Rocky Ford enterprise., 1909-01-29

negiecting for a time. II need be. smaller
and less vital questions. shall concentrate
an effective part OF our attention upon
the great material foundations OF ma
uonal 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 firm and lasting foundation Of mate
rial well-being. In this respect our situ-
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 II would
be unworthy of our history and our In
telhgence, 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
resentatives. I do not advise hasty or ILL
considered action on disputed points but
i do urge. where the 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 well
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 I50 600 600
millions more. must be fed and clothed
from the products Of our soil.
We know now that our rivers can and
should be made to serve our people ef-
fectively in transportation. but that the
vast expenditures for our waterways
have not resulted In maintaining much
less in promoting. inland navigation.
Therefore. lot us take immediate steps to
ascertain the reasons and to prepare and
adopt a comprehensive plan for inland
yvfl In,
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 than
one-hfth 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. and
improvement Of all forests still owned by
the government. and TO enact laws to
check the wastcful destruction of the for
osts In private hands.
I'VE 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 $500 o0o. coo year. Therefore.
let us undertake without delay the In
vestlgations necessary before our people
will 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.
This administration has achieved
some things: 1t has sought but has
not been able. to achieve. others: 1t
has doubtless made mistakes: but all
Il has done or attempted has been in
the single. consistent effort to Sc
cure and enlarge the rights and oppor-
tunities OF the men and women of the
United States. We are trying to con-
serve what is good in our social sys-
tenn. and we are striving toward this
end when we endeavor to do away with
what is bad. Success may be made too
hard for some IL II Is made too easy
for others. The rewards OF common
industry and thrift may be too small
II the rewards for others. and on the
whole less valuable. qualities. arc
made too large. and especially II the
rewards for qualities which are really.
from the public standpoint, undesIr-
able, are permitted to become too
large. Our aim is so far as possible
to provide such conditions that there
shall be equality of opportunity where
there In equality of energy. fidelity and
Intelligence; when there Is reason