Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-16
THE CONFERENCE At WASHING.
TON


today, called with view to bringing
home to the country the necessity of
a united movement for the conserva-
ton of the nations resources, assert
ed that this is the weightiest problem
now before the country. The presi-
dent reviewed the prod1gal use of the
resources of the country since the ma
ton was founded and uttered the
warning that the country's sources of
the old wasteful method of exploiting
them is continued. This comparison
of the conditions in Washington's
wealth are in danger of exhaustion #
time and at present is drawn by the
president:
In Washington's time anthracite
coal was known only as useless
black stone; and the great fields Of
bituminous coal were undiscovered.
AS steam was unknown, the use OF
coal for power production was un-
dreamed Of Water was practically
the only source of power, save the Ia
Dor of men and animals; and this pow
er was used only in the most print
tive fashion. But few small iron
deposits had been found in this coun
try, and the use Of iron by our coun-
trymen was very small. Wood was
practically the only fuel, and what
lumber was sawed was consumed To-
cally, while the forests were regarded
chiefly as distractions to settlement
and cultivation.
Such was the degree Of progress to
which civilized mankind had attained
when this nation began it's career.
And here is the condition today as
the president sees it.
This nation began with the belief
that it's landed possessions were H.
limitable and capable of supporting
all the people who might care to make
our country their nome; but already
the limit Of unsettled land is in sight,
and indeed but little land fitted for
agriculture now remains unoccupted
save what can be reclaimed by irri-
cation and drainage. We began with
an unapproached heritage Of forests;
more than half of the timber is gone.
We began with coal fields more eNr
tensive than those of any other ma
ton and with iron ores regarded as
inexhaustible, and many experts now
declare that the end of both iron and
coal Is in sight.
The mere increase in our consump-
ton Of coal during 1907 over 1906 ex-
ceeded the total consumption in 1876,
the centennial year. The enormous
stores of mineral oil and gas are
largely gone Our natural waterways
are not gone, but they have been So
injured by neglect, and by the division
Of responsibility and utter lack of
system IN dealing with them, that
there is less navigation on them now
than there was fifty years ago. Fin
ally, we began with soils Of unex-
ampled fertility and we have 80 i'm
and by failing to check erosion that
their crop producing power is dimiu-
ishing instead Of increasing. In O
word, we have thoughtlessly, and 70
large degree unnecessarily, dimin-
ished the. resources upon which not
only our prosperity but the prosperity
OF our children must always depend.
The remedial measures favored by
President Roosevelt seem to strike at
the root of the matter. While facing
timber famine he holds it unpardon-
able for the nation or the states to
permit any further cutting of timber,
save in accordance with a system
which will provide that the next gen
GRAFTON shall see the timber increased
instead of diminished.
He holds that the agricultural
wealth of the country can be enor-
mously increased by irrigation in the
arid and semi-arid regions and by
drainage of great tracts Of swamp
lands in the humid regions.
And finally, he calls attention to
the great increase tn transportation
facilities available through the canal
ization of the rivers so as to complete
a great system of inland waterways.
The attendance at the conference of
experts in natural resources and rep
resentatives Of national organizations
concerned in the development and use
of these resources, should result n
bringing out conclusively that the
time for action has come, and with
the governors, members Of congress
and other government and state Off
Gals, in whose hands the solution of
the question rests, also in attendance.
the conference should prove one of the
notable events Of this era.
For some years physicians have
OFT