The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-23

gress the report of the national con
servation commission. The report wa
accompanied by special messag
from the president calling particula
attention to essential features of tn
document and urging such action a
may be advisable and necessary
conserve the resources of the country
The presidents message and the re
port follows p.
To the Senate and House of Represen
tatives:
l transmit herewith a report of tn
national conservation commission, to
gether with the accompanying papers
| This report, which is the outgroWtl
of the conference of governors las
| May, was unanimously approved b,
the recent joint conference held il
this city between the national conser
walton commission and governors o
| states, state conservation commits
| sions, and conservation committees O.
| great organizations of citizens. 1t Is
therefore, in peculiar sense repre-
| sentative of the whole nation and al
| its parts.
| With the statements and cOnClu.
sions of this report l heartily concur
| and l recommend it to the thoughtful
| consideration both of the congress anG
| of our people generally. 1t is one OF
| the most fundamentally importan,
documents ever laid before the Ameri-
| can people. 1t contains the first in
ventory of its natural resources ever
| made by any nation. In condensed
form 1t presents a statement of our
| available capital in material re-
sources, which are the means of prog
ress, and calls attention to the essen
tial conditions upon which the per-
petuity, safety and welfare of this
nation now rests and must always
continue to rest. 1t deserves, and
should have, the widest possible dis
tribution among the people.
Imperative Call.
The facts set forth in this report
constitute an imperative call to action.
The situation they disclose demands
that we, neglecting for time, if need
be, smaller and less vital questions,
shall concentrate an effective part of
our attention upon the great material
foundations Of national existence,
progress and prosperity.
This first inventory Of natural re-
sources prepared by the national con-
servation commission is undoubtedly
but the beginning of a series which
will be Indispensable for dealing in
telligently with what we have. 1t
supplies as close an approximation to
the actual facts as 1t was possible to
prepare with the knowledge and time
available. Thep rogrcss of our knoWl-
edge Of this country will continually
lead to more accurate information and
better use of the sources of national
strength. But we cannot defer action
until complete accuracy in the esti-
mates can be reached, because before
be practically gone. 1t Is not neces-
sary that this inventory should be ex-
act in every minute detail 1t is es-
sential that it should correctly de-
scribe the general situation; and that
the present inventory does. AS it
stands it is an irrefutable proof that
the conservation of our resources is
the fundamental question before this
nation, and that our first and greatest
task is to set our home in order and
begin to live within our means.
Permanent Welfare.
The first of all considerations is the
permanent welfare of our people; and
true moral welfare, the highest form
of welfare. cannot permanently exist
save on a firm and lasting foundation
of material we'll being. In this re-
spect our situation Is far from salts
factory. After every possible allow
ance 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 un-
worthy of our history and our intelli-
gence, 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 rightfully
questions shall be given attention by
their representatives. do not advise
hasty or ill-considered action on dis
puted points, but do urge, where the
facts are known, where the public in
terest is clear. that neither indiffer-
ence and inertia, nor adverse 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 popu-
lation Is now adding about one-fifth
to its numbers in 10 years, and that
by the middle Of the present century
perhaps 150,000.0O Americans, and by
it's end very many millions more, must
be fed and clothed from the products
of our soil. With the steady growth
in population and the still more rapid
increase in consumption our people
will hereafter make greater and not
less demands per capita upon all the
natural resources for their livelihood,
comfort and convenience. 1t Is high
time to realize that our responsibility
to the coming millions is like that of
parents to their children, and that in
wasting our resources we are wrong
ing our descendants.
Serve the People.
We know now that our rivers can
and should be made to serve our peo-
Pile effectively in transportation, but
that the vast expenditures for our
have not resulted in main
much less in promoting, in
and navigation. Therefore, let us
take immediate steps to ascertain the
reasons and to prepare and adopt a
plan for inland water