The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-23

! port of the national conservation COM
mission, together with the accompany
ing papers This report wdh is the
Outgrowrh of the conferences 0f Cover
nors last May, was unanimously APP
proved by the recent joint conference
held in this city between the national
conservation commission and governors
Of states, state conservation commls-
sions and conservation committees OF
great organizations of citizens II Is
therefore, in a peculiar sense repre-
sentative Of the whole nation and all
its parts.
of this report / heartily concur, and /
commend ii 10 the thoughtful consld-
GRAFTON both OF the congress and OF our
people generally. 1t Is one OF the most
ever laid before the American people.
1t contains the first inventory of its
natural resources ever made by any
nation.
The facts set forth in this report con-
stitute an Imperative call 10 action
The situation they disclose demands
be- smaller and less vital questions,
shall concentrate an effective part or
our attention upon the great material
foundations OF national existence, prog
This iirst inventory OF natural re-
! sources prepared by the national con-
servation commission is undoupted.liy
I but the beginning of a series which VIII
be indispensable for dealing tntelii-
gently with what we have. 1t sup
plies as close an approximation TO the
/ actual facts as it WAS possible TO pre-
pare with the knowledge and time
I available.
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 material Wellbeing. In this respect
our situation is far from satisfactory.
After every possible allowance has
! been made, and when every hopeful
weight the facts still give reason for
grave concern. It would be unworthy
OF our history and our Intelligence, and
disastrous to our future, TO shut our
eyes TO these facts or attempt to laugh
them out OF court The people should
and will rightly demand that the great
fundamental questions shall be given
attention by their representatives.
do not advise hasty or Ill considered
action on disputed points, but DO
urge, where the facts are known, wnere
1 the public interest is clear. that neither
Indifference and inertia nor ADVERSE
private interests shall be allowed 10
stand in the way OF the public good,
The great basic facts are already
well known. We know that our popu-
ilation is now adding about one-ffth
TO its numbers in 10 years, and that
by the middle of the present century
lperhaps 100000 Americans, ana ~
be fed and clothed from the products
OF our soil With the steadv grown
in population and the still more rap
increase in consumption our people
will hereafter make greater ana no.
less demands per capita upon al the
natural resources for their livelihood
comfort and convenience.
We know now that our rivers car
and should be made to serve our people
effectively in transportation, put Ina
the vast expenditures Tor our w saite
much less in promoting, inland navlga'
ton. Therefore let us take lmmeolats
steps TO ascertain the reasons ana g
prepare and adopt comprenensiVe
plan for inland waterway navlgatloi
that will result in giving the peopi'
the benefits for which they nave pals
but which they have not yet received
We know that our forests are fast dis
appearing; that lesse than one-nItn o.
them are being conserved, and tnat ne
} provide the relatively small sums
needed for the protection, use ana I'm
provement of all forests still owned b.
the government, and TO enact laws u, .
check the wasteful destruction or tn
forests in private hands.
waste of MfnerRIs-We know tina
. our mineral resources once eAnau5S S
are gone forever. and that the needles
waste OF them costs us hunoreos o
human lives and nearly OO,OOO,OUO
year. Therefore let US undertake Win Z,
out delay the Investigations necessar.
before our people will be in position
through state action or otherwise, =
put an end to this huge loss and waste
and conserve both our mineral re
I sources and the lives of the men Wh
take them from the earth.
The policy of conservation is perhap
Q the most typical example or the gen
: ieral policies which this government
/ has made peculiarly its own during tn
S lopening years Of the present century
The function or our government Is I
OIL ffc here
after, their rights to life, hDerty an
the pursuit of happiness. II we OF thl
= generation destroy the resources froI
L which our children would otherwis
\ derive their livelihood. we reduce tn
= capacity of our land TO support a pop
> uIation, and so either degrade IN
J standard of living or deprive the com
ing generations of their right to lif
n on this continent IT we allow grea
a Industrial organizations to exercise un
q regulated control or the means OF pro
( 4 duction and the neceSsarIeS OF life, w
deprive the Americans of today and Q
+ the future of industrial liberty, RICH
n no less precious and vital than polit
s ical freedom. Industrial liberty was
g fruit of political liberty. and in tur
5 has become one of its chief supports
and exactly as we stand Tor politlca
democracy so we must stand for indus
trial democracy.
This administration has achieve
some things: it has sought, but has no
been able. TO achieve others; it Ia
doubtless made mistakes; but all it ha
< done or attempted has been in the sin
gle, consistent effort to secure and en-
large the rights and opportunities @
q the men and women of the Unite
EVIL of MOnopoIy-The unchecked ex
( istence of monopoly is incompatible
S with equality Of opportunity. The req
{ son for the exercise Of government cor
r troll over great monopolies is TO equal
n lie opportunity. We are fightin
I against privilege. 1t was made uI
d lawful for corporations TO contribut
= money for election expenses in order
y abridge the power of special privileg
= at the polls. Railroad rate control
4 an attempt to secure an equality (
: opportunity for all men affected by ra
d transportation: and that means all
}. These policies were enacted into la
S and have justified their enactmen
s Others have failed, so far, toMeach th
r point of action Among such is ii
attempt to secure public control of II
open range and thus to convert i
benefits TO the use of the small ma
who is the home maker, instead of a
= lowing it to be controlled by a fe
, great cattle and sheep owners.
- The enactment OF pure food la
: was a recognition OF the fact that II
= public welfare outweighs the right !
private gain and that no man may pc
: son the people for his private prof
Ir.-- IL