The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-01-23

| The use az The pullc grazing lands
should be regulated ia sub WAYS as
to improve and conserve ihllf value.
| Rights 10 the surface ~ The public
land should he separated from rights
TO forests upon Il and 70 minerals -
meath II, and these should he subject
20 separate disposal
The coal. oil. gas aud phosphate
rights still remaining with the govern
ment should be withdrawn from entry
and leased under conditions favorable
for economic development.
Minerals.
The accompanying reports show that
the consumption OF nearly all Of our
mineral products Is increasing more
rapidly than our population. Our min
eral waste Is about one-sIxth OF our
product. or nearly $1OO0.000 for each
working day in the year. The loss OF
structural materials through fire Is
about another million day. The loss
Of life In the mines Is appalling. The
larger part OF these losses OF life and
property can be avoided.
Our mineral resources are limited In
quantity and cannot be increased OF
reproduced. With the rapidly increas-
ing rate OF consumption the supply viii
be exhausted while yet the nation Is In
its infancy unless better methods are
devised or substitutes are found. Fur
/ Their Investigation Is urgently needed
In order to improve methods and 10 de
velop and apply substitutes.
IL is OF the utmost Importance that
bureau of mines be established In ac-
cordance with the pending bin to re-
duce the loss Of life In mines and the
waste Of mineral resources and 10 in
yestlgate the methods aud substitutes
/ for prolonging the duration of our min
eral supplies. Both the need and the
public demand for such a bureau are
rapidly becoming more urgent. IL
should cooperate with the states In
supplying data 10 serve as basis for
state mine regulations. The establish.
ment of this bureau win mean merely
the transfer from other bureaus Of
work which It IS agreed should be
transferred aud slightly enlarged and
reorganized FOR these purposes.
Conclusions.
The joint conference already men
toned adopted two resolutions 20
which call your special attention.
Z The first was Intended 20 promote Co
operation between the states and the
nation upon an OF the great questions
/ here discussed IL Is as follows:
\ Resolved. That "A Joint committee be
appointed by the chairman. TO consist Of
six memhera OF state conservation COM
MISSIONS and three members ~ the ma
I tionsl conservation commission. whose
duty it shall be 20 prepare and present 10
I the state md national commissions and
/ throueh them 20 the governors and the
I president a plan FOR united action by an
I organizations concerned with the cOn-
/ scrvatlon Of natural resourceg ION mo-
\ ton OF Governor Noel Of Mississippi Tho
/ chairman and secretary ~ the conference
\ were added 20 and constituted a part or
this commltteo)
The second resolution of The joint
conference 60 which refer calls upon
the congress 20 provide the means for
such cooperation The principle OF the
community Of interest among all cur
people I'm the great natural resources
runs through the report Of the national
conservation commission and the pro-
ceedings Of the Joint conference. These
resources, which form the common ba-
sis OF our welfare. can be wisely devel-
oped, rightly used and prudently con-
served only by the common action OF
all the people. acting through their rep
resentatives In state and nation: hence
the fundamental necessity for co-opera-
/ ton. without IL we shall accomplish
but little. and that little badly The
resolution follows;
We also especially urge on tho congress
OF the United states the high desrability
| OF maintaining national commission on
/ the conservation OF the resources OF tho
| country. empowered TO cooperate with
state commissions 70 tho end that every
sovereign commonwealth and every sec
ton OF the country may attain tho high
( degree OF prosperity and the sureness OF
perpetuity naturally arising in the album
dant resources and the vigor intelligence
and patriotism OF our people.
In this recommendation most heart
fly concur. and urge that an appro-
priation Of at least $4,000 be- made TO
cover the expenses OF the national con
servation commission for necessary
rent. assistance aud travelling expenses.
! This rs a very small sum. know of
no other way So which the nppropria
tiea or SO snai sum would result
IN SO large Il benefit TO The whole ma
ton. THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
The White House Jan -, 1909.