The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-09
Strong Resolutions Adopted By Conservation Congress
 FIGHT OVER TAFT's NAME
Roosevelt Idea the Name of Taft Is Left Out Altogether By
 the Committee


 resources and adjourned
 A threatened fight on the part of state conservation commissioners to place the name of President Taft in the platform along with that of Theodore Roosevelt as the great friend of con servation did not materialize on the floor. Under the vigorous use of the gavel it did not even get started. The following were chosen officers
 President, Henry ". Wallace, Des Moines, Ia.
 Secretary, T. R. Shipp. Indianapolis.
 Treasurer, D. R. Latshaw. Kansas City.
 Clifford Pinchot and J. B. White of Kansas City declined to be nomina ted for the presidency, and MT. Wallace was not opposed.
 o. M Canister of Muncie, Ind, start ed the applause by stating that the delegates have been here for four days without getting a chance to speak.
 q suggest that this mistake be rem edied at the next convention" said he.
 Vice presidents for each state were hosen, each speaking briefly.
 A delegate from the state of Wash ington whose name was not announced, accused Governor Hay and Land Com missioner Ross of that state of giving away the power of the state.
 No wonder they want state con- trol" declared the delegate.
 Mir Ross defended himself with great spirit, declaring that the strictures against him were baseless.
 Granville M. Hunt invited the next congress to meet at Washington. D. c.
 E. T. Worsham of Georgia announced that a southern conservation congress will be held at Atlanta on October 7-S.
 Resolution Adopted
 The resolutions adopted follow:
 "The second national, conservation congress, made up of delegates from all sections and nearly every state and territory of the United States, met at the call of a great moral issue, now in session assembled In the city of St. Paul and state of Minnesota,r does hereby adopt and solemnly declaGe the following platform of opinion and con- clusion concerning the inherent rights of the people of the United States:
 Heartily accepting the spirit and in tent of the constitution and adhering to the principles laid down by Washington and Lincoln, we declare our conviction that we live under a government of the people, by the people, for the peo- pie, and we repudiate any and all special or local interests or platforms or policies in conflict with the inherent rights and sovereign will of our people. Recognizing the natural resources of the country as the prime basis of prop erty and opportunity, we hold the rights Of the people in these resources to be natural and inherent and justly inalien- able and indefeasibe and we insist that the resources should be and will be de- veloped, used and conserved in ways con sistent both with current welfare and with the perpetuity of our people.
 Roosevelt Idea Indorsed
 Recognizing the waters of the country as a great natural resource, we approve and indorse the opinion that all the wa ters belong to all the people and hold that they should be used in the interest of the people.
 Realizing that all parts of each drain age basin are related and interdependent we hold that each stream should be re- garded and treated as a unit from Its source to It's mouth; and since the waters are essentially mobile and transitory and are generally interstate we hold that in all cases of divided or doubtful Jurisdiction the waters should be administered by CO., operation between the state and federal agencies
 Recognizing the interdependence of the various uses of the waters of the country we hold that the primary uses are for domestic supply and for agriculture, through irrigation or otherwise and uses for navigation and for powers in which water is not consumed are secondary and we recommend the modern view that each use of the waters should be made with reference to all other uses Tor the public welfare In accordance with the principle of the greatest good to the greatest number for the longest time.
 "Viewing purity of water supply as es- sential to the public health and general welfare we urge upon all municipal, state and federal authorities and on individ- uals and corporations requisite action to- ward purging and preventing contamina- ton of the waters.
 Providing of Homes
 we approve the successful effort of the United States to provide homes on aria lands through irrigation; we indorse and commend the reclamation service and urge its continuance and the extension Of the same policy to the drainage of swamp and overflow lands, to be carried forward so far as appropriate through co-opera- ton between states and federal agencies. ..Viewing adequate and economical transportation facilities as among the means of conservation and realizing with the growth of the country has exceeded the development of transportation facil- ities we approve the prompt adoption of, a. comprehensive plan for developing navigation throughout the rivers and lakes of the United States, proceeding in the order of their magnitude and com mercial importance.
 Recognizing the vast economic benefit to the people of waterpower derived largely from interstate sources and streams no less than from navigable rivers, we favor federal control of water power development; we deny the right of states or federal government to con- tnue alienating or conveying water by granting franchises for the use thereof in perpetuity and we demand that the use of water rights be permitted only for limited periods with just compensation in the interests of the people.
 Public Land Withdrawals
 Approving the withdrawal of public lands pending classification and the separation of surface rights from min eral, forest and water rights. including waterpower sites, we recommend legis- lation for the classification and leasing for grazing purposes on unreserved pub lie lands suitable for this purpose sub ject to the rights of homesteaders and
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