Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-09-26
COLORADO AND
CONSERVATION
Address by Ex-Governor Alva
Adams at Irrigation Con-
gress at Pueblo
MALADY OF AGE IS WASTE
ProdigaI Son Was Stingy Com
pared With Riotous Living of
Americans.

Pueblo, Colo, Sept 6.-"Colorado.
Conquest and Conservation" was the
subject of an address delivered here
Today by Ex-Governor Aiva Adams, OF
Colorado. before the National ITriga-
ton Congress. He declared himself
in favor of state control of irrigation
projects, which would place the deyel-
opment and conservation of national
resources close to the peopl,. This,
he said, would insure tranquility,
promote the dignity of the states,
harm no one, strengthen the nation
and advance the welfare of all the
people" He said in part:
The economic malady of the age
is waste. The prodigal son was al
most thrifty compared with the riot
Gus prodigality of the American peo-
pie in the use of the virgin estate
which God bequeathed to them. A
material wealth unknown in history
resources beyond human computation
have alone kept the nation solvent.
For a hundred years we have plowed
and dug-cut and robbed-sawed and
burnt-like the fool in fairy stories.
we have chopped down the tree that
a generation has grown that we may
the easier pluck the fruit of a season.
Just when we need the point of spoil
alton and danger, the voice of Deity
or some benefcient influence started
the nation and touched the mind pres
ident and tatesman--lawmaker and
people and the cause of conservation
was born. OF this mighty issue of
preservation and development this
National Irrigation Congress is to be
the prophet and guide.
Our country reverberates with the
pulmonary eloquence of those material
messiahs who preach the new gospel
of conservation. After 100 years CIV
en- to cutting their own forests. cor
railing their water power and dispoil-
ing their coal measures our eastern
brothers are especially vigorous in de-
manding that the national government
stop the waste and vandalism of
the west. 1t is survival of the old
Yankee spirit which a generation ago
! lorganized Indian societies for the pro
| lection and reformation ard sa,yss
tion of the Indians of the west.
THE western people, however, are
| sound, sensible and just and recog-
nize that the agitation for sonserva-
tion is timely and will result in good
to country and people. We may diff
fer as to methods but there can be
no deoates upon the prime issue that
the time has come to save and con.
serve.
so far the battle has waged around
the standards of Pinchot and Ballin-
ger. Both are no doubt honest and
each means the best put prejudice
and partisanship have clouded the
issues between them-their controver-
sy has taken on the color of per-
sonal and political ruction. SO con-
fused has public knowledge become
that | question whether half the peo-
pie of the country have any clear con.
ception of the difference between
'Pinchaism and Ballingerism'' While
We may not be especially interested
i'll the bitter PERSONAL animosities of
these two leaders, their quarrel has
wakened a nation wide interest in
conservation, that is good. In details
We may agree with neither.
Great as may be the need of con-
| tCnrUafinn iy F1, I,
or despair. Neither this generation or
many generations to come will be cold
for want of coal or wood for fuel
the springs will not run dry or the
rivers cease to fioW--man will never
go without shelter for want of tim
Der to build. Forests will never dis
appear-50 years of scientific refor.
estration will give to the United
States more available timber than
stood when Columbus touched this
continent
. The best way to conserve our
forests is to build homes with the
: timber. The best use we can make
OF vacant laid is to put a settler upon
1t. The best use we can make of coal
and iron is to build merchant ships
to run new lines of railroads, to make
: plows and all the tools of an intelli
! gent industry, the most wasteful use
4 in which they can be put is in making
r cannon and building battleships. The
cost of the North Dakota war shir
( would have dug three Gunnison tun
/ nels or built another Roosevelt reser
e volr-these enterprises are the eli
q max of conservation. Let our public
Y lands be sold for purposes of this
h KIND and generations after us will
/. bless and not curse us for wastins
q their patrimony.
Land laws should be made an(
executed SO that citizens may be en-
couraged and aided to become own
: ers-rural homes, cultivated field.
owned by those who plow and plan
them, are of more worth to the repub
lic than game preserves, forest wild
ernesses, or scenery. Every sensi
Bile thinker knows that land happiness
are close allied. Why then seal uI
millions of acres? Cut the fences
y and make it easy for the individual tc
L drive a home stake upon the sol
J. of his country. Open lands in United
g States will dull the trails to Canada
n The corporations will gobble it or.
E. those who would keep the domain
IS
Continued on Page Five.)