The Hayti herald., 1909-01-28

cations OF Citizcnsnip--Urgent Need
for the Development of the Coun.
try's Water Power.
Washngton.-Wit the transmission of
the report of the national conservation
commission and accompanying papers,
President Roosevelt also scrt "A message
to congress. The following is COM
prchcnSive synopsis of the document:
The president declares his entire con-
currcnce with the statements and con-
tluSlOnS of the report and proceeds:
1T is one OF the most fundamentally
important documents ever laid before the
American people. 1t contains the first in
ventOry of it's natural resources ever
made by any nation. In condensed form
it presents n statement of our available
capital in material resources, which are
the means of progress. and calls atten-
ton to the essential conditions upon
which the perpctuity. safety and welfare
of this nation now rest and must always
continue to rest.
The facts set forth In this report con-
| stitute an imperative call to action. The
situation they disclose demands that we.
| neglecting for q time IL need be, smaller
and less vital questions, shall concentrate
| an effective part of our attention upon
| the great material foundations of ma
| tional existence. progress. and prosperity.
| 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 mate-
| rial well-being. In this respect our stu
| alton Is far from satisfactory. After
| every possible allowance 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 unworthy of our history and our in
| telligenCe. 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 rightly demand
| that the great fundamental questions
| shall be given attention by their rep
| rcsentativcs. ] do rot advise hasty or i'll
| considered action on disputed points, but
| l do urge, where TIE facts are known,
| where the public interest is clear. that
| neither Indifference and inertia, nor ad-
| verse private interests shall be allowed
TO stand in the way of the public good.
THE great basic facts are already we'll
known. We know that our population is
| now adding about One-fifth to its numbers
in ten years, and that by the middle of
| the present century perhaps l50,0 900
Americans. and by its end very many
millions more. must be fed and clothed
| from the products of our soil.
1--WE know now that our rivers can and
fectvely in transportation. but that the
vast expenditures for our waterways
have not resulted in maintaining. much
less in promoting. inland navigation
Therefore, let us take immediate steps to
| ascertain the reasons and to prepare and
adopt comprehensive plan for inland.
waterway navigation that will result ir
giving the people the benefits for which
they have paid but which they have not
yet received. We know now that our for
ests are fast disappearing, that less thar
one-fifth of them are being conserved
and that no good purpose can be met by
failing to provide the relatively small
sums needed for the protection. use, anC
Improvement of all forests still owned by
tho government, and to enact laws tC
check the wasteful destruction of the for
ests In private hands.
I'VE know now that our mineral re
sources once exhausted are gone for
ever, and that the needless waste o
them costs us hundreds of human lives
and nearly $500 0.000 n year. Therefore
let us undertake without delay the in
vestigations necessary before our peop
will be in position. through state actio:
or otherwise to put an end to this hug
| loss and waste. and conserve both ou
mineral resources and the lives of tn
men who take them from the earth.
This administration has achieved
some things; 1t has sought, but ha
not been able. to achieve others; j
has doubtless made mistakes; but al
1t has done or attempted has been IL
the single, consistent effort TO sc
cure and enlarge the rights and oppor
tunitics of the men and women of tn
United States. We are trying to con
serve what is good in our social sys
TEN, and we are striving toward thi
end when we cndeavor to do away wit
what is bad. Success may be made to
hard for some If it is made too cas-
for others. The rewards of commo
Industry and thrift may be too smal
II the rewards for others. and on tn
whole less valuable, qualities, ar
made too large, and especially If tn
rewards for qualities which are really
from the public standpoint, undesir
able, are permitted to become to
large. Our aim is so far as possibl
to provide such conditions that ther
shall be equality of opportunity wher
} there Is equality of energy. fidelity an
, Intelligence: when there is reason
able equality OF opportunity tho dis
tribution OF rewards will take car
of Itself
The unchecked existence of monor
oily is incompatible with equality c
opportunity. The reason for the eS
= crciae of government control over grea
monopolies Is to equalize opportunit!
We are fghting against privilege.
was made unlawful for corporation
to contribute money for election eS
+ penses In order to abridGe the powe
a OF special privilege at the polls. Raj
, road rate control is an attempt to So
cure an equality of opportunity for a
, men affected by rail transportation
J. | and that means all of us. The Gres
anthracite coal strike was settled, an
tho pressing danger of a coal famir
avsrted. because we recognized thu