The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-17
Welfare of the United States
Demands That the People of
This Generation Conserve
Nations Natural Resources.
ADDRESS BY FORMER
SECRETARY OF INTERIOR
James R. Garfield Calls Atten-
ton to the Urgent Need of
Legislation in Order to Safe
guard the Rights of Public
LEASE SYSTEM ADVOCATED

Cincinnati, Nov. 16.-In an address
tonight before the joint convention of
the National Municipal league and the
American Civic association. James r.
Garfield, former secretary of the in
terror, said:
The permanent welfare Of our nation
cannot be assured unless we. in this
generation, provide for the couservs-
ton OF our natural resources. Hitherto
We have been needlessly wastefuI. We
nave been too much occupied with the
present; too little with the future. The
inventory of our resources shows the
immediate danger of their depletion or
exhaustion.
Conservation Is pre-eminentIy a
movement for the public welfare Fx-
actly as the railroads are regulated be-
cause they are public utilities. so must
interests that develop natural resources
be regulated because they deal with
public interests. Unfair men or mo-
nopolization of either is intolerable.
In Alaska the coal area of a million
acres has been withheld from entry.
pending investigation. Laws providing
Tor the disposition of the coal lands are
not what they should be.
More Legislation Needed.
Some improvements have beer. made
in recent years, but the rights of the
public are not safeguarded. None of
these lands should be disposed of until
legislation is enacted which will pro-
vide method by which the coal can
be developed as it is needed until such
regulations as will prevent speculative
or monopolistic holdings by a few great
interests and will yield to the nation
fair monetary return. Under a leasing
system all these conditions can be readi-
ly improved.
Congress has wisely provided for the
great irrigation projects that have been
started, but there is immediate need Of
legislation to control the use and devel-
opment of water power TO the end that.
6 with otslsa resosssees. the public NAV.
under system of franchise or lease,
protect its own great interests and OBJ
tain just compensation.
People Demand Action.
The great progress that has been
made through the recent years viii not
be stopped. The people of our country
will not tolerate any backward steps
They demand, and viii see to it that
their demand is needed. that the great
policy of conservation shall be one in
the interests of public welfare
The spread of the municipal commits
sion form Of government has been rapfd.
according to an address by Clinton Rog-
ers Woodruff, secretary Of the National
Municipal league, at the convention of
that organization here today.
After years and years OF fioundering
between scandalous subserviency to cor
porations on the one hand he said.
and ignorant or vicious or dishonest
attacks upon them on the other, the
progressive communities of the country
have recently been coming to the in
evitable conclusion that TO get this bust
ness of the people attended to promptly
and satisfactorily it is necessary to en-
trust it to small and welI-paid commits
sions, composed of competent men.
charged with due power and RESPONSE
bility."