The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-05-21
SAVE NATURES GIFTS
IS PLEA OF PRESIDENT
Roosevelt Addresses Concourse Of
Governors, Officials and Prom
inent Men.
RESOURCES THE TOPIC
Reckless and Wasteful Use" of Tim
Der and Minerals Condemned
by Nations Executive.
Washington correspondence


The White House was the scene
Wednesday of the assemblage of many
of the most notable figures in the polit-
zeal and industrial life of the nation.
sentative gatherings that have ever
met to consider great public question
in that historic mansion. The Occa-
sion was the conference by President
Roosevelt with the Governors of prac-
tically all the States and Territories to
consider the broad question of conser
Walton Of the country's natural re-
sources.
The men who know how the natural
resources of the country have been
wasted-captains of industry who have
dealt with these resources and experts
who have studied the conditions-told
of the nations prodigality in the ex-
ploitation and consumption of its nat
ural resources.
Representing the government were
the President of the United States. the
the United States Supreme Court and
members of both houses of Congress-
The States were represented by their
chief executives and the conferees APP
pointed by them. The industries were
represented by Andrew Carnegie, the
iron master; James ]. Hill, the genius
of railway expansion; John Mitchell,
the labor leader; Prof. I. c. Chamber
lin of the University of Chicago, and,
DIR. l. c. White, State geologist Of
West Virginia and perhaps the leading
expert on coal in the United States
The specially invited guests included
three men mentioned as Democratic
presidential andidates-Willfam Jen-
nings Bryan, Judge George Gray of
Delaware and Gov. John A Johnson Of
Minnesota The subjects considered in
Guided the use and conservation Of
mineral resources, resources of the
land and resources of the waters.
The conference was opened by the
President with an address on "Conser-
vation as National Duty" The pro-
gram for the day included addresses by
Andrew Carnegie on "Ores and Related
Minerals" and by Dr. /. c. White, pro-
fessor of geology, University of West
Virginia, and State geologist Of that
State, on Mineral Fuels" Former
President John Mitchell of the United
Mine Workers of America. led the gen.
eral discussion ON coal mining.
The Presidents speech is not contro-
versial. Nor is it an alarm cry to the
people. 1t does not even voice a de-
mand for remedial legislation. On the
contrary it is a simple plea couched in
businesslike and statesmanlike terms for
constructive action upon the weightiest
problem now before the nation. Upon
the practical, homely plea that a fether
must provide for his sons Mr.. Roosevelt
rests his whole case. Using almost the
same figure Mr.. Clifford Pinchot has re.
Gently said: 1--WE have hitherto as a
nation taken the same course as does
at first the young man who comes into
possession of his property. 1t is time for
a change"
Our wonderfully rapid development has
led us to destroy needessly our forests,
to waste our mineral wealth in careless
mining and still more careless use, to
exhaust our soils and to ruthlessly neglect
our rivers for the sake of faster trans
portation by steam. Our duty to the
next generation makes it imperative that
we should do better in all these respects.
How this new business system shall
be installed or what form it shall take
the President does not attempt to dictate.
Having called together a national council
he properly leaves the ways and means
to the determination of the councillors,
laying down only the policy of Washing
ton that water ways, forests. agricul-
tural and minera, wealth should be treat
ed as one indivisible subject in all plans
made for their proper use and conserva-
ton. He closes by citing important ju-
dicial decisions indicating how far such
plans may go under the fundamental
law