Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-14
DOWN TO REAL WORK
Sessions of the Governors
Yesterday Afternoon.
ROOT ON DUTY OF STATES
Declares They Should Not Lag Be-
hind Federal Government.
CHEERS GREET GOV. JOHNSON
Says That the True Development OF
Industry Should Be Considered.
Conference Officers Named.
CHEERS GREET GOV. JOHNSON

The real work of the conference of gov
errors on our natural resources began at
the afternoon sessi ion yesterday. which
opened at $40 O'Clock and lasted until
800 O'Clock. 1t developed. first, that the
President finds it impossible to devote
his entire time to the conference meet
ngs. He will. as he did yesterday. call
to order each session. and then designate
a governor to preside. This honor fell
first on Gov. Noel of Mississippi. with
the intimation from the President that
today he would call upon Gov. Johnson
of Minnesota. Then. after this announce
ment, as if his political instinct had re-
ceived shock, the President suddenly
d lied upon MIR. Bryan to interrupt the
program. and incidentally the prepared
speech Of Mr.. Andrew Carnegie. and adj
dress the meeting Mr.. Bryan acknowl-
edged the enthusiasm his name aroused
by lifting his hands. and then indicated
a desire to speak Friday.
DR.. Whites Address.
Mineral Fuels was the subject. upon
which DIR. l. G. White of Morgantown,
W. Va, state geologist of that common
wealth, spoke, and he drew an alarming
picture of the extent Of the waste which
coal, but also in the production of petro-
leum and in the handling of natural gas.
DR.. White is recognized as the leading au-
thority Of petroleum and natural gas, and
hewaschosen S a member of the Brazilian
coal commission, the Brazilian govern
ment having sought the assistance of the
government of this country in securing
the best American authority on mineral
fuels. In opening he referred to the re-
mark Of a great geologist: THE nations
that have ccal and iron will rule the
world and ne said, that bountiful ma
ture has lowered the American people
with a heritage of both coal and iron
richer by far than any other political
division of the earth.
What accounts can We, as nation.
give of our stewardship of such vast fuel
treasures?" asked Dr. White. Have We
carefully conserved them. using only what
was necessary In our domestic and Indus
trial life. and transmitted the remainder.
like provident husbandmen, unimpaired to
succeeding generations? Or have we
greatly depleted this priceless heritage of
power and comfort and source OF world
wide influence. by criminal waste and
wanton destruction? The answer should
bring blush of shame to every patriotic
American, for not content with Destroy
ing our magnificent forests. the only fuel
and supply of carbon known to our fore
fathers, we are with ruthless handS and
regardless of the future applying both
torch and dynamite TO the vastly greater
resources of this precious carbon which
provident nature has stored for our use
i'll the buried forests of the distant past
Protection of Fuel Resources.
Whatever is possible in the shape of
legislation for the protection OF our
fuel resources must, from the nature of
our federal Constitution, be left entirely
to the individual states which you rep
resent Twenty-nine of the forty-six
states of the Union produce coal, and
twenty-four of these produce more IMAM
a million tons annually. while practl-
cally the same number produce vast
quantities Of both petroleum. and natu-
raj gas The percentage or coai leit
in the ground beyond recovery there is
from a. to 20 per cent in thesdinerent
fields. to say nothing of the wasteful
and extravagant use of the portion eN-
tracted while the waste of natural gas,
the most precious fuel OF all. IS so vast
that no one can even approximate the
percentage.
DR. White declared the daily waste of
natural gas in the country Is IN excess
of / 900 900 900 cubic feet, which Is the
equivalent of more than loo.o"o pafrelS
of petroleum or l'o""'oo" ousneis VI
coal. ..,
In conclusion he said: THE task be-
fore Won and your constituencies is in
deed formidable The forces or greed
SplfiShncSS are 81 ciiei po-
Mind cornorate power and influence that
to attack them may often appear to you
as useless as the labors OF olsyPhus.
Rut as YOU love your states and coun-
trv ! allure you to take up TINS nght
for the conservation of our 1uel re-
sonrces with the determination never
To surrender until the wild riot or de-
struction that has characterized the
past is ended
John Mitchell on Waste.
Iobn Mitchell, former president of the
I-nited Mine Workers Of America. opened
the general discussion at the afternoon
session. and he confined himself. as he
exnressed it, Ito that phase of the aues-
ton with which he is most familiar" He
smoke of the waste not only in mining
coal but also the waste in consumption.
more Important than either. the crlmi,
nal disregard Of the personal safety ana
the lives of the men who toll IN the
mines. 80,
duced a mine worker is killed" Mr. Nit
chelI said. land several are seriously In
iured. orr each loo men employed, o.4O