Morris tribune., 1910-04-01
Meeting at St. Paul AWakens
Statewide Interest in Most
Important Subject
GOVERNOR DECLARES IT
IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
County Clubs to Be Organized
to Carry Out. Ideas Ex-
pounded by Experts.

Conservation has been adopted as
permanent policy for Minnesota's fu-
ure-conservation in a definite, pro-
gressive Sense-as a result OF the first
Minnesota Conservation and Agricul-
tural Development congress, which was
IN session four days in the St Paul
Auditorium. The meeting set stand
ard for future legislation and state
policy. 1t crystallized ideas for prog
ress in many lines. 1t awakened in
terest anew in farm and industrial ed"
ucation It pledged the state as a
whole to a good roads campaign, to
more liberal treatment of state lands
and to rational apportionment of leg
isIative districts.
This result was taken part in by
3.038 delegates who registered with
the secretary and by several hundred
more who overlooked that formality.
There were sixteen meetings in the
Auditorium, each addressed by spe-
cialtsts and by big men with messages
to give.
The delegates, who represented ev-
cry county in the state, gave much
attention to the exhibit features col
lected, which also had their educa-
tional value They formed a perma-
nent organization. County cOnserva-
ton clubs will be organized, with
printed volumes of the congress pro-
ceedings to guide their work and
second state meeting will be held next
winter in Minneapolis.
ERERAART WELL PLEASED.
Governor A. o. Eberhart, who is
sued the call for the congress and
raped for order on the opening day,
is eIated over the success of the gath
ering.
This is only starter" he said.
"The various counties are to be organ
lied for the movement, in county con-
servation clubs, by our vice presidents
and committeeman. Between now and
next year the ideas given us by ex-
perts in each line will be absorbed and
used by local organizations. The del
egates to the next congress will come
we'll informed and ready for another
step in progress.
ct will be proper for the subjects
passed upon at this congress to be
called to the attention of the next leg
tslature in the governors message.
The next congress will probably con-
vene while the next legislature is meet
ing and can endorse the ideas still
further Recommendations coming
from such large body of representa-,
tive citizens are bound to have great
weight.
u must emphasize that this is E.
non-partisan movement, with no clique
of men using it to grind their axes.
When it came to appointing delegates
I used names given by the county audi
tors. who were asked to find two good
men in each township who would be
likely to attend. | also named dele
gates on recommendation of local com
mercial clubs. Politics did not enter
into the meeting in any way and that
is one reason there has been such
fine spirit of cooperation and unan-
Unity. That is one thing We have
been needing in Minnesota, to find our
selves and each other and to work
more in unison for results"
OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR.
Governor Eberhart called the first
session of the congress to order and
introduced Archbishop Ireland as the
presiding officer. The archbishop's
address was devoted largely to Min
pesota's richness in natural resources
and in plea for their conservation.
The balance of the first days morning
session was occupied in the appoint
ment of committees and transaction
of the business of organization.
The features of the afternoon ses-
sion were addresses by Governor Eber-
hart, as president of the congress;
Richard A. Ballinger, secretary of the
interior, and Professor Albert Woods,
dean of the State Agricultural college.
A special session on Farm Conserva-
ton Problems" with Senator S. D.
Works presiding, was held at 4 in the
afternoon and in the evening P. V.
Collins of Minneapolis presided, while
the speakers were Mrs, Margaret J.
Blair, instructor in domestic science
at the State Agricultural college;
Max Toltz, consulting engineer of the
Great Northern railroad, who told of
the richness of Minnesota's peat de-
posits; Professor Frederick E. Glenn
ents of the state university and George
Otis Smith, director of the United
States geological survey. Director
Smith used a stereepticon in his ad-