The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-01-23

hereafter make greater and not less
demands per capita upcn All the natn-
raj resources for their LIVELIHOOD. com
fort and convenience. II Is high time
to realize that our responsibility 70 the
coming millions Is like that Of parents
to their children and that IN wasting
our resources we are wronging our de-
scendants.
We know now that our rivers can
and should be made to serve our peo-
pie effectively IN transportation. but
that the vast expenditures for our wa
terways have not resulted I'm maintain
ing. much less In promoting inland
navigation Therefore LET us take Inn
mediate steps 10 ascertain the reasons
and to prepare and adopt compre-
hensive plan for inland waterway nav
igation that VIII result IN giving the
people the benefits for which they have
paid. but which they have not yet re-
ceived. We know now that our forests
are fast disappearing. that less than
onc-fifth OF them are being conserved
and that no good purpose can be met
by falling 10 provide the relatively
small sums needed for the protection.
use and improvement OF all forests still
owned by the government and TO enact
laws TO check the wasteful destruction
OF the forests IN private hands. There
are differences OF opinion as 10 many
public questions, but the American peo-
pie stand nearly as n unit for water
way development and for forest pro
lection.
We know now that our mineral re-
sources. once exhausted. are gone for
ever and that the needless waste OF
them costs us hundreds OF human lives
and nearly $300.O00.OO0 a year. There
fore let us undertake without delay
the Investigations necessary before our
people viii be In position through state
action or otherwise TO put an end 20
this huge loss and waste and conserve
both our mineral resources and the
lives OF the men who take them from
the earth.
I desire 20 make grateful acknowl.
cdgment 10 the mon both IN and ont 81
the government service who have pre-
pared the first inventory Of our natu-
raj resources. They have made Il pos
siblc for this nation 10 take great
step forward Their work is helping
us 20 see that the greatest questions
before us are not partisan questions,
but questions upon which men Of al
parties and ~ shades OF opinion may
be united FOR the common good Among
such questions. on the material side.
the conservation OF natural resources
stands first II ~ the bottom round of
the ladder on our upward progress to
ward condition in which fhe nation
as a whole and rs citizens as indlyidu
ais VIII set national efficiency and the
public welfare before personal profit
industrial Democracy IN Danger
The policy of conservation Is per
haps the most typical example Of the
general policies which this government
has made peculiarly its own during the
opening years Of tho present century.
The function Of our government Is 20
insure 60 an is citizens now and here
after their rights TO life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness. II we Of this
generation destroy the resources from
which our children would otherwise
derive their livelihood we reduce the
capacity OF our land 20 support popu-
latlon and so either degrade the stand
ard OF living or deprive the coming
generations OF their right TO life on
this continent. If we allow great in
dustrial organizations TO exercise un-
regulated control OF the means OF pro-
duction and the necessaries OF life we
deprive the Americans OF today and OF
the future OF Industrial liberty, right
no less precious and vital than polit-
ical freedom. Industrial liberty was n
fruit of political liberty and In turn
has become one OF It's chief supports,
and exactly as we stand for political
democracy so we must stand forindus-
trial democracy.
The rights TO life and liberty are
fundamental, and, like other funda-
mental necessities. when once acquired
they arc little dwelt upon. The right
/ to the pursuit OF happiness is the right
whose presence or absence IL most
likely TO be felt in daily life. Ia what
ever II has accomplished or failed TO
accomplish The administration which
Is just drawing TO a close has at least
seen clearly the fundamental need OF
4 freedom Of opportunity Tor every clti.
zen We have realized thnt the right
Of every man 10 live his own life pro.
vide for his family ana endeavor, &C.
cordlng 10 his abilities. 10 secure for
himself and for them a fair share OF
the good things Of existence should be
\ subject to one limitation and to no
other The freedom OF the individual
should be limited only by the present
and future rights. interests and needs
OF the other individuals who make up
the community. We should do all In
our power TO develop and protect indi-
vidual liberty, Individual initiative. but
subject always 70 the need Of preserv-
ing and promoting tho general good.
when necessary the private right must
yield. under due process Of law and
with proper compensation. 20 the wei.
= a.