Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-01-27
FOR CONSERVATION
President Approves Report
of National Commission.
SENDS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Urges Measures to Conserve the Hat
terity-should be Put in Effect
ural Resources as Legacy to Pos
Without Delay.

President Roosevelt, Friday trans
mitted to Congress the following
bearing on the conservation of our
natural resources.
I I transmit herewith report of the
national conservation commission, to-
gether with the accompanying papers.
This report, which is the outgrowth
OF the conference Of Governors last
May, was unanimously approved by
the recent joint conference held in
this city between the national, con-
servation commission and Governors
of the States, State conservation COM
missions and conservation commit
tees of great organizations of citi-
zens. 1t is therefore in peculiar
sense representative of the whole ma
hon and all its parts.
The Facts set forth in this report
constitute an imperative call to act
ION. The situation they disclose de-
mands that we, neglecting for a time.
if need be, smaller and less vital
questions, shall concentrate an effec-
tive part of our attention upon the
great material foundations Of nation
al existence, progress and prosperity.
The progress Of our knowledge of
this country will continually lead to
more acurate information and better
use of the sources of national
strength. It is not necessary that
this knowledge should be exact in
every minute detail. 1t is essential
that it should correctly describe the
general situation. The conservation
Of our resources is the fundamental
question before this nation.
Our population is now adding about
one-ifth to its numbers in ten years.
Many millions more, must be fed and
clothed from the products of our soil.
With the steady growth in population
and the still more rapid increase in
consumption our people will here.
after make greater and not less de-
mands per capita upon all the nar-
ural resources for their livlihood,
comfort and convenience. It is high
time to realize that our responsible
ity. to the coming millions is like that
of parents to their children, and that
in wasting our resources we are
wronging our descendants.
Our rivers can and should be made
to serve our people effectively in
transportation, but the vast expen-
ditures for our waterways have NOT
resulted in maintaining, much less in
= -omoting, inland navigation. There.
fore, let us take immediate steps TO
ascertain the reasons and to prepare
and adopt a comprehensive plan for
inland waterway navigation. Our
forests are fast disappearing, and
less than one-fifth of them are being
conserved, and no good purpose can
be met by failing to provide the rela-
lively small sums needed for the pro-
lection, use, and improvement of all
forests still owned by the govern
ment. Let us enact laws to check
the wasteful destruction Of the for
ests in private lands. The American
people stand nearly as a unit for
waterway development and for forest
protection.
Mineral Resources Wasted.
Our mineral resources once ex-
hausted are gone forever, and the
needless waste Of them costs us hun
dreds of human lives and nearly
S300,0OO,OOO a year, Therefore, let
us undertake without delay the in
vestigations 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.
The conservation of our natural
resources is Of first consideration. If
we Of this generation destroy the re-
sources from which our children
would otherwise derive their livli-
hood, we reduce the capacity of our
land to support population, and go
either degrade the standard of living
or deprive the coming generations of
their rights to life on this continent.
If we allow great industrial organ
iaztions to eexrcise unregulated con-
troll of the means of production and
the necessaries Of life, we deprive
the Americans of to-day and of the
future of industrial liberty, right
no less precious and vital than poll
tical freedom.
The administration which is Just
drawing to asclose, has at least seen
clarly the fundamental need of free
dom of opportunity for every citizen.
No man and no set of men should be
allowed to play the game of competi-
tion with loaded dice. The uncheek-
ed existence Of monopoly is incom-
patible with equality of oportunity
The reason for the exercise of gov
eminent control over great monopo.
lies is to equalize opportunity.
Waterways.
Accordingly, I urge that the broad
plan for the development of ou1
waterways. recommended by the In
land Waterways Commission, be put