Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-06
NATIONS NATURAL WEALTH
White House Conference in May Will
Be Historic Gathering.
EVERY STATE TO SEND IT'S BEST
Rail and water Transportation,
Forests, Minerals and Land
Laws to BE Subjected to
Expert Discussion.
CFrOm a staff cOrrespondent.)

NETOm a starr correspondent
WASHINGTON, April 4.--(speciaL)-At 10
o'clock on the morning Of May 10, in the
historic East room Of the White House
President Roosevelt will call to order the
most distinguished gathering of men Of this
country ever assembled at one time. 1t
will include the governors of all the states,
the members Of the cabinet, the justices
OF the United States supreme court, SEN
ators and representatives in congress, and
as special guests, others among the most
noted men in the nation.
They will meet TO consider what the
president has declared to be the "funda-
mental problem" before the Countrywide
conservation of the nations natural re-
sources.
The chief executive OF practically every
state has accepted the presidents invitation.
Each governor was asked to bring with
him three of the most distinguished citizens
Of his state or territory and these names
are being received in every mail. They in
clude such men as Judge Gray and James
j, Hill, as well as others equally promi-
nent in business enterprises of the most
/ Importance.
1t Is evident the conference will bring to-
gether not only the nations most dis
tinguished men, but its foremost experts
! and specialists in the several lines of dis
cussion. Among these. under the general
head OF water resources, are rail and water
transportation. navigation and water
power; under land resources are soil, for
ests. sanitation. reclamation, land laws
grazing and stock raising; under mineral
resources will come ores, mineral fuels and
related minerals.
Experts on Each Topic.
Ia H.,
discuss these several topics have not vet
been announced, they are known to be
recognized experts on the subjects. which
have been assigned to them. For instance
II is generally understood that James 7
Hill. the great railroad builder, will discuss
the relation between rail and water trans
portation. Mr. Hill is not on authority on
this subject, but has shown his deem in
terest in the subject OF water TRANSPORTATION
In all his recent utterances on the subject
! The great features of the conference
however will be the open discussion among
the various governors of the points brought
out by the papers presented These papers
VIII be brief and then the subject win he
open for discussion among all the eovern-
ors with view of getting concensus NJ
opinion OF the whole United States on the
particular subject in hand The interrela-
ton OF the various industries as to produc.
ton, manufacturing commerce. transnorts-
ton generally, win be prominently bro,,g;t
out. The general question OF .naiionags DO
ve'opment will come in for discussion AZ all
or the sessions. The unity OF American in.
terests will be prominent note
Waterways Commission Statistics.
1t is expected the vast amount OF statis-
ties and other material which the Inland
waterways commission has collected and
arranged within the last year. and which is
10 appear for the first time in the appendix
| TO the preliminary report which has not
yet been printed owing to its great volume.
VIII supply a mass OF accurate data hear
| ing immediately on the various TOPICS in
| cluded In the program. The subjects OF
ran and water transportation will have a
prominent part in the discussion. Indeed
1t is expected the conference will open its
4 Program with this subject matter of no
less Importance than navigation will be,
that of the development of the use of water
power including not only the power of the
larger streams. but the local use of small
streams, and the extension and deyelon-
ment Of electric transmission.
The close relation between the improve-
nent of the country's inland waterways
and the conservation of all its naturally
sources will pc the keynote of the confer
enee In first creating the Inland Water
ways commission, President Roosevelt d.
rected that the commission shall consider
the relations OF the streams to the use of
all great permanent natural resources and
their conservation for the making and
maintenance of prosperous homes" with
thls phase OF its assigned work in mind,
aiter the commission had proceeded pretty
Wen with its Investigations it suggested
on It's trip down the Mississippi river with
the president last October the desirabHity
LOT holding conference on the natural re-
sources Of the nation.
President Laments Exhnustiou.
In outlining to the president reasons for
the conference the commission said.
Hitherto our national policy has been
one OF almost Unrestricted disposal of natu-
raj resources, and this in more lavish meas
ure than IN any other nation In the world
hlstoryi and this policy of the federal gov
eminent has been shared in by the con-
stituent states. Three consequences have
ensued; First, unprecedented consumption
of natural resources; second, exhaustion
of these resources, to the extent that a
large part OF our available public lands
have passed into great estates or corporate
interests, our forests are so far depIeted
as to multiply the cost of forest products
and our supplies Of coal and iron ore are
50 far reduced as to enhance prices; and
third, unequal opportunity. for private
monopoly, TO the extent that both the fed
eral and state soverelgntes have been
compelled to enact laws for the protection
OF the people.
We are Of the opinion that the time has
come for considering the policy OF con-
serving these material resources on which
the permanent prosperity OF our country