Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-05-06
GOVERNORS MEET
At. THE WHITEHOUSE
WILL GATHER THERE MAY 10
WITH OTHER NOT
ABLE MEN.
TO CONSULT ON THE GREAT
PROBLEMS AFFECTING Ma
TioNAL RESOURCES.

leenth day or next May, in the his
toric east room Of the white house,
President Roosevelt will call to order
the most distinguished assemblage of
Imen this country has ever seen at
one place, at one time. 1t will con
sist of the governors Of every state
in the Union, the Presidents cabinet,
the United States supreme court,
senators, representative in congress,
and as special guests. other of the
nations most noted men.
All these viii meet to consider the
question which the president has de-
clared to be the fundamental prob
lem" now before the nation-the con
servation Of the country's natural re-
sources.
State Executives Approve.
Assurance given out by those who
know OF the advance plans of the
great meeting are based on the fact
that practically Every governor in the
United States has accepted the presi-
dents invitation to the white house
In May Now the names Ct The three
citizens Of each state and territory
which the president has asked the
governors to bring with them are
rapidly coming in. They include
some Of the best known men of the
country, One is Judge George Gray
.of Delaware Others include promi-
net business men, lawyers, newspaper
men, and state officers.
Experts and Specialists Called.
It is strikingly evident that the
conference viii bring together not
only the nations most distinguished
men but a-so its foremost experts and
specialists on the several phases to
be discussed. Among these, under
the general head of water resources,
are rail and water transportation,
navigation and water power; under
land resources are: Soil, forests,
sanitation. reclamation, land laws,
grazing and stock raising; and under
mineral resources mineral fuels, ores
and related minerals
While the names of the men who
are TO discuss these separate topics
have not yet been announced, they
are known 10 be recognized experts
on the subjects which have been as
signed them For instance, it is
generally understood that James J.
Hill, the great railroad builder, will
discuss the relation between rail and
water transportation. Mr. Hill is
not only an authority on this subject,
but has shown his deep interest in
water transportation in all his recent
public utterances on the subject
Governors in Counsel.
The great features of the confer
ence however, viii be the open dis
cussion among the various governors
of the points brought out by the
papers presented. These papers will
be very brief and then the subject
will be open for discussion among all
the governors. with view to getting
a consensus of opinion of the whole
United states On the particular sub
ject in hand The INTERPOLATION of
the various industries as to produc-
tion. manufacturing, commetce, trans
portation generally, will be promi-
nently brought out.
1t is expected that the vast amount
of statistics and other material which
the inland waterways commission
has collected and arranged within
the last year will supply a mass of
accurate data bearing Immediately on.
the various topics included in the
program. The subjects of rail and
water transportation will take a
prominent part in the discussion. A
matter of no less importance than
navigation will be that of the develop
ment of the use of water power. in
Guiding not only of the large streams,
but the extension and development OF
electric transmission
Inland Waterways Improvement.
In first creating the inland water
ways commission, President Roose-
Welt directed that the commission
shall consider the relations of the
streams to the use of all the grea-
permanent natural resources. Wit
this phase in mind after the commits.
hion had proceeded pretty well with
its Investigations 1T suggested on lis
trip down the Mississippi river wit
the President last October, the de-
STABILITY OF holding a conference on
the natural resources of the nation. !
Roosevelt Outlines Conference.
In outlining to the president reas
sons for the conference the commits
sion said Hitherto our national pol
lev has been one Of almost unre-
strieted disposal Of natural resources.
resulting in first. unprecedented con
Of natural recources; sec
ond, exhaustion of these resources, to
the extent that a large part of our
available public lands have passed TO
corporate interests. our forests are so
far depleted as to multiply the cost
OF forest products. and our supplies
o. coal and iron ore are so far re
duced as 20 enhance prices; and
third. unequalled opport,sity for pri-
vate monopoly. TO the extent that
botn the federal and state sovereign,
ties hAve been compelled to enact
laws for the protection of the people.
we are OF opinion that the time