Putnam patriot., 1909-01-29

Declares actS Oohtafheo ih OoCo-
 rent Constitute an imperative Call
 to Action-"permanent Welfare of
 Our People Cannot Exist Save on .
 Firm Foundation of Material We'll
 esinqr-He Defends General Course
 Of His Administration.
 Washington. Jan. %. = President Roosevelt sent to congress today a message transmitting the report of the national conservation commission. He prefaces the report with his own com ment. stating in vigorous terms his conviction that immediate action is needed if the rightfu heritage of pos terify in natural resources is to be pre- served.
 The message says:
 Te the Senate and House of Repre-
 sentatives:
 I transmit herewith report of the national conservation commission, to- gether with the accompanying papers. This report, which is the outgrowth of the conference of governors last May. was unanimously approved by the recent joint conference held in this city between the national conserva ton commission and governors of states. state conservation commissions and conservation committees of great organizations of citizens. It is there fore in peculiar sense representative Of the whole nation and all its parts.
 With the statements and conclusions of this report I heartily concur, and commend it to the thoughtful considera- ton both of the congress and of our people generally. IL is one of the most Fundamentally important documents ever laid before the American people. It contains the first inventory of its natural resources ever made by any nation. Tn condensed form 1t presents a statement of our available capital in material resources, which are the means of progress. and calls attention te the essential conditions upon which the perpetuity, safety and welfare of this nation now rest and must always continue to rest. IL deserves and should have the widest possible distribution among the people.
 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, prog ress and prosperity.
 Immediate Action Needed.
 This first inventory of natural re sources prepared by the national con servation commission is undoubtedly hut the beginning of q series which will he indispensable for dealing intel- li.ently with what We have 1t sup plies as close an approximation to the actual facts as if was possible to pre- pare with the knowledge and time available The progress 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 that time many of our resources will be practically gone. 1t is not neces- sary that this inventory should be ex- act in every minute detail. It is essen tial that it should correctly describe the general situation and that the present inventory does. AS it stands it is an irrefutable proof that the con servation of our resources is the fun damental question before this nation and that our first and greatest task is to set our house in order and begin to live within our means
 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 firm and lasting foundation of material well being. In this re- spect our situation is far from satls- factory After every possible allow anee has been made and when every hopeful indication has been given its full weight the facts still give reason for grave concern. It would be un- worthy of our history and our intelli- ,rence and disastrous to our future to shut our eyes to these facts or attempt to laugh them out of court. The peo- pie should and will rightly demand that the greet fundamental questions shall be giveH attention by their repre- Sentatives do not advise nasty or fl considered action on disputed points. but do urge where the facts are known. where the public interest is clear. that neither indifference and inertia nor adverse private interests shall be allowed to stand in the way of the public good
 Our Responsibility For the Future. The great basic facts are already l weIl known. We know that our popu- Iation is now adding about one-1fth to l its numbers in ten years and that by 1 the nitsle of the present century per haps 15oDoo GOO Americans and by It's end very sslsny millions more must be fed and clothed from the products of our sail With the steady growth n tepn,as.0c and the sfi.i more rapid Tn trease in consumption our people will aereafter make greater and net less remanas fler earisa ua5n III the uatu- rsl resources fer their livelihood. com. ert and convenience. fl is high time realize that our responsibility to the omiag millions is like tAat of parents their children and that Tn wasting
 ag researees we are wranging our de
 eadants
 kSe know now thst our rivers can
 aa should be made i0 serve cur peo-
 e effectively ia transportation. but
 aat the vast expenditures for our wa erways have not resulted in maintain
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