The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-05-14
PRESIDENT
Tells WHY
THEY MEET
Nations Executive Head Makes
Strong Plea for Con-
servation Movement.
MEET IN THE EAST ROOM
Where An Extensive Program
Of Speech Making is
Well Carried Out,
MEET IN THE EAST ROOM

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 10
Perhaps one OF the most notable
gatherings that ever met to consider
great public question assembled at
the White House today. The most
distinguished figures in the political
and industrial life of the nation were
there.
The occasion was a conference by
President Roosevelt with the COVER
nors OF practically all the States and
! Territories, and captains of Industries
, and labor who were specially invited
guests, to consider the broad question
of the conservation OF the country's
natural resources. The conference
will continue through Friday
Long before IL o'clock when the
conference was called to order in the
famous east room by the President,
those who took part in the gatherir@
began to arrive. The conference was
opened by the President with an ad-
dress
The program of the day included
addresses by Andrew Carnegie, DIR.
!. c. White, Professor of Geology in
the Universityiof West Virginia; and
former President John Mitchell, of
the United Mine Workers of America,
led general discussion on coal
mines.
President Roosevelt sailed the con-
ference to order at IL o'clock. He
was Justify cheered when he entered
the room accompanied by Vice Presi-
dent Fairbanks.
After an Invocation the President,
without any preliminary ceremony.
began his address. He said in part:
Governors of the several States; and
Gentlemen:
welcome you to this conference at
the White House. You have come
4 hlther at my request so that we may
join together to consider the question
/ OF the conservation and use of the
great fundamental sources Of wealth
OF this Nation. So vital is this ques-
ton, that for the first time in our
history the chief executive officers of
the States separately. andMof the
States together forming the Nation,
have met to consider 1t.
This conference on the conserva-
ton of natural resources is in effect
meeting of the representatives of
all the people OF the United States
called to consider the weightiest prob
lem now before the Nation; and the
occasion for the meeting lies in the
TACT that the natural resources OF
our country are in danger of exhaus-
ton If We permit the old wasteful
methods of exploiting them longer to
continue
With the rise of peoples from saw
asery 10 civilization, and with the
consequent growth in the extent and
variety of the needs of the average
man, there comes a steadily increas-
ing growth of the amount demanded
by this average man from the actual
resources of the country. Yet, rath-
er cnriously, at the same time the
average man is apt to lose his real
Hation Of the dependence upon ma
ture.
Since the days when the Constitu-
ZION was adopted, steam and electric
ity have reyolutionized the industrial
world. Nowhere has the revolution
been 50 great as in our own country
lie discovery and utilization OF min
era fuels and alloys have given us
the lead over all other nations In the
production of steel. The discovery
and utilization of coal and iron have
given us our railways. and have led
70 such industrial development as
mas never before been seen. The
vast wealth of lumber in our forests,
me riches of our soils, and mihcs, the
discovery of gold and mineral oils,
combined with the efficiency of our
transportation, have made the con-
aitions OF our life unparalleled in
comfort and convenience.
The steadily Increasing drain on
IN n natural resources has promoted
NJ "a extraordinary degree the COM
: plexity of our Industrial and social
NE. Moreover, this unexampled de-
e-~---~