The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-17
THE GOVERNORS CONFERENCE.

THE GOVERNORS CONFERENCE.
 The plans, as adopted, for the first New England conservation conference are frought with interest At the pre- liminary meeting of five of the six New England governors Governor Cobb, of Maine. being unable to att tend because of the election in his state that day) 1t was decided 10 hold the conference shortly after the presi- dential election. That was wise de- termination since, with the many sided political controversies In the air It could not be hoped to obtain repre- sentative attendance or to accomplish many worthwhile results.
 Those who will be invited to attend the conference will be- besides the six governors of New England, the lieuten- ant-governors, the attorney generals, the presidents of the state senates and the speakers of the state houses, all New England members of congress, whether of the senate or the house of representatives, and prominent citi- zens, representing various walks of life. in the ratio of two to every mem- Der of congress to which each state Is entitled. A statement has been Issued outlining the plans which says: Tt is particularly hoped that greater uni- formity of state legislation can be ar- rived at, and that movement may be inaugurated not merely for the con- servation of New England resources, but for the development of New Eng land education, agriculture and indus try"
 Governor Guild has done well in impressing one fact upon those who attended the preliminary meeting and it seems certain that his opinion will be unanimous with the conference. Governor Guild said he had been con- sistently opposed to any suggestion hat a national house of governors grow out Of the recent governors con ference in Washington He said he believed 1t an idea to be encouraged. Similarly he did not hope to see New England house of governors or any thing resembling one If we would not founder on the rock on which so. many movements of this kind have split" he said, the limitations of the deliberations of such an organization should be clearly understood at the outset" Undoubtedly Governor Guild must realize however, that, powerless as such conferences of governors and of other influential men must be un- der the law, still their influence and their possibilities in actuality can be made almost limtess. possibly more powerful than any legislative body with legal status as a part of our government, if the right sort of deib- erations is forthcoming.
 It may be hoped that such confer ! ences as that to be held soon after election day at the call of the gov ernor of Massachusetts, will become fixtures of great potency in the scheme of New England affairs. While they should by nature be conservative. they can undoubtedly accomplish more for the mere fact Of being so. Nor should the sectional aspirations of New England be allowed to complete ly overshadow every national need and every national development. National prosperity, in so far as 1t can be effected by sectional action, should be made with the main issue. After that New England may be the next concern of those who meet. Nothing better for the development and con- servation of resources as a nation could come than the establishment of a number of such sectional confer ences all over the country, working In harmony and cooperating with per manent national resources conference such as that called together by Presi- dent Roosevelt early this summer