Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-12
lo1sEsrs. FLOODS. HOMES.

& ~ u s+'
'','o save the forests. To store the
loods, to reclaim the deserts, and to.
n MAKE homes in the land these are
slle objects, according tn GOV. Sply's5
;o,lcisc statement. of the seventeenth
" Satipnal Irrigation congress, TO be held,
Z olstlne, WASH. August o to Il, 1909.
;rhesasare aims worthy8of statesmen.
of unusual caliber. Such objects are
Mholly beneficial Altogether liiiparti-,
m, The waved purposes of the Irri-:
5sssst am Congress should appeal TO the
sS,atl.iotisni Of every citlzsn
II may be true, as some have claimetl,
Sg hat the patriotism Of the average man
u consists In a Willingness to defend his
.ountry against foreign aggression; but
,lie most useful type Of patriotic en-
s lcayorl is that by means of which a
man improves the country hero at
lonie.
s5 AS a nation we arc in no danger of
Il ioreign conquest and subjugation;
4 America can defend herself IL defense
Z ,yer becomes necessary; and no enemy
N ,,ss.om without is 81 likIy ever to- assail
shls country with any probability Of
sESJuccess as long as the vast resources OF
this q land 4 are IN being put TO q proper7
= 1se s., 5s ~,
1t Is our own wastetul and extrava-
3 rant tendencies that are. to be feared
Ind guarded against; and the destruG-.
ion Sof; the national resources is the
;encies.
Probably no other people ever pos
Jessed such resources as have been
7 given, by a divine providence, to the
American people; and perhaps no other
! people ever used their resources more
s2Sastefully or less thoughtfully than
rave the people Of the great Republic.
The effects of waste, of extravaganza.
i Of fwanton destruction of the national
resources, are now making themselves
telt. The problem of making q living
N this rich country is rapidly becoming
more serious. The era of plenty must
soon come to an end If the present.
pace of destruction Of natures gifts
IS not radically modified.
Gov. spry's statement that the
4 wanton waste OF natures most seper-
pus gifts is being noted the country
orer with regret and condemnation;
Ina that IAN effort toward the check
ing of this waste is being put forth in
he national conservation of resources
nlovement--a remedial campaign along
scientific lines for the preservation OF
,ur forests and the reclamation OF our.
lands, is u very moderate character
cation of the present problem that
:onfronts the nation.
Regret 5and condemnation represent
merely negative IDEAS while strong.
positive and long continued action will
be essential IL 1t IS really proposed that
future America shall maintain her pres
ent standing among the nations. And
The people IRE not ready TO take any
such action.
'tconservationl is still mainly a mat
.er of words. The people are not
aroused; they have not been educated
/ to perceive the value of the resources
noW so rapidly disappearing, The
4 schools have not trained up genera
lion that admires even the forest trees.
The average adult scarcely knows tho
names Of the shade trees along his
sidewalk; and many lots and city
blocks are actually destitute of trees
i iesrite the vigorous efforts Of educa-
tioonal leaders. IS
Public education continues to consis
4 largely of words, syliables, dates. fig,
# ares. and fables, Despite the activity OF
,efor1n movements. public politics con
sist principally Of n scramble for OF.
2 ice Few3of the elective officers know
inything about the conservation OF .