James ]. Hill Makes a
Notable Address at
Washington = Declares
Waste Must Cease

Chairman James j.. Hill OF the Great
Northern directorate. Governor Glenn
of North Carolina, Governor Fort of
New Jersey. Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson, President Hadley of Yale
University and numerous other
speakers of national prominence star
ring the proceedings, the days ses-
sion of the conference of governors
contributed another notable chapter
to economic history.
While President Roosevelt opened
the conference, Governor johnson oil
Minnesota presided during the morn
ing. Mr.. Hills speech was note
worthy one.
The scene previous to the calling OF
the conference together by President
Roosevelt was one of animated dis
cussion Notwithstanding the intense
heat in the east room every available
seat was occupied. President Roose-
welt upon calling the delegates to or
der, announced that Governor Leneen
of Illinois would preside at the after
noon session. The president then N
nounced James J. Hill, chairman OF
the board of directors of the Great
Northern railroad, as the first speaker
of the morning session. He was Civ
Ell an ovation.
Mr.. Hill said that in some respects
the occasion that called together the
present assemblage is unprecedented.
"It is in effect" he said, "a di-
rectors' meeting of the great political
and economic corporation known as
the United States of America. The
stockholders are 81 millions of peo-
pie of this country; the directors are
the state and federal officers whose
position brings them in touch with
the operations of the whole country
We should not fail to recognize the
high note that has been struck and
the mmensity of the interests in
volved upon the lives of millions yet
to be.
Mr.. Hill said that for the first time
there is formal national protest. un-
der seal of the highest authority,
against economic waste.
May we not hope that from this
gathering there may be born not only
wiser system of using the still re-
naming resources of this country,
but a cooperation between nation
and state that shall be as helpful in
erations ought to be in our economic
future.
Continuing. Mr.. Hill said in part:
in the movement or modern times,
which has made the world CONNER
cially a small place and has produced
a solidarity of the race such as never
before existed, we have come to the
point where we must, to a certain ex-
nj h. of
this planet as common asset, COM
pare them with demands now made
and likely TO be made upon them, and
study their judicious use. If We fail
to consider what we possess of wealth
available for the uses of mankind
and to what extent we are wasting a
natural patrimony that can never be
restored. we might be likened to the
directors of a company who never
examine balance sheet
Mr.. Hill went on to show that in
1906 the total unappropriated public
lands in the United States consisted
of 1000. 900 acres.
OF this area the division OF Alaska.
Arizona. California, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and
Wyoming contained 197,700.000
acres of surveyed land. Little of
Alaska. was fitted. he said. for gen.
eral agriculture, while practically all
of the rest is semi-arid land. ayaila-
BILE only for grazing or irrigation.
1--WE have said he, "subtracting
these totals, 50,000,000 acres of un-
surveyed lands as our actual remain
ing stock, and 100000 acres were
disposed of In 1907. How long will
the remaining last? No longer can
we say that Uncle Sam has land
enough 10 give us all farm.
Mr.. Hin declared that millions of
acres in the south, in places to the
extent of one-tenth of the entire ara
BILE area, have been so injured that
no industry and no care can restore
them.
Far more ruinous," he said, be
cause universal and continuing in its
effects, is the process of soil exhaus-
ton. 1t is creeping over the land
from east to west The abandoned
farms that are now the playthings Of
the city's rich, or the game preserves
of patrons of sport, bear witness to
the melancholy change"
Mr.. Hill said that the fact of soil
waste becomes startling evident when
the record of some states where sin
gle cropping and other agricultural
abuses have been prevalent is con-
sidered. In no other important eoun-
try in the world, with the exception
of Russia, is the industry, that must
he the foundation of every state, at
tContinued on page four.)