Gilpin observer., 1909-01-28

neglecting for time. II need be. smaller
and less vital questions shall concentrate
an effective part of our attention upon
the great material foundations of ma
uonal existence, progress. and prosperity.
THE first of all considerations is the
permanent welfare of our people: and
true moral welfare, the highest form of
welfare, can not permanently exist save
on a firm and lasting foundation OF mate
rial well-being. In this respect our stu
alton is far from satisfactory. After
every possible allowance has been made
and when every hopeful indication has
been given its full weight. the facts still
give reason for grave concern. 1t would
be unworthy of our history and our in
telligence. and disastrous to our future
to shut our eyes to these facts or at
tempt to laugh them out of court The
people should and will rightly demand
that the great fundamental questions
shall be given attention by their rep
resentatives. do not advise hasty or ILL
considered action on disputed points but
I do urge, where the facts are known
where the public interest is clear, that
neither indifference and inertia. nor ad-
verse private interests, shall be allowed
to stand in the way OF the public good.
The great basic facts are already well
known. We know that our population is
now adding about ne-fifth to its numbers
in ten years. and that by the middle of
the present century perhaps l5O 1000 900
Americans. and by its end very many
millions more, must be fed and clothed
from the products OF our soil.
I'VE know now that our rivers can and
should be made to serve our people ef-
fectively In transportation. but that the
vast expenditures for our waterways
have not resulted In maintaining, much
less in promoting. inland navigation.
Therefore, let us take immediate steps to
ascertain the reasons and to prepare and
adopt a comprehensive plan for inland
waterway navigation that will result in
giving the people the benefits for which
they have paid but which they have not
yet received. We know now that our for
ests are fast disappearing. that less than
one-fifth of them are being conserved.
and that no good purpose can be met by
falling to provide the relatively small
sums needed for the protection. use and
Improvement of all forests still owned by
the government. and to enact laws to
check the wasteful destruction of the for
ests In private hands.
I'VE know now 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 $500 100000 year. Therefore
let us undertake without delay the in
vestigations necessary before our people
will he in position. through state action
or otherwise. to put an 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
This administration has achieved
some things: II has sought but has
not been able. to achieve. Others; 1t
has doubtless made mistakes: but all
It has done or attempted has been In
the single. consistent effort to Sc
cure and enlarge the rights and oppor-
tunities OF the men and women of the
United States. We are trying to con-
serve what Is good In our social sys-
TEN. and we are striving toward this
end when we endeavor to do away with
what is bad. Success may be made too
hard for some IL II Is made too easy
for others. The rewards OF common
industry and thrift may be too small
II the rewards for others. and on the
whole less valuable. qualities. are
made too large. and esncclally IL the
rewards for qualities which are really,
from the public standpoint, undesir-
able. are permitted to become too
large. Our aim In so far as possible
to provide such conditions that there
shall be equality of opportunity where
there is equality Of energy. fidelity and
latslligence; when there IL u reasop-