The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-01-22


lection. use, and Improvement of all
forests still owned by the government.
and to enact laws to check the waste
full destruction of the forests in pri-
vate hands There are difference of
opinion as to many public questions; +;
but the American people stand nearly
as a unit for waterway development
and for forest protection.
I'VE know now that our mineral re-
sources once exhausted are gone
forever, and that the needless waste of
them costs us hundreds of human lives
and nearly S300000,00O a year. There
fore. let us undertake without delay
the Investigations necessary before
our people Will be In position,
through state action OF 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.
Il desire to make grateful acknowl-
edgment TO the men. both In and out
of the government service, who have
prepared the first inventory Of our nat
ural resources. They have made it
possible for this nation TO take a great
step forward. Their work is helping
us TO see that the greatest questions
before us are not partisan questions,
but questions upon which men OF all
parties and all shades of opinion may
be united for the common good.
Among such questions, on the material
side, the conservation of natural re-
sources stands first 1t Is the bottom
round of the ladder on our upward
progress toward a condition In which
the nation as a whole, and It's citizens
as individuals. will set national ef-
ficiency and the public welfare be-
fore personal profit
The policy of conservation is per
haps the most typical example of the
general policies which this govern
ment has made peculiarly its own dur
ing the opening years OF the present
century. The function OF our govern
ment is to insure to all its citizens.
now and hereafter, their rights to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If we of this generation destroy the
resources from which our children
would otherwise derive their liyeli
hood. we reduce the capacity OF our
land to support a population, and so
either degrade the standard of living
or deprive the coming generations of
their right to life on this con-
tInent If we allow great in
dustrlal organizations to exercise
unregulated control OF the means OF
production and the necessaries OF l!fe.
we deprive ,he Americans OF today
and of the future OF industrial liberty,
a right no less precious AID vital than
political freedom Industrial liberty
was fruit or political liberty. and in
turn has become one of its chief sup
ports and exactly as we stand for po-
litical democracy so we must stand for
industrial democracy.
THE rights to life and liberty arc
fundamental and like other fundamen-
tai necessities, when once acquired,
they are little dwelt upon The right
to the pursuit Of happiness is the
right whose presence or absence is
most likely to be felt In daily life.
In whatever it has accomplished, or
failed TO accomplish. the administra-
ton which Is just drawing to a close
has at last seen clearly the fundamcn-
tai need of freedom of opportunity for
every citizen We have realized that
the right Of every man TO live his own
life. provide for his family. and en-
deayor, according TO his best abilities,
to secure for himself and
for them a fair share or
the good things of existence.
should be subject 10 one linn
itation and tC NO other. The freedom
OF the Individual should be limited un-
ly by the present and future rights. IN
terests, and needs of the other indi-
yiduals who make UP the community.
We should do all in our power to de.
velop and protect individual liberty.
individual initiative. but subject al
ways to the need of preserving and
promoting the general good When
necessary. the private right must
yield, under due process of law and
with proper compensation. TO the well
fare OF the commonwealth The man
who serves the community greatly
should be greatly rewarded by the
community; as there Is great Unequal
ity of service so there must be great
inequality of reward; but no man and
no set of men should be allowed to
play the game of competition wita
loaded dice.
"All this is simply good common
sense. The underlying principle of
conservation has been described as
the application OF common sense 10
common problems for the common
good. II the description is correct
then conservation is the great funda-
mental basis for national efficiency
In this stage of the worlds history to
be fearless. TO be just. and to be eff
hcient are the three great requir--
ments of national lie National efficien-
cy is the result of natural resources
we'll handled. of freedom of opportun-
ity for every man. and OF the Inherent
capacity. trained ability. knowledge
and Will. collectively and Individuai:y
to use that opportunity
This administration has achieved
some things; it has sought but has
not been able 10 achieve others: 1t has
doubtless made mistakes: but all IL
has done or attempted has been in the
single, consistent effort. TO secure and
enlarge the rights and opportunities
oi the men and women OF the United
States. We are trying TO conserve