Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-08-06


of the Conservation movement and the
causes that have led up to the wide
spread attention that the subject Is
receiving today. The Conservation
movement is but the logical outgrowth
of the efforts that have been made Of
late years for the better management
Of our forests, the wiser use Of our
streams and the more Intelligent ex-
ploitation of our minerals These eff
forts have largely followed the lead,
II they have not actually been under
the directions of bureaus of two of
the Federal Departments, the Geo
logical Survey and the Reclamation
Service of the Interior Department
and the Forest Service of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture. Even more di-
rect Is the relation of the Forest SER
vice to Conservation,
Based on the findings and recon-
mendations OF the officials of the Geo
logical Survey, the Reclamation Ser
vice and the Forest Service. the Con-
servation movement had It's begin
ming in the better appreciation of the
resources of the nation, of their inter-
relation and of the effect OF their OK
haustion on national prosperity. The
rise OF Conservation as popular
movement, in which the principles
above outlined have begun to DO felt
in tangible form. dates from the ap-
pointment Of the Inland Waterways
Commission by President Roosevelt
on March ~, 1907. This Commission
was asked ito prepare and report a
comprehensive plan for the improve
ment and control of the river systems
of the United States" and further,
because 1T is not possible to properly
frame so large a plan as this for the
control OF our rivers without taking
account of the orderly development
OF other natural resources" the Com
mission was asked to consider the
relations of the streams to the use
of all the great permanent natural re-
sources and their conservation for
the making and maintenance of pros
porous homes"
Field Found Large.
The preliminary report of the In
land Waterways Commission was
made to the President in February,
1908, was transmitted by him to Con-
gress and was published The investi-
cations Of this body having made Il
apparent that the field to be covered
was larger than could be handled by
the Waterways Commission, Presi-
dent Roosevelt issued call in No
vember, 1907, for Conservation Con-
gress to be held at the White House
In May, 1908, to which we're invited
the Governors of all the States, Of
ficials of various branches of the Fed
eral Government, representatives
from many organizations having to
do with the natural resources, and
delegates from each State, designated
by the Governor. The conference
lasted three days and was a memoir
able occasion in many ways, perhaps
the most important feature being the.
precedent thereby established of oc-
casional meetings Of the Governors
that bids fair to develop into highly
useful, II technically unofficial line Of
government activity. A declaration
of principles was drawn up and APP
proved that has been adopted as the
charter as II were, of the Conservation
movement. The results of this con-
ference were published by authority
of Congress, as stout volume during
the summer of 1909.
Early in June, 1898, President
Roosevelt reappolnted and enlarged
the Inland Water Ways Commission
and also created the National Conser-
walton Commission. with four sec.
tions-water, lands. forests and min
erals. This body Mt once undertook
an inventory of the natural resources
of the United States, which II COM
pleted In December. 1908. The report
of the National Conservation Com
mission was submitted to President
Roosevelt in January, 1909, and by
him transmitted to Congress. The
main report was accompanied by re-
ports covering each of the sections
and also by numerous papers pre-
pared by experts in various lines. 1T
is one of the most fundamentally i'm
portant documents ever laid before
the American people"
Subsequent to the Conference of the
Governors in May, 1908, thirty-siX of
the States and Territories formed
Conservation Commissions. In De-
cember, 1908, second Conference of
Governors was called ut Washing
ton. at which meeting the findings
OF the National Conservation Commits
sion was first made public, This con-
ference adopted resolutions commend
ing that report and urged on Con-
gress the Importance of taking action
along lines following the recommen-
dations of the Commission report,
At this meeting, too, was organized
the Joint Committee on Conservation
designed to affiliate the several State