Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-06

The crowd began arriving early at
the auditorium to get glimpse OF
President Taft, who was on the pro-
gram for an address.
Before the convention was called to
order by President b. N. Baker, dele
gates gathered in little knots discuss
ing reports Of packed delegations made
by one side or the other. and COM
menting on Clifford Pinchot's move last
night in forming q national commits
sion for the purpose of systematizing
the work of state commissions and
bringing them into harmony with the
national congress.
The afternoon program included a
conference of governors and addresses
by them.
'The Economic Value of Conserva-
ton" was the subject of an address of
Governor Eberhart. The governor said
in part:
ANY theory of conservation which
does not provide for the present as well
as the future does not cover the en-
tire field, and cannot possibly bring the
best results. From every economic
standpoint 1t is desirable that the pres
ent generation shall be preferred,
since future discoveries and inventions
may render present resources OF less
value and Importance to the coming
generation.
"By far the most important of our
national resources Is the soil, and the
maintenance and increase of its fertil-
ity must therefore be given the great
est consideration.
BIG LOSS IN FARM VALUES
"The loss in farm values in nearly
all of the states, as shown by the CEN
sus records from 1880 to 1900, varies
from 81 900, 900 to $160, $1,000 in each
state. Is this not sufficient to arouse
the entire nation and cause such a
wave of reform as will put into activ-
ity every agency and instrumentality
for scientific and progressive method OF
agricultural reconstruction?
I'VE have the special honor of enter
tanning and hearing the three truly
great men who have contributed SO
much to the actual achievements of the
conservation movement, and they are
the three most distinguished guests of
this ongress-President Taft, Colonel
Roosevelt and James ]. Hill. Mime
sofa appreciates the honor and will
prove herself worthy thereof. AS her
chief executive L earnestly hope that
the deliberations of this congress may
bring results far beyond our hopes or
expectations.
The following telegram from Car
dinal Gibbons was read:
"In reply to your letter of July 25
allow me to say how earnestly l wish
the congress every success In the much
needed work of national conservation.
''It is said that the French and Ger
mans could subsist on what we waste,
and 1 fear very much that to a
stranger visiting our country it must
seem that in 100 years we have con-
sumed more of our natural resources
than the nations of Europe have done
in all the centuries of their existence.
FUTURE LOOKS PROMISING
"But If we have been reckless in the
past, wasting like vandals our rich in
heritance, it is most consoling and
full of promise for the future that
with the strong aid of our president,
Of Col Roosevelt and OF leading citi-
zens from various parts of the coun-
try, we may look for wiser use of our
forests in the near future, and I am
the more hopeful of a successful con-
gress from the fact that there is no
political issue involved in the great
subject before it, which might threaten
to divide your counsels and breed dis
content but that the sole motive that
actuatos the congress Is to conserve
and increase our natural resources and
thereby to contribute to the material
prosperity of our country.
ut is also decidedly my opinion that
we should regard our natural re-
sources as the patrimony of the ma
tinn. a sacred trust committed to our