The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-01-28

The use Of the public grazing lands
should be regulated in such ways as
to improve and conserve their value.
Rights to the surface Of the public
land should be separated from rights
to forests upon 1t and to minerals be-
meath it, and these should be subject
to separate disposal.
The coal. oil, gas and phosphate
rights still remaining with the govern
ment should be withdrawn from entry
and leased under conditions favorable
for economic development
Minerals.
The accompanying reports show that
the consumption of nearly all of our
mineral products is increasing more
rapidly than our population. Our min
eral waste is about one-sixth of our
product, or nearly $1OOOOO0 for each
working day in the year The loss of
structural materials through fire is
about another million a day. The loss
of life in the mines Is appalling The
larger part of these losses of life aud
property can be avoided.
Our mineral resources are limited in
quantity and cannot be increased or
reproduced. with the rapidly increas-
ing rate Of consumption the supply will
be exhausted while yet the nation is in
its infancy unless better methods are
devised or substitutes are found. Fur
ther investigation Is urgently needed
in order to improve methods and to de
velop and aDDly substitutes
1t is Of the utmost Importance that a
bureau Of mines be established IN &C
cordance with the pending bill to re
duce the loss of life in mines and tho
: waste of mineral resources and to In
, vestigate the methods and substitutes
for prolonging the duration of our min
eral supplies. Both the need and tn,
public demand for such a bureau ar,
rapidly becoming more urgent i
t, should cooperate with the states II
supplying data to serve as basis 70
state mine regulations. The establish
ment Of this bureau will mean merel!
the transfer from other bureaus o
work which It is agreed should b.
transferred and slightly enlarged an,
reorganized for these purposes.
n Conclusions.
y The Joint conference already men
Q toned adopted two resolutions {
o which | call your special attention
4 The first was intended to promote &C
@ operation between the states and tn
}. nation upon all Of the great question
20 here discussed II Is as follows:
4 Resolved. That Joint committee I
appointed by the chairman. to consist
six members OF state conservation con
missions and three members OF the n;
" tional conservation commission, vino.
4. duty II shall be to prepare and present
y the state and national commissions an
7 through them TO the governors and {,
90 president n plan for united action by q
"A organizations concerned with the col
= servation of natural resources. ION M
s' ton OF Governor Noel OF Mississippi q
D. chairman and secretary Of the confereu
,r were added 70 and constituted n part
81 this committee)
n. The second resolution OF the loii
n. conference to which refer calls upC
- the congress 20 provide the means 4
"a such cooperation. The principle of q
community OF interest among all ol
,, people i'm the "rcat natural resource
u, runs through the report Of the nation
n conservation commission aud +hc Z"
>, Ceedlugs of ,iy Joiat conference Tho
resources. which form the common o.
= sis OF our welfare can be- wisely Grt.
~ oned, rightly used ana prudcn'ly c0
- served only 10y the common action
all the people. acting through their ra
resentatlves In state ANA nation: hen
the fundamta atal necessity FOR cooper
=, tlon. without It we shall accompll
:, but little, and that little badly. T'
=, resolution follows
- We also especially urge on the Con-lC
IL Of the United States the high desirabni
81 Of maintaining "A national commission
re the conservation Of the resources of I
4 country. empowered TO cooperate wi
' state commissions TO the end that eve
sovereign commonwealth and every g,
a tion OF the country may attain the hi
degree OF prosperity and the sureness
perpetuity naturally arising In the abu
" dant resources and the vigor inteligcn
u" and patriotism of our people.
h. In this recommendation | most heal
lie lily concur and | urge that an appr
US priation of at least $50OO0 be made
% cover the expenses of the national co
,r servation commission for necessa
q rent, assistance and travelling expense
70 This is very small sum. | know
70 no other way in which the appropri
ton of so small sum would resu
in so large benefit to the whole n
~ tion. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
OF The White House. Jan. %, 1909.
lX
=! =, =, IMVENTnRY nE