The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-23

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purpose can be met by failing to pro
vide the relatively small sums needle,
for the protection, use and improve
ment of all forests still owned by tn,
government, and to enact laws to pre-
vent the wasteful destruction of tn,
forests in private hands. There ar,
differences of opinion as to the man,
public questions; but the American
| people stand nearly as a unit fo
waterway development and for fores
protection.
| We know nov that our mineral re
sources once exhausted are gone for.
ever, and that the needless waste OF
them costs us hundreds Of human
lives and nearly 5000. .000, 900 a year
| Therefore let us undertake without de.
lay the Investigations necessary be-
| fore our people will be in position
| through state action or otherwise, tC
put and end to this huge loss and
waste, and conserve both our mineral
resources and the lives of the men
who take them from the earth.
A Great Step.
W
edgement to the men, both in and out
of the government service, who have
prepared the first inventory of our
natural resources. They have made
it possible for this nation to take a
great step forward. The work is
helping us to see that the greatest
questions before us are not partisan
questions, but questions upon which
men of all parties and all shades of
opinion may be united for the COM
mon good. Among such questions. on
the material side, the conservation of
natural resources stands first. 1t is
the bottom round of the ladder on our
upward progress toward a condition
in which the nation as whole, and
it's citizens as individuals, will set ma
tional efficiency and the public well
fare before personal profit
The policy of conservation Is per-
haps the most typical example of the
general policies which this govern
ment has made peculiarly it's own
during the opening years of the pres
ent century. The function of our gov-
ernment Is to insure to all it's citizens,
now and hereafter, their rights to
liberty. life, and the pursuit of hap
piness. If we of this generation de-
stroy the resources from which our
children would otherwise derive their
livelihood, we reduce the capacity Of
our land to support a population, and
so either degrade the standard of liv-
ing or deprive the coming generations
of their right to life on this continent
If we allow great industrial organiza-
tions to exercise unreguiated control
of the means of production and the
necessaries of life, we deprive the
Americans of today and of the future
of industrial liberty, a right no less
precious and vital than political free
dom. Industrial liberty was a fruit
of political liberty, and in turn has
become one Of its chief supports, and
exactly as we stand for political de-
mocracy so we must stand for indus
trial democracy.
Fundame ntaI Rights.
The rights to life and liberty are
fundamental, and like other funda-
mental necessities, when once ac-
quired, they are little dwelt upon.
The right to the pursuit of happiness
is the right whose presence or alb
sence is most likely to be felt in daily
life. In whatever it has accomplished
or failed to accomplish, the adminis-
tration which is just drawing to a
close has at least seen clearly the fun
damental need of freedom of oppor.
tunity for every citizen. We have
realized that the right of every man
to live his own life, provide for his
family and endeavor, according to his
abilities, to secure for himself and for
them fair share Of the good things
of existence, should be subject to one
limitation and to no other. The free
dom of the individual should be limi-
ted only by the present and future
rights, interests and needs of the other
individuals who make up the COM
We should do all in our
power to develop and protect individ-
ual liberty, individual initiative, but
subject always to the need Of preserv-
ing and promoting the general good.
When necessary, the private right
must yield, under the due process Of
law and with proper compensation,
to the welfare of the comm onw ealth
The man who serves the community
greatly should be greatly rewarded by
the community rs thers is great in
of service so there must be
great inequality of reward; but no
man and no set of men should be al
lowed to play the game OF competition
with loaded dice.
All this is simply good common
sense. The underlying principle of |
conservation has been described al the |
application of common sense to COM
non problems for the common good. |
If the description !s correct, then con- |
'ervation is the great fundamental |
oasis for national efficiency. In this |
stage of the worlds history to be fear
ess, to be just, and to be efficient are |
he three great requirements Of ma
ional life. National efficiency Is the |
'esult of natural resources well ham
lied, of freedom of opportunity for |
Every man. and of the Inherent capac-
ty trained ability, k.owle lye ard
Will. collectively ana individually 10
lse that opportunity.
Achieves Some Things.
This administration has achieved
some things; 1t has sought, but has
1ot been able, to achieve others; it
las doubtless made mistakes; but all |
t has done or attempted has been in
he single. consistent effort to secure
md enlarge the rights and OppOrtunf-