Bisbee daily review., 1908-05-02


 o'clock on the morning of the 18th day of this month. in the historic East Room of the White House, der the most distinguished assemb- lage of men this country has ever seen at one place, at one time. It will be the governors of every state in the Union, the Presidents cabi- net, the United States supreme court, senators, representatives in congress. and as special guests, osn- CTS of the natioLss most noted men.
 All these will meet to consider the question which the president has de- clared to be "the Fundamental prob lem" now before the nation-the conservation of the country's ua- tural resources.
 Assurances given out by those who know of the advance plans of the great meeting are based on the fact that practically every governU rn the United States has now accepted the presidents invitation to meet with him in the White House in May. Now the names of the three citizens of each state anu ter ritory which the president has ask ed the governor to bring with him 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 nent business men, lawyers, mo~-' paper men, and state officers.
 It is strikingly evident that the conference will bring together not ic4i nrttic had men. but also it's 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 to be recognized experts on the subjects which have been assigned them. For instance, it is generally understood that James J. Hill, the great railroad builder, will discuss the relation between rail and water transportation. Mir. Hill is not only an authority on this sub feet. but has shown his deepSlnLer- est in the subject of water transpOr- tation in all his recent pubic utter alces on the subject.
 The great features of the confer ence, however, will be the open dis cussion among the various gover- nors of the points brought out Ut the papers presented. These papers will be very brief and then the sub iect will be open for discussion among all the governors, with view to getting a consensus of opinion q the whole United States on the particular subject i'll hand. The Iu- terrelation of the various industries as to production, manufacturI1s, commerce, transportation generally. will be prominently brought out. The general question of national de veIopment will come Fl 'or discus sion at all of the sessions. The unity of American interests will be a prom, inent note.
 It is expected that the vast amount of statistics and other material
 
 mission has collected and arranged within the last year and which is to appear for the first time in the ap- pendix to the preliminary report which has not yet been printed ow- ing to it's great volume, will supply mass of accurate data bearing Immediately on the various topics included in the program. The sub jects of rail and water transpOrta- tion will take a very prominent part in the discussion. Indeed it is eX- pected that the conference will open its program with this subject. A matter of no less importance than navigation will be that oE the deyel- opment of the use of water power, in- cluding not only of the large streams but the local use of small streams, and the extension and development of electric transmission.
 The close relation between the improvement of the country's inland waterways and the conservation of all it's natural resources will be the keynote of the conference. In first creating the Inland Waterways Com mission, President Roosevelt direct ed that the Commission shall con- slider the relations of the streams to the use of all the great permanent natural resources and their conserya- tion for the making and maintenance or prosperous homes" With thIs phase of its assigned work in 4urun after the commission had proceeded pretty well with its investigations, it suggested on it's trip down the Mississippi river with the president last October, the desirability of hold, ing a conference on the natural re- sources of the nation.
 In outlining to- the president reasons for the conference the com mission said: Hitherto our na, tionaI policy has been one of at most unrestricted disposal of natur- al resources, and this in more laV ish measures than in any other nation in the worlds history; and | this policy of the federal govern ment has been shared in by the con stituent states.