The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-02-12
WASHINGTON LETTER
MATTERS OF GENERAL INTER
EST FROM THE CAPITAL

Ats end, friends of the cause of
Conservation of natural u
express much concern, believing
chat Congress will not in this
session do anything in the way of
appropriating money for the
movement. With less than one
month of the session left and with
a humber of appropriation bills
still to be passed, with two terri
tories knocking at the doors of
Congress for admission as States
it is quite improbable that Con-
gress can be persuaded to pass an
appropriation bill for conserva
ton of forests and other Natural
resources.
IV Ia believed that the education
al part of the movement is about
perfected. The people of the
country far and wide believe in
the Great National Economical
movement for the preservation of
the forest: for the saving to the
government of such water power
as is yet unappropriated; and for
control of the great mineral re-
sources o. the country, that have
SO far escaped private or corpor-
ate appropriation.
The President, as is well known,
has sent a special message urg-
ing an appropriation of $4,000.
for what mighe be called a furth-
er survey of the conservation
question.
Mr.. Pinchot, who is known as
the father of this conservation
proposition has just returned
from his mission to Mexico and
Canada, where he went for the
purpose of Interesting the govern
ments of those countries in a great
continental conservation scheme.
HIS vie VS. met with a hospital bic
reception at both the northern and
the southern capitals.
President Diaz expressed him
eii as enthusiastically approx
ing The cause OF conservation aud
the Canadian officials showed that
they were thoroughly we'll posted
with reference to the conservation
program in this country and indi-
Gated that they fully understood
its relation to their own country,
and as a continental enterprise.
Both these countries are ready to
join in AL International confer
ence, which will be held in Wash
ington on Feb. 18.
Various important questions
will be discussed at this confer
ence-questions International in
scope, as for example-the tariff
on lumber and the destructible
forest fires, which pay no respect
to political divisions and bound
aries but sweep from the United
States into Canada and Mexico
and vice versa.
Notwithstanding the great
amount of work that Congress has
before it, it has still time, or al
least some members take time, tc
discuss such small matters as the
appropriation of S12, 900. fol
automobiles for the White House.
President Roosevelt has not
been an automobilist. He pre-.
fers the horse either for riding and
driving. President Taft is almos,
too heavy for any horse. He rode
horse back to some extent while
Secretary OF War, but always de.
sired a companion and preferred q
talkative one, for, as he said, il
took his mind OFF the suffering Of
his horse.
The President-elect is Vice
President of the Society for the
prevention of cruelty to animals
There is perhaps, no city of It'll
size, whose streets have more
automobiles than Washington
but heretofore there have been nc
White House machines. Con.
gress will probably pass the bill
appropriating for them notwith
standing the opposition of some
Democratic members.
There has been some discourag
ing news during the last few