The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-15
TO ORGANIZE TO
PREVENT WASTE
STARTLING CRY OF WARNING OF
PRESENT DANGERS SOUNDED
TO GoVERNERS.
FUTURE LOOKS GLOOMY
For Country Unless Methods OF De-
velopment of Nations Resources
Are Changed-Addres BY
James j. Hill.

Washington, May 4.-Startling was
the warning sounded today at the
conference of governors at the Nhite
House, of the danger the ma ion
faces in soil waste and forest deple-
tion. The governors listened and talk
ed and applauded, but took no action.
This is left for tomorrow the last daf
of the conference. A supplementary
meeting of number of the govern
ore followed the days session ana
the eommitte consisting >of goVerno"
OF Kentucky, Missouri and Nebraska
appointed to bring in suggestion FOR
the permanent organization OF govern
ors. independent, perhaps, of any 9th
or organization which may be form
ed by the conference.
The president opened the morning
and afternoon sessions which We're
thereafter presided over by Governor
Johnson of Minnesota, and Deneen OF
Illinois, respectively
James ]. Hill, who led the long list
of speakers, treated the depletion Of
the nations resources in a very ser
ious and impressive way.
Soil waste and forest conservation
received expert treatment by Profess
or r. c. Chamberlain Of Chicago, and
X. A. Long of Kansas City. The after
noon program included an address on
irrigation by former Governor Pardee
of California; a paper on grazing and
stock raising. read for II. A. Jastro, of
California, who was taken i'll during
the day. and the general observations
on land conditions in the west by
former Senator Carey Of Wyoming.
Secretary Wilson met the hearty re-
sponse to a practical talk on Mis-
takes in Farming and the Remedies
What New York State Has and is
Dong for Her Forests was set forth
by ]. S. Whipple, forest, fish and
game commissioner of that state,
Other speakers We're Governor Fort,
OF New Jersey, and Glenn of North
Carolina.
Mr.. Hills Address.
Probably the. most important adj
dress of the day was that of James
j. Hill, who dwelt at length upon the
mineral resources of the country
showing to what extent they had been
developed aud offering statistics as
to their future which gave anything
but cheerful outlook under present
methods of treatment He concluded
4 hnf hn
farm were the most important of all
but these also were threatened be
cause of the gradual exhaustion OF
the soil under pcesent methods o.
cultivation. Said he:
have dwelt upon the conservation
commandig importance of this indus
try and because of its relation tC
our future Nearly sc per cent o.
our people are engaged directly il
agriculture. But all the rest depend
upon 1t. In the last analysis, com
merce. manufactures, our home mar
ket. every form of activity runs bach
to the bounty of the earth by which
every worker, skilled and unskilled
must Def de and by which his wages
are ultimately paid. The farm pro
ducts of the United States in 1906
were valued at $6,794, 100000 and il
1907 at $7.412,000.000. All of ou
vast domestic commerce, equal IL
value to the foreign trade of all the
nations combined, IS supported ant
paid for by the land. OF our farm
areas only one-halr IS improved. !
docs not produce one-ha'f of what i
could be made to yield; not by some
complex system of intensive culture
but merely by ordinary care and IN
drstry intelligently applied. 1t is tn
canital upon which a;one we can draw
through all the culture but the amoun
of the draft that will be honored de
pends upon the care and intelligence
given to its cultivation. Were an,
statesman to show VS. how 10 al
s7.000,000.0 900 annually to our foreigl
trade. 1t would be the sensation o
the hour The way to do this in arr
culture is open. Our share in the IN
crease would not be the percent7g
of profit allowed by successful tradini
brt the entire capital sum. On TN
other side stands the fact that tn
unappropriated area suitd to farr
purposes is almost gone. and that W
have been for the last century re
ducing the producing power of II
country. Nowhere in the range o
national purposes is the reward to
conservation of national resourc
so ample. Nowhere s the penalt
of neglect so threatening.
Population Increase.
BY the fixed rate Of increase in IN
past, we must eouR upon populi
ton of over 100000 Boo In the Unite
States in the var 1850. The annui
increase, from natural growth
about one and one-half per cent sac
year. Adding for immIgratioA onl
10000 year, whiclf is less tha