The Detroit times., 1909-01-22
CHECK WASTE OF
RESOURCES, SAYS
ROOSEVELT
OWNERSHIP OF FOREST LAND is
PUBLIC TRUST AND GOVERN.
MeNT SHOULD DEVELOP 1T AND
IMPROVE WATERWAYS.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 22.-President
I Roosevelt today transmitted 10 con
gress the report Of the National Con
seryation commission He says the
conservation OF the natural resources
OF the country is OF vital Importance
The first OF all considerations Is the
permanent welfare of the American
people. Where the public interest IS
clear, neither Indifference and inertia,
nor adverse private interests should
be allowed to stand In the way or Inc
public good. I'VE know, he conun'
ues. that our population Is now auu'
| ing about one-ffth to It's numbers IN
I ten years; that by the middle OF ''o
present century perhaps one huhdreu
and fifty million Americans must %
fed and clothed from the products 81
our soil
we know that our rivers can ana
should be made 20 serve Nut 49,,
effectively in transportation, p1, 80
the vast expenditures Tor our 49, 49,,
WAYS have not resulted In ihIa'HIhH'
much less In promotine. MIAMI inmed.
late stops to ascertain the reasons Ahu
70 prepare and adopt coinprthchsiiNt
plan for inland waterwaN H"FlsAS.H,t
that will result IN giving the peop,Iss
4 the benefits for which they nave pau
hut which they have not received we
know that our forests are tast 1lsap
pSaring. that less than one,ht OF
them are being conserved ana mat no
good purpose can be met hy failins 10
provide the relatively small sums
needed for the protection, use ana lnh
provcment Of all forests stlll owned
by the government. and 10 enact laws
10 check the wasteful destruction OF
the forests In private hands;
we know now that our mineral re-
sources once exhausted are gone Tor
ever, and that the needless waste or
them costs us hundreds or human llNts
/ and nearly $500. 900 600 a year. There
/ fore. let us undertake without delay
the Investigations necessary before
our people Will be IN position. through
state action or otherwise; 10 put an
end TO this huge loss and waste. ana
conserve both our mineral resources
and the lives OF the men who take
them from the earth.
\ fundamental, and like other funda-
mental necessities. when once acquired,
! they are little dwelt upon. The right
/ to the pursuit OF happiness is the riSht
! whose presence or absence Is most
I likely 10 be felt In daily life In what
/ ever II has accomplished or failed 70
accomplish. the administrator which
\ Is just drawing TO close has at isas,
/ seen clearly the fundamental need or
freedom OF opportunity Tor every Cltl-
zen. We have realized that the right
OF every man TO live his own life. pro-
I vide for his family. and cndeavor. ac-
cordng TO hts abilities, 10 secure Tor
/ himself and FOR them a fair share or
the good Things of existence, should
be subject to one limitation and TO no
! other The freedom OF the individual
should be limited only by the present
and future rights. interests. and needs
OF the other individuals who make
up the community
Point. TO Features.
THE National Conservation commits
/ 10. Hf.a =
/ statement OF facts and principles, leav-
I ing the executive 10 recommend the
specific steps TO which these facts ana
principles Inevitably lead. According
/ ~, I call your attention 10 some OF the
! larger features OF the situation dls-
closed. by the report. and 10 the action
( thereby clearly demanded for the gen
eral good
I been recognized and demanded by
the people. through many thoue
sand delegates from all states as
sembled I'm convention In different
sections OF the country mat the
waterways should and must be
Improved promptly and effectively
as means OF maintainins nation
al prosperity
The first requisite for waterway
Improvement is the control OF the
waters Ia such manner as 10 reduce
floods and regulate the regimen or
the navigable rivers. Ihs second
requisite Is development OF termin-
ais and connections TN such mar
ner as 10 regulate commerce
Accordingly. | urge that the broad
plan for the development OF our water
ways recommended by the Inland
Waterways Commission be put In 81
feet without delay. II provides Tor
comprehensive system OF waterway
Improvement extending TO all the uses
OF the waters and benefits TO be de-
rived from their control, Including
navigation. the DEVELOPMENT OF power
the extension OF irrigation, the drain
age OF swamp and overflow lands. the
prevention OF soil wash, and the purl-
fication OF streams for water supply
II proposes 10 carry out the work by
coordinating agencies In the federal
departments through the medium or
an administrative commission or
board. acting I'm cooperation with the
states and other organizations and In =
dividual citizens.
Il urge that provision be made for
both protection and more rapid deVel-
opment OF the national forests. other
wise. either the increasing use OF
these forests by the people must be
checked or their protection against
fire must be dangerously weakened.
II we compare the actual fire damage
on similar areas on private ana ma.
year. the government fire patrol saved
commercial timber worth as much as
the total cost OF caring for all national
forests at the present rate for about
Il especially commend TO the con-
gress the facts presented by the com
mission To the ftlhllon bttNttIl ipI
ests and stream flow ia It's bearing
upon the Importance OF the forest
lands ia national ownership. Without
an understanding Of this intimate re-
'lation the conservation OF both these
natural resources must largely fall
- Public Trust.
THE time has fully arrived for rec
oguizing "a the law the responsibility
TO the community. the state. and the
nation which rests upon the private
owners OF private lands. The owner
slim OF forest land Is "A puolic trust
The man wlro would so handle his
forest as 10 cause erosion aud TO in
jure stream iiow must be not only edu-
Gated but 10 must be controlled