The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-29
MESSAGE TO
CONGRESS
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT CON-
VEYED TO CONGRESS THE
COMMITTEES REPORT.
SPECIAL MESSAGE is LENGTHY
BUT TO THE POINT AND MADE
MANY RECONIAIENDATIO

Washington, Jan. 22.-The presi,
dent today sent his special message
on the conservation of our natural
resources to congress. 1t is a leng-
thy document and the recommend
ations made in it are trite and OF
great interest to the western states.
especially those having water powers
to dispose of and forests to cut
down, coal mines to develop and
gold mines to exploit. The follow
ing is the message in part:
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
transmit herewith report Of the
national conservation commission,
together with the accompanying pa
pers. This report, which is the out
growth of the conference of COVER
nors last May, was unanimously ap-
proved by the recent joint confer
ence held in this city between the
national conservation commission
and governors of states, state con-
servation commissions, and conser-
walton committees of great organi-
cation of citizens. 1t is therefore
in a peculiar sense representative Of
the whole nation and all it's parts.
With the statements and conclu-
sions of this report l heartily con-
cur, and I commend it to the
thoughtful consideration both of
congress and of our people gener-
ally 1t is one of the most funda-
mentally important documents ever
laid before the American people. 1t
contains the first inventory of its
natural resources ever made by any
nation. In condensed form it pre-
sents 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 continue to rest.
1t deserves, and should have, the
widest possible distribution among
the people.
The facts set forth in this report
constitute an imperative call to ac-
ticn The situation they disclose
demands that we, neglccting for a
time, if need be, smaller and less
vital questions, shall concentrate an
effective part of our attention upon
the great material foundations of
national existence, progress, and
prosperity.
This first inventory of natural re-
sources prepared by the national
conservation commission is undoubt-
ly but the beginning Of a series
which will be indispensable for deal
ing intelligently with what we have.
1t supplies as. close an apnroXima-
ton to the actual facts as it was
possible to prepare with the knowl-
edge and time available. The pro-
gress of our knowledge Of this coun-
try will continually lead to more ac-
curate information and better use
of the sources of national strength.
But we can not defer action until
complete accuracy in the estimates
can be reached, because before that
time many of our resources will be
practically gone 1t is not necessary
that this inventory should be axact
in every minute detail 1t is es-
sential that 1t should correctly de-
scribe the general situation; and
that the present inventory does. AS
it stands it is an irrefutable proof
that the conservation of our re-
sources is the fundamental question
before this nation, and that our
first and greatest task is to set our
house in order and begin to live
within our means.
We know now that our rivers can
and should be made to serve our
people effectively in transportation,
but that the vast expenditures for
our waterways have not resulted in
maintaining, much less in promot-
ing, inland navigation. Therefore,
let us take immediate steps to as
certain the reasons and to prepare
and adopt comprehensive plan for
inland-waterway navigation that Will
result in giving the people the bene-
fits for which they have paid but
which they have not yet received
We know now that our forests are
fast disappearing, that less than one
fifth of them are being conserved
and that no good purpose can be
met by falling to provide the rela'
lively small sums needed for the
protection, use, and improvement OF
all forests still owned by the gov
eminent, and to enact laws to check
the wasteful destruction Of the fer
ests in private hands. There are
differences of opinion as to many
public questions; but the American
people stand nearly as q. unit fl
waterway development an! for for
est protection.
We know now that OR miner
resources once exhausted are gem
forever, and that the nFe7le-s west
Of them costs us hunr're's of hnma'
lives and nearly $300,000,000
year. Therefore, let us .underta'.
without delay the investiga TO-
necessary before our people will b
In position, through state action 0
otherwise, to put an end to thi
huge loss and waste, and consery
both the mineral resources and TIL
lives of the men who take them fror
the earth.
Our public-land policy has for il
elm the use Of the public land 9