The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-03-30
ST. PAUL LETTER.

There is too much of the conserya-
ton congress to write about in the
limits Of this letter. It is tremend-
Gus success. The attendance is quite
as large as was anticipated, and the
interest taken in the different fea-
lures is keen. There is little ques-
ton that the congress will do much
towards bringing to the minds Of
the people of the State better APP
probation of its great resources and
possibilities. The convention will
increase the public interest already
awakened by the agitation. AS to
its practical advantage that will de-.
pend. The State isn't made any
bigger or better by talking about it.
The people who work make the
State-in Minnesota largely the peo-
pie who till the soil. Those who
have studied the situation regard
the movement for practical popular
education especially along agricul-
tural lines, as that which holds out
most promises for the future.
The movement is one rather for
State Development than State con-
servation. 1t is the Development
of agricultural resources with which
this convention has to do rather than
with the conservation of the States
mineral resources. Reforestization
is conservation movement. Little
attention has been paid to it. The
States mineral resources are those
most in need Of conservation just
now. But there is no word Of con-
serving the States mineral wealth
for the use of future generations or
of such legislation as would compel
less wasteful mining methods. Nor
is there any indication that the con-
gress regards the States mineral
wealth as heritage Of its people
in whose benefits they are entitled
directly to share.
That realization will probably
come later, as we realize now what
a mistake it was to give as much en-
couragement as we did to the devel-
opment of the States lumber indus
try without any thought Of the duty
of conserving our forests. The re-
suit of the policy pursued is that
every man who needs lumber now
has to pay probably about twice
what he would have to if Minnesota
had not been denuded Of its forests.
Thus it will be seen that conservation
is an intensely practicl matter. We
can't eat our cake and have it. We
let the lumberman denude our for
ests. and thus created the lumber
barons; but it did practically nothing
for the people of the State. We
are now letting the iron kings de-
plete our mines. One Of these days
our children will be wondering what
they got out Of those holes in the
ground in the wilderness Of Duluth.
The governors reference to this
matter is suggestive. He says that
up to December Of last year 225, 900,
600 tons of iron ore were shipped
out of the State. This was worth to
the shipper of the ore certainly not
less than So ton or $750. 900, 900.
The States share in this, according
to the governor. was but $21, 000, 600
"a mere cheese-paring compared
with the total bulk of mineral wealth
it has given up. Still more signifi-
cant is the governors statement Of
the ore yet in the ground, which he
estimates at l,5OO.OOO,OOO tons,
worth at So ton $4,000, 600, 900.
Out of the enormous total the gov
ernor estimates that the State will
get ultimately $4,000, 900. or one
forty-ffth part which he appears to
regard as a matter of congratulation,
osucceeding generations the States
share in its mineral wealth is not
likely to appear excessive.
So far as | can learn, Mr.. Ballin-
gers speech made no great hit here.
1t does not appear to have impressed
anybody as that Of man very great
~ devoted to the Roosevelt policy OF
T. Il r.