Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-13
NOVEL CONFERENCE
ON AT WHITE HOUSE
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"Now all this is changed. On the
average the son of the farmer OF TO-
day must make his living on his faith
er's farm There is no difficulty IN
doing this if the father will exercise
wisdom No wise use of farm ex-
hausts its fertility. SO with the for
ests. We are over the verge OF
timber famine in this country, and IT
is objectionable for the nation or the
states to permit any further cutting OF
our timber save in accordance with
system which will provide that the next
generation shall see the timber In
creased instead of diminished. More
over, we can add enormous tracts or
the most valuable possible agricultural
land to the national domain by irriga-
.tion in the arid and semiar1d regions
and by drainage Of great tracts OF
swamp land in the humid regions. we
can enormously increase our transpor-
tation facilities by the canaliZatlon OF
our rivers so as to complete a great
system Of waterways on the Pacihc'
Atlantic and Gulf coasts and in the
Mississippi Valley. from the great
plains to the Alleghenies and from the
northern lakes to the mouth Of the
mighty Father of Waters. But all
these various uses of our natural re-
sources are so closely connected that
they should be coordinated, and should
he treated as part of one coherent plan
and not in haphazard and piecemeal
fashion.
Waterways Commission.
ut is largely because of this that
appointed the waterways commission
last year and that I have sought TO
perpetuate it's work. l wish to take
this opportunity to express IN heartlest
fashion my Acknowledgement to all
the members of the commission. Al
great personal sacrifice of time and Ell
fort they have rendered a service TO
the publi, for which we can not be too
grateful. Especial credit is due to the
initiative, the energy, the devotion 10
duty and the farsightedness of Clifford
Pinchot. to whom we owe so much OF
the progress we have already made IN
handling this matter of the coordina-
ton and conservation Of natural re-
sources If it had not been for him
this convention neither would nor could
have been called.
eve are coming to recognize as new
er before the right of the nation to
guard its own future in the essential
matter of natural resources. In the past
we have admitted the right of the in
dividual to njure the future OF the re-
public for his own present profit The
time has come for change. As
people we have tn right and the duty,
second to none other but the right and
duty Of obeying the moral law, of re-
quiring and doing justice, to protect
ourselves and our children against the
wasteful development of our natural
resources whether that waste is
caused by the actual destruction OF
such resources or by making them inn
possible of development hereafter.
Heritage for Our Sons.
"Any right thinking father earnestly
desires and strives to leave his son
both an untarnished name and rea-
sonable equipment for the struggle Of
life. So this nation as whole should
earnestly desire and strive to leave to
the next generation the national honor
unstained and the national resources
unexhausted. There are signs that
both the nation and the states are
waking to realization of this great
truth. On March 10. 1908, the supreme
court of Maine rendered an exceeding
ly important judicial decision. This
opinion was rendered in response to
questions as to the right of the legis-
lature to restrict the cutting of trees
on private land for the prevention of
droughts and floods, the preservation OF
vention of the erosion of such lands,
and the consequent filling up of rivers,
ponds and lakes. The forests and wa
ter power of Maine constitute the
larger part of her wealth and form the
basis for her industrial life. and the
question submitted by the Maine sem
ate to the supreme court and the an
swer of the supreme court alike bear
testimony to the wisdom of the peo-
pie of Maine, and clearly define a pol
icy of conservation Of natural re-
sources, the adoption Of which is of
vital Importance not merely to Maine
but to the whole country.
"Such a policy will preserve soil, for
ests. water power as a heritage for the
children and the children's children OF
the men and women of this generation;
for any enactment that provides for
the wise utilization of the forests,
whether in public or private ownership.
and for the conservation of the water
resources of the country, must neces-
sarily be legislation that will promote
both private and public welfare; for
flood prevention. water power develop
ment, preservation of the soil. and i'm
provement of navigable rivers are all
promoted by such a policy of forest
conservation
Nation Vet to Awake.
'Finally. let us remember that the
conservation of our natural resources.
tho the gravest problem of today, Is
yet but part of another and greater
problem to which this nation is not yet
awake, but to which 1t will awake in
time. and with which it must here
after grappl,. If it is TO liye-the prob
lem OF national efficiency, the patriotic
dirty of insuring the safety and contin-
uance of the nation. When the peo-
pie of the United States consciously
undertake to raise themselves as citi-
zens. and the nation and the states in
their several spheres. to the highest
pitch of excellence IN private. state,
and national life. and to do this be-