The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-09-15
CONGRESS- HEARS
PRESIDENT TAFT
Chief Executive Discusses
Conservation Movement
WOULD PREVENT WASTE

Declares Conservation Means Preser-
walton Of Our Natural Resources for
Economical Use-Danger to State
and People From Dissipation Of Ma.
tionaI Wealth-Rejoices in inherit.
ing Roosevelt Policies-Time for a
Halt in General R%haosodies Over
Conservation.
st. Paul, Sept. 5.-In his address be-
fore the second National Conservation
congress President Taft said, in part:
Conservation as an economic and
political term has come to mean the
preservation of our natural source
for economical use, so as to secure
the greatest good to the greatest mum.
Der. In the development of this coun.
try, in the h%ardships of the pioneer, in
the energy of the settler, in the anx.
iety of the investor for quick returns,
there was very little time. opportunity,
or desire to prevent waste of those re-
sources supplied by nature which
could not be quickly transmitted into
money; while the investment of CAPT.
tai was so great a desiratum that the
people as a community exercised lit
tie or no care to prevent the transfer
of absolute ownership of many of the
valuable natural resources to private
individuals, without retaining some
kind of central Of their use. The i'm
pulse Of the whole new community
was to encourage the coming of popu-
lation, the increase of settlement, and
the opening up of business; and he
who demurred in the slightest degree
to any step which promised addition.
al development of the idle resources
at hand was regarded as a traitor to
his neighbors and an INSTRUCTOR to
public progress. But now that the
communities have become old, now
that the flush of enthusiastic expan-
sion has died away, now that the
would be pioneers nave come to rea
lie that all the richest lands in the
country have been taken up, we have
Rci TIC utttColLy lOI q ChduRc
Of policy in the disposition Of our ma
tional resources so as to prevent the
continuance of the waste which has
characterized our phenomenal growth
in the past. Today We desire to re-
strict and retain under public control
the acquisition and use by the CAPT.
talist of our natural resources.
Dissipation of National Wealth.
The danger to the state and to the
people at large from the waste and
dissipation of our national wealth is
not one which quickly impresses itself
OF the people Of the older communi.
ties, because it's most obvious in.
stances do not occur in their neighbor-
hood, while in the newer part of the
country the sympathy with expansion
and development is Sc strong that the
danger Is scoffed at or ignored. Among
scientific man and thoughtful OBJ.
servers, however, the danger has al.
ways been present; but it needed
some one to bring home the crying
need for a remedy of this evil so as
W IhlplCoo itoCii oh ShC PuOiiS iliIhu
and lead to the formation of public
opinion and action by the representa-.
tives of the people. Theodore Roose-
welt took up this task in the last two
years Of his second administration,
and we'll did he perform it.
AS president of the United States l
have, as 1t were. inherited this policy,
and | rejoice in my heritage. ] prize
my high opportunity to do all that an
executive can do to help a great peo-
pie realize a great nation ambition.
For conservation is national. 1t at
fects every man of us, every woman,
every child. What | can do in the
cause l shall do, not as president of a
party, but as president of the whole
people. Conservation is not a ques-
ton of politics, or of factions, or of
persons. 1t is a question that affects
the vital welfare of all Of us-of our
children and our children's children.
At the risk OF wearying my audi
ence l have attempted to state as sue
cinctly as may be the questions of
conservation as they apply to the pub
lie domain of the government, the
conditions to which they apply and
the proposed solution of them. In the
outset l alluded to the fact that cor
%servation had been made to include
a great deal more than what l have
discussed here. OF course, as | have
referred only to the public domain Of
the federal government | have left I'M
touched the wide field of conservation
with respect to which a heavy re-
sponsibility rests upon the states and
individuals as we'll.
am bound to say that the time has
come for a halt in general rhapsodies
over conservation, making the word
mean every known good in the world
for, after the public attention has
been reused, such appeals are Of
doubtful utility and do not direct the
public to the specific course that the
people should take, or have their leg
islators take, in order TO promote the
cause OF conservation. The rousing
of emotions on a subject like this,
which has only dim outlines In the
minds of the people Affected, after a
while ceases to be useful, and the