Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-01-22
Roosevelt Sends Special Mes
sage, Calling Attention to
Needs OF the COun-
try.
GIVES A REVIEW
Of WHAT WAS DONE
1t is Our Duty TO Take Care Of Our
Natural Resources and Pro
vide for POStGrlty.
Says PreSi-
dent.

Washington. Jan. 22.-President
Roosevelt today sent to Congress
special message, transmitting the re-
port of the National Conservation
commission Clifford Pinchot, chair
man. His message says in part
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives.
transmit herewith a 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-
sewation commission and governors
of states state conservation commits
sions, and conservation committees of
great organizations OF citizens. 1t is
therefore in peculiar sense represen-
tatve of the whole nation and all its
parts.
with the statements and cOnclu-
sions of this report l heartily concur,
and l commend it TO the thoughtful
consideration both of the Congress
and of our people generally. 1t is
one of the most fundamentally i'm
portant documents ever laid before
the American people. 1t contains the
first inventory of It's natural resources
ever made by any nation. In con-
densed form it presents statement
of our available capital in material
resources. which are the means of
progress. and calls attention to the
essential conditions upon which the
perpetuity safety, and welfare of this
nation now rest and must always con-
tinue to rest. 1t deserves, and should
have, the widest possible distribution
among the people.
Tn facts set forth in this report
constitute an imperative call to ac-
tion. The situation they disclose de-
mands that we neglecting for time,
if need be smaller and less vital ques-
tions shall concentrate an effective
part of our attention upon the great
material foundations of national eX-
istence, progress and prosperity.
This first inventory of natural re-
sources prepared by the National Con
servation commission is undoubtedly
but the beginning of a series which
will be indispensable for dealing in
telligently with what we have. 1t sup
plies as close an approximation to the
actual facts a 3 ii was possible to pre-
pare with the knowledge and timt
available. The progress of our knowl-
edge of this country will continually
lead to more accurate information and
better use of the sources of national
strength But We can not defer action
until complete accuracy in the esti-
mates can be reached, because before
that time many Of our resources will
fgs OF
sary that this inventory should b,
exact in every minute detail 1t Is es-
sential that it should correctly de-
scribe the general situation; and tha
the present inventory does. As :
stands it is an irrefutahIe proof thai
the conservation of our resources il
the fundamental question before this
nation. and that our first and creates
task is 70 set our house in order anc
begin to live within our means,
The great basic facts are already
well known We know that our pop
ulation is now adding about one-fiftf
t. its numbers in ten years, and tina
by the middle of the present centur!
perhaps one hundred and fifty mil
lion Americans and by its end yer!
many millions more, must be fed anC
clothed from the products of our soil
With the steady growth in population
and the still more rapid increase il
consumption our people will hereafte
make greater and not less demand
per capita upon all the natural re
sources for their livelihood, comfOr
and convenience. 1t is high tim
to realize that our responsibility t
the coming millions is like that o
parents to ther children and that il
wasting our resources We are wrong
ing our descendants.
We know now that our rivers car
and should be made to serve our peo
pie effectively in transportation, bu
that the vast expenditures for on
waterways have not resulted in main
tanning, much less in promoting, in
land navigation. Therefore let us TAX
immediate steps to ascertain the rea
sons and to prepare and adopt com
prehensivc plan for inland-waterwa
navigation that will result in givin
the people the benefits for which the,
have paid but which they have no
yet received. We know now that ou
forests are fast disappearing, that les
than one-fifth of them are being con
served, and that no good purpose cal
be met by falling to provide the rela