The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-24
Special TO The Tribune.

Special 70 inc Tribune.
WASHINGTON, May 23,-Invento-
ries of the natural resources of every
state and territory are proposed In
plan lust announced by the joint com,
mittee on conservation IN this city All
of the forty.eight big national organl-
cations now working with the Jolnt
committee, through their conservation
committees are to be asked to help,
! each in its own special field.
The plan contemplates the practical
application by the states and national
organizations of the conservation
principles declared by the governors and
presidents of the great national organi-
cations in their notable conference at
the White House year ago. Letters
explaining the plan have been sent out
to the chairmcu OF the official conscr-
walton commissions which the governors
of thirty eight states have appointed,
and letters to the national organizations
will follow, The list of conservation
commissions is constantly growing and
the plan is expected soon TO he In opera
tlon in practically every state. Some
of the national organizations co.operat-
ing with the joint committee are the
National Board of Trade, the National
Association of Manufacturers, the
American Federation of Labor, the Ma
tional Council of Commerce, the big
lumber organizations and others repre-
senting all the great national resources
of the country.
Plan Carefully Prepared,
The plan for cooperation by the
states and national organizations was
proposed by the governors and the rep.
resentatives Of national organizations
themselves Details have been worked
out by the Joint committee on conserVa-
ton, which they established at their
second conference in this city last De
cember. Meeting with the governors in
that conference were state conservation
commissions, conservation committees
and representatives Of national organ
izations and the national conservation
commission. Both President Roosevelt
and the Presdent-elect Taft took part.
The Joint committee has been at work
ou this plan since March, when it took
mp the work Of the national conserva-
tioD commission, which was prohibited
from continuing its work under the
government by the Tawney amendment
to the sundry civil act On account of
the varied natural resources, much diff.
Guilty was met IN devising II plan which
would serve every state equally well.
The result was general plan applying
to The whole country, rather than to
any state Or section or to any one class
of resources. The Joint committee sug
gcsts early meetings of the state con-
servatlon commissions TO take up, first
the most pressing conservation prob
lens In the respective states. For in
stance, In Louisiana it is the terrific
waste of natural gas which the state
conservation commission is already try
ing TO stop. In Oregon pressing ques-
ton has been water power, which is
| also leading issue Just now in Michi-
gun and Wisconsin, In many states it
is the forest question, The question of
the conservation of water power takes
a front rank in a great many states, and
1T is becoming more and more of gem
cral issue.
Outline Of the Work.
In suggesting inventories of state re.
sources, the plan calls for definite state
ments as to "what we have, where it is,
what we use and waste, and what we
need to do The join committee sug-
gcsts to the state commissions that the
natural resources be classcd, so far as
practicable, under five general heads:
% Water resources; (2) forest re-
sources; (3) land resources. and (4) min
cral resources, and considered in rela-
iion to (5) public health The state
ment of conditions as 10 state resources
are. to comprise not only natural and
commercial relations, such AS quantity.
distribution. rate of production, cost
and profit of operation, transportation
and the estimated duration of supply of
those resources but also legal relations
with regard to them, with the text of
relevant laws.
The state commissions are called upon
not only for n statement of local needs
to cover current industrial and economic
relations, but also for specific sugges.