Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-09-08
ROOSEVELT WOULD HAVE
IGNORED ACT OF CONGRESS
Continued from prEc g.

| Among tnrSp WCrC the commission Tor
rnorEarizine the business methods of
tho government, the public lands com
mission. and the country life commits
eion and the national conservation
commission itself. Whom signed the
sundry clvil service bill contn ining
this amendment. | transmitted with II
'ns my last official oct Il memorandum
declaring that the amendment waS
void. because It was an unconstitu-
tionnl Interference with the rights OF
the executive. ana that If We're TO
remain President would pay 20 II no
attention whatever.
| The national conservation commission
thereupou became dormant. Tho susprn-
sion of its work came at Il most TN
fortunate time, and there was serious
danger that the progress already made
would be lost At this critical moment
the National Conservation association
was organized. It took up the work
which otherwise would not have been
done and II exercised n most useful In
fiucnce in preventing had Legislation, IN
securing tho introduction of better CON
servation measures at the past session
of Congress- and In promoting the passage
OF wise laws 1t deserves the confidence
and support Of every citizen Interested
in the wise development and preservation
Of our natural resources, and In prevent
ing them from passing into the hands Of
uncontrolled monopoli,s. II Joins with the
national conservation congress in holding
this meeting. I am here by the joint
| invitation Of both
/ PAN-ANF.R1CAN CONSERVATION.
| When the government IL the United
States awoke to the idea Of the congervn-
ton and saw that II was good It lost no
! time IN communicating the advantages Of
! the new point OF view 20 its lmmcdia t.
neighbors among the nations. \ North
American conservation conference was
held In Washington. and the corporation
of Canada and Mexico in the great
problem Of developing the resources Of
| the continent for the benefit OF it's people
was asked and promised The nations
upon our northern and southern bound
aries wisely realized that their op-
portun!ty to conserve the natural re
sources was better than ours. because
with them destruction and metropolitan
tion had not zone so far as they had with,
U.S.
So 1t is with the republics of Central and
South America. Obviously they are on
the verge of q period of great material
progress. The development of their natu-
| raj resources--thcir forests. their mines.
| their water and their soils will create
enormous wealth. 1t is to the mutual in
| terest of the United States and our sister
| American republics that this develop
ment should be wisely done Our manu-
featuring industries offer market for
| more and more of their natural wealth
and raw material. while they will in
creasiuRly desire TO meet that demand IN
commercial exchange. The more we buy
from them. the moro we shall sell to
them. Their prosperity is inseparably in
volved with our own. Thank heaven.
We Of this continent are now beginning TO
realize, that In the end the whole world
will realize. that normally 1t IS a good
, thing for nation to have its neiGhbor
nations prosper. We of the United States
are genuinely and heartily pleased to see
growth and prosperity Of Canada. in Mex
leo. in South America.
II is clear that unless mo governments
OF our southern neghbors take steps In
the near future by wise Legislation to
control the development and use of their
natural resources, they will probably fall
into the hands Of conccssionaires and pro
moters. whose single purpose, without
regard TO the permanent welfare OF tho
| land In which they work. Will be to make
the most possible money In the shortest
possible time. There will be ~ shameful
waste, destructive loss. and short sighted
disregard of the future, as we have learn
cd by bitter experience here at home.
Unless the governments Of all the
American republics, including our own,
enact In time such laws as will both pro-
tect their natural wealth and promote
their legitimate and reasonable develop
ment, future generations Will owe their
luisfortunes to MS of to-day. i great
patriotic duty calls upon US We owe
It to ourselves and to them TO give the
American republics all the help we can.
| The cases In which we have failed
should be no less Instructive than the
cases in which we have succeeded. With
, prompt action and good VIII the task
of saving the resources for the people
Is full of hope for all Of us
STATE AND FEDERAL. CONTROL.
But while we of the United States are
anxious, as I believe we are able, 10 be
of assistance to others, there ara
| problems OF our own WhlCn we must not
overlook. One of the most important con-
servation questions Of the moment relates
to tho control of water power monopoly
In the public interest. There Is apparent
to the judicious observer distinct
| tendency on the part of our opponents to
cloud the issue by raising the question of
State as against federal jurisdiction. We
are ready to meet that Issue II 1t is forced
upon us. But there Is no hope for the
plain people in such conflicts of jurisdic-
tons The essential question is not one
of half splitting legal technicalties 1t IS
simply this: Who can best regulate the
| special interests for the public good? Most
| OF tho predatory corporations are inter
state or have interstate affiliations.
Therefore they are largely out of reach
| OF effective State control and fall OF
necessity within the federal Jurisdiction.
One Of the prime objects of those among
them that arc grasping and greedy Is to
avoid any effective control either by State
| or nation; and they advocate at this time
State control simply because they believe
II to be the least effective. In the great
fight Of the people to drive tho special
interests from tho dominion of our gov
| eminent, tho nation is stronger and its
| Jurisdiction Is more effective than that
| of any State. The most effective weapon
| against these great corporations, most
| of which are financed and owned on the
Atlantic coast. will be federal laws and
the federal executive. That Is why al
strongly oppose the demand to turn these