96 



CONSERVATION 



Governor Deneen, of Illinois, was the 

 next speaker, telling the Confenence 

 what his State has done along the line 

 of improving waterways, and giving 

 figures as to the benfits resulting from 

 the contruction of the great Chicago 

 drainage canal, referring also to the re- 

 cent election at which the State was 

 authorized to issue bonds to the amount 

 of $20,000,000 for the further exten- 

 sion of a waterways system. His re- 

 marks, while not at great length, were 

 extremely interesting, as showing what 

 can be done by the individual States 

 when they are determined to do it. 



Governor Broward, of Florida, was 

 called upon at the conclusion of Gov- 

 ernor Deneen's very interesting state- 

 ment. He spoke to the Conference 

 on the importance of educating the peo- 

 ple of the whole country as to the real 

 condition of the natural resources of 

 the land, saying that there are many, 

 even yet. who will not believe — who 

 think the advocates of a rational policy 

 of conservation are on a wild goose 

 chase — and that there is no real reason 

 for taking care of our resources or 

 seeking to replace those that have been 

 exhausted by improvident, extravagant 

 use or criminal abuse. He stated that, 

 within twenty years, at the present rate 

 of cutting and turpentine-boxing, the 

 great yellow pine forests of Florida will 

 have entirely disappeared. He stated that 



he has twice recommended to the Mori- 

 da legislature that five districts should 

 be established, and that some immediate 

 action should be taken to protect tlie 

 forests from fire, with a view to repro- 

 duction, but that as yet no resuls have 

 been obtained. In common with prac- 

 tically all of the other speakers, he 

 urged the necessity for cooperation be- 

 tween Nation, and State in the solution 

 of the problem. 



Governor Woodruff, of Connecticut, 

 followed with a short talk on conditions 

 within his own State, saying that Con- 

 necticut stood ready to cooperate with 

 the other States in a program of conser- 

 vation, saying that it is simply a mat- 

 ter of education. 



Former Governor Van Sant, of 

 Minnesota, was the next speaker, and, 

 as a former steamboat captain, spoke 

 briefly as to the necessity and the com- 

 mercial importance of an inland water- 

 ways system. Governor Ansell, of 

 South Carolina, was also called on, re- 

 sponding with a brief talk on water- 

 ways. He emphasized the importance 

 of protecting the forested uplands and 

 stream sources, for the prevention of 

 silt deposits in the lower reaches of 

 the streams and in the harbors. 



At the conclusion of Governor An- 

 sell's remarks the report of the Com- 

 mittee on Resolution was called for. 

 The report follows : 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS 



THIS joint Conservation Conference, in 

 session assembled in the City of Wash- 

 ington, on this tenth day of December, 

 in the year 1908, representing the several 

 States and Territories in the United States 

 through Governors of States, State Conserva- 

 tion Commissions, delegates, and representa- 

 tives of State and National organizations 

 dealing with natural resources, does hereby 

 resolve and declare : 



Having heard the report of the National 

 Conservation Commission read, and having 

 fully deliberated thereon, we hereby indorse 

 the said report as a wise, just, and patriotic 

 statement of the resources of the Nation ; of 

 the thoughtless and profligate manner inwhich 

 some -of these resources have been and are 

 being wasted ; and of the urgent need for 

 their conservation in the interests of this and 

 future generations, to the end that the pros- 



perity and perpetuity of the Nation may be 

 assured. 



We especially approve of the principle of 

 cooperation among the States and between 

 these and the Federal Government, as laid 

 down in that report and in the earlier report 

 of the Inland Waterways Commission, and 

 urge both State and Federal legislatures to 

 enact sucli laws as may be necessary to extend 

 and apply such cooperation in all matters per- 

 taining to the use and conservation of our 

 resources. 



We especially connncnd and urge the adop- 

 tion of the policy of separate disposal of the 

 surface rights, timber rights, and mineral 

 rights on the remaining public lands of the 

 United States; and we approve the disposal 

 of mineral rights by lease onlv anu the dis- 

 posal of timber rights only under conditions 

 insuring proper cutting and logging, with a 



