The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-22

ing, much less N promoting inland
navigation Therefore let Us take Inn
mediate steps 10 ascertain the reasons
and TO prepare and adopt a compre-
hensive plan for inland waterway nav
Igntlon that win result IN giving the
| people the benefits for which they have
paid, but which they have not vet re-
ceived. We know now that our forests
are fast disappearing, that less than
one-flfth Of them are being conserved
and that no good purpose can be met
by failing 70 provide the relatively
small sums needed for the protection.
use and Improvement OF all forests still
owned by the government and to enact
laws 70 check the wastcful destruction
OF the forests In private hands There
are differences of opinion as to many
public questions, but the American peo-
| pie stand nearly as a unit for water
way development and for forest pro
lection.
We know now that our mineral re-
sources, once exhausted. are gone for
ever and that the needless waste OF
them costs us hundreds Of human lives
and nearly S300,000O00 a year. There
fore let as undertake without delay
the Investigations necessary before our
people WIZ be in position through state
action or otherwise to put an end to
this huge loss and waste and conserve
both our mineral resources and the
lives Of the men who take them from
the earth
desire to make grateful acknowl.
edgment to the men both In and out Of
the government service who have pre-
pared the first inventory OF our natu-
raj resources, They have made 1t pos
sible for this nation to take great
step forward. Their work Is helping
as to see that the greatest questions
before us are not partisan questions,
but questions upon which men Of all
parties and all shades OF opinion may
be united for the common good. Among
such questions, on the material side.
the conservation Of natural resources
stands first IL is the bottom round Of
the ladder on our upward progress TO-
ward a condition IN which the nation
as whole and its citizens as indiyidu-
ais win set national efficiency and the
public welfare before personal profit.
Industrial Democracy In Danger.
The policy Of conservation is per-
haps the most typical example Of the
general policies which this government
has made peculiarly It's own during the
opening years Of the present century.
The function Of our government is to
insure to all its citizens now and here
after their rights 10 life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness. II we OF this
generation destroy the resources from
which our children would otherwise
derive their livelihood we reduce the
capacity Of our land to support popu-
lation and 50 either degrade the stand
ard Of living Of deprive the coming
generations Of their right TO life on
this continent III we allow great In
dustrial organizations to exercise I'M
regulated control Of the means of pro
duction and the necessaries Of life we
deprive the Americans Of today and Of
the futWre ctsndustfial liberty. a right
no less preclcus and vital than pollt-
fcaI freedom Industrial liberty was a
fruit Of political liberty and in turn
has become one Of its chief supports,
and exactly as we stand for political
democracy so we must stand for indus
trial democracy.
The rights to life and liberty are
fundamental, and, like other funda-
mental necessities. when once acquired |
they are little dwelt upon. The right |
10 the pursuit OF happiness Is the right |
whose presence or absence is most |
likely to be felt in daily life. In what |
ever II has accomplished or failed to |
accomplish the administration which /
is just drawing TO a close has at least |
seen clearly the fundamental need Of |
freedom Of opportunity for every citi- /
zen. We have realized that the right /
Of every man to live his own life. pro-
vide for bis family and endeavor, ae-
cording to hts abilities, to secure for /
himself and for them fair share OF |
the good things OF existence should be
subject to one limitation and TO no
other. The freedom OF the Individual I
should be limited only by the present
and future rights. interests and needs /
OF the other individuals who make up
the community. We should do all In /
our power to develop and protect indi-
yidual liberty. Individual initiative, but
subject always to the need of preserv-
ing and promoting the general good.
When necessary the private right must
yield, under due process Of law and
with proper compensation, to the well
fare cf the commonwealth. The man
who serves the community greatly
should be greatly rewarded BY the
AS there Is great Unequal
ity of service, so there must be great
inequality of reward, but no man and
no set OF men should be allowed TO
play the game of competition with
loaded dice,
All this il simply good common sense.
The underlying principle OF conserva.
ton has been described as the appli-
cation OF common sense to common
problems for the common good. If the
is correct. then conserya-
ton is the great fundamental basis for
national efficiency. In this stage OF
the worlds history to be fearless, to be
Just and to be efficient are the three
great requirements Of national life.
Administrator Aims Defended.
This administration has achieved