The Detroit times., 1910-01-17
Tact SAYS STATES
MUST help SAVE
RESOURCES
Vast Forests Under Private Owner
ship in Various States Must Be
Controlled To Help Conser.
walton, He Maintains.
Delivers Important Address at Con-
ference on Uniform Laws in
National Capital.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 17.-"There IL
a responsibility that rests upon the
states that ought to be felt by those
who call themselves progressives and
who are working to uplift and make
more comfortable the life Of the aver
age citizen"
In these words. President Taft to.
day In an address at the opening ses-
sion OF the conference on uniform
laws called by the National Civic
Federation, gave notice that those who
cry for reform cannot expect the fed
eral government to aid beyond what
he considered Its constitutional power.
The president said that reforms
usually proposed the establishment OF
federal bnreaus to supervise state ac-
ton where states really had exclusive
jurisdiction. He believed that most
Of the conservation work must neces-
sarily be done through state legisla-
ton. because the power Of the federal
government to act was extremely
doubtful.
The president scored the delays OF
the courts and said that procedure in
federal courts should be a model for
state courts.
THE vast forests under private own
ership In the several states" said the
president. cannot be regulated by
the federal government and their reg
ulation and control is absolutely neces-
sary to the success Of the conservation
movement. This work must be done
by the states. So 1t IL with the streams.
In the conservation movement much
more depends upon the state than
upon the federal government"
The president warned the con-
ference that II the states were to re-
tain the power delegated them under
the. constitution they must exercise
those powers In the interests OF tn
people.
"The federal government has n
more power today than II ever hs4s'
he declared. 1.-The power has not IN
creased. but the importance OF the
power has been augmented. For IN
stance, thu interstate commerce.
clause Early N the c0untSyas haszosy
me intrastate trade was TO the
Interstate trade Q 70 to rs. Now the
Interstate trade IL to the intrastate as
rs to 20. complete reversal.
These great organizations OF
wealth. capital and plants must be
recognized as interstate organizations
and Incorporated as such in order to
secure to the people their value-and
there Is a great deal of value In these
trusts"
The session was opened by Seth
Low, of New York. president OF the
National Civic Federation.
Uniform legislation" said Presi-
dent Low, at the conference on laws.
''is equivalent In legislation to stand
ardization In mechanical construction.
Formerly there were broad gauge rail-
roads and railroads with narrower
gauge. Broad gauge railroads and
narrow gauge railroads could not
connect. AT last the gauge of all rail-
roads could not connect. At last the
guage Of all railroads was standard:
lied, that Is to say, made uniform, and
now the cars of every railroad can be
used on the tracks Of every other rail-
road, and no one would think OF GO
ing back to the old system. The
broad guage as a mechanical PROPOSE
ton has some advantages over the
narrower guage, but these were whoi-
ly insignificant compared with the ad-
yantages resulting from standardiza-
ton, Difference in guage did not
make (railroading Impossible, but they
made II inconvenient, costly and slow.
Similarly difference In laws relating
to, the common life OF the people do
not make business impossible; but
they do hamper business relations by
causing inconvenience, expense and
delay"
The conference, said President Low,
had been called to give an impulse to
the movement for uniform legislation
by the states as TO matters upon
which such legislation was desirable.
Although 1t did not originate the idea
the National Civic Federation, In
which he is 80 much interested, hopes
that the states will come to a realiza-
ton OF the importance Of the subject
and do their share In bringing abou;
the much needed reform.
There are some subjects" he said
like Uniform bills Of lading. in which
the people OF all the states are inter
ested and all In the same way. There
is no reason why statute regulating
bills of lading which is good In one
state, should not be good for all.
statute on this subject which Is the
same in all the states is better for
everybody than an ideally more per.
feet statute that should differ In i'm.
portant particulars I'm many states. "