Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-05-13
uosT NOTABLE GATHERING
President, Members Of Cabinet
Supreme Court Judges and
Governors Present.
was 0pencd by Prcst. Roosevelt With
An Address on conservation as
4 National Duty"

washington, May 13.--The White
r,,so was the scene today of the as
.,hlaoe OF many of the most distin-
.nisbed figures in the political and in
anst,iaI life Of the nation. 1t was,
nerbaps. one of the most notable
gatherings that has ever met to con-
sdor great public question, in the
history of the nation. The occasion
tho conference by President
n pcosovelt with the governors of prac-
.iooilv ali the states and territories
20 consider the broad question of the
Conservation of the country's natural
Resources.
NATIONS PRODIGALITY
4 The conference will continue Fri
day and embraces men who know
NOW The natural resources Of the
n country have been wasted - cap
aims of industry who have stud
E,cd the conditions and told OF
E,be nations prodigality in the
"a ynloitation and consumption of
Els natural resources. Representing
The government was the president of
Eiho United States, tn vice president.
and the cabinet, justices of the United
States supreme court and members of
both houses of Congress. The states
wore represented by their chief rep
Eresentatives and the conferees APP
polnted by them. Andrew Carnegie, the
III ron master: James j. Hill, the genius
of railway expansion; John Mitchell,
the labor leader, and DR.. |. c. White.
state geologist of West Virginia, and
q perhaps the leading expert on coal in
Sthe United States.
Il SPECIALLY INVITED GUESTS,
i The specially invited guests includ-
II ed three Democratic presidential can
q didates 49, William Jennings Bryan
81 Judge George Gray Of Delaware, and
s4Gov. John A. Johnson of Minnesota.
SRrhe subjects to be considered include
'5fthe use and conservation of mineral
&x resources resources Of the land and
III resoRrces of the waters
81 The conference Is the outgrowth of
a the Recommendation of the internation-
u al waterways commission to the presi-
otnt The suggestion of such q gath
II eHns met with the presidents enthusl-
aste approval. Later the president
made public letter inviting the gov
4 ernOrs Of the states 10 attend the con,
4 ference. In this communication the
president declared that there is no other
question now before the nation of equal
gravity with the question of the con-
syation of the country's natural re-
sources
Long before 10 o'clock when the con-
ference was called to order In the fan-
Gus east room in the White House by
President Roosevelt. those who took
part in the great gathering began to
arrive The president received the gov
emors and shortly thereafter they as
sembled in the east room.
PRESIDENT OPENS CONFERENCE
The conference was opened by the
PRESIDENT with an Address on "Conserv-
alton as a National Duty The pro-
gram for the day Included addresses
by Andrew Carnegie on ores ana
Related Minerals" and by DR.. L. @.
White, professor of geology, University
ol West Virginia and state geologist
Of that state, ON Mineral Fuels"
Former President John Mitchell of
he United Mine Workers of America
Jed the general discussion on coal min
Ing The detailed arrangements for
he conference accorded with the inn
fortance of the discussion and with the
Prominence of the men IN attendance.
Almost complete transformation OF
The east room was effective. Along
he east wall was placed a combined
frame work and platform SO feet long
ana 10 feet high. This was artistical-
u covered with green velvet, trimmed
With gold rope. This frame work az
iorded proper setting for two giant
maps of the United States. each of
which is colored TO graphically show
he various resources of the country.
The governors occupied the seats OF
honor just i'm front OF the platform.
me other conferees and delegates wero
seated in the order of the arrival at
The meeting
President Roosevelt's reception by
me governors aud distinguished at
teAdants on the conference as he en-
Tered the east room by the side of
ice President Fairbanks, was the first
evidence that the assemblage was not
10 be bound toe closely by dignity. II
was preciselye1l o'clock when the presl o
uent stepped upon the platform and
When the presidential honors by the
marine band had begun the governors
rood up, clapped their hands und then
Justify cheered. The president took up
4 small gavcl and the hlstory-maklng
"niercnce was on,
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
ioyenors OF the Several States and
Gentlemen:
] Welcome you TO this conference al
lhe White House. You have come hith
~ az my request so that we may join
psether 70 consider the question of the
conservation and use Of the great fun
aaanenta sources of wealth N this ma
ton' So vital Is this question. that fol
we nrst time in our history the CHIEF
aeeutiye officers OF the states separ-
h'eiy. and of the states together form.
wg ne nation, have met 10 consider IT,
VIM tho governors come men from
each state chosen for their special
mllNlntance with the terms Of the
hupltm that il before us
among them are experts IN
yves OF national Organization,
Concerned IN the development aml
atH ot these resources. the senator,
snu representatives In Congress- tn,
,uprelne court, the cabinet aud the in.
wu waterways commission have like
My MY been invited to the confsgonce
,id'l'n is therefore national In a~pecu,
h.l sense.
=, Ihis conference on the conservation
M NATURAL resources Is ia effect a meet,
XVI mo representatives Of all tn,
eopls VI the United tSates called t.
beeoorr the welghtiest problem nov
malf lne nation, and the occasion fol
n,ra' n'euhg Hes In the fact that the ma
dnni resources Of our country are n
oli snl or exhaustion " we permit tn
lengssss lelul methods OF exploiting then
,kk,g "a continue.
aKery we rise OF peoples from say