240 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



May 



subject; but it is believed that, as an 

 outcome of the White House Confer- 

 ence, there will be formed some sort 

 of permanent organization of the ex- 

 ecutives of the several states and ter- 

 ritories : and it is further believed and 

 hoped that, through such permanent 

 organization, definite and compre- 

 hensive plans will be formulated for a 

 conservation moA^ement that will be 

 truly national in its scope, and that 

 will result in the general adoption, by 

 the States and the Federal Govern- 



ment, of far-reaching measures look- 

 ing toward reforestation, forest con- 

 servation, the re-grassing of the range 

 lands of the West, conservation and 

 full utilization of the country's water 

 resources, both for purposes of irri- 

 gation and power, and, in fact, a gen- 

 eral and well directed movement for 

 the husbanding of existing resources 

 and retrenchment as regards present 

 methods of use of what the Nation 

 possesses in the way of timber, water, 

 minerals and other natural wealth. 



THE GOVERNORS SAY 



'"THE following symposium, culled 

 ■*• from the letters of the Gover- 

 nors accepting the invitation to 

 attend and participate in the Con- 

 ference at the White House, ]\Iay 13, 

 14, and 15, is significantly indicative 

 of the interest that is being taken by 

 the leading men of the country in the 

 gathering. Not all of the Governors 

 have been quoted, for the reason lliat 

 lack of space forbids ; but tl.c ex- 

 pressions selected at random fiom the 

 numerous and in some cases volumin- 

 ous letters serve well to show the 

 trend of the whole mass of corres- 

 pondence. 



B. B. Comer, Governor of Alabama: 



"Please allow me to congratulate yoa 

 on the call for this meeting, and to con- 

 giMtulate you on your general good 

 work for the country and for the peo- 

 ple in many respects. I shall gladly ac- 

 cept for myself * * * j feel sure that 

 much good will result froin the Confer- 

 ence itself, and from the commingling 

 of these officials and citizens." 



Joseph H. Kibbey, Governor of Arizona: 



"I agree with the views you express, 

 without reservation. I do not think you 

 stated the facts too strongly when you 

 expressed the opinion that 'there is no 

 other question now before the Nation of 

 equal gravity with the question of the 

 conservation of our nattiral resources,' 

 and to ine it has been especially gratify- 

 ing to note the wann approval with 

 which the thinking people of the West 

 received the speech from which this quo- 

 tation is made. The proposed Confer- 



ence will, in my judgment, do great 

 good, and I take pleasure in advising 

 you that I intend to be present." 



E. W. Hoch, Governor of Kansas: 



"Kansas is the most inland of States. 

 No great navigable river traverses its 

 territory, but I think I voice the senti- 

 ment of our people when I say that we 

 are heartily in favor of the improveinent 

 of all our inland waters for transporta- 

 tion purposes, and the conservation of 

 all our waters for irrigation and manu- 

 facturing purposes. Kansas has no pub- 

 lic lands, agricultural or mineral, but it 

 is in favor of preserving what remains of 

 these to legitimate business enterprises, 

 and to prevent their absorption by spec- 

 ulators. Kansas has no timber lands, 

 but it is in favor of preservation and 

 restoration of our National forests. 

 * * * And I trust that the proposed 

 Conference will crystallize your ideas 

 into an organized movement that will 

 ultimately accomplish all the results you 

 desire." 



J. N. Gillett, Governor of California: 



"The conservation of our water, and 

 the application of it to power, and irri- 

 gation also, are questions of great mo- 

 ment to us. I heartily approve of any 

 scheme which will preserve to our peo- 

 ple the natural resources of our coun- 

 try and save the same, not only for our 

 present uses, but for the uses of those 

 who are to follow us." 



Curtis Guild, Jr., Governor of Massa- 

 chusetts: 



"May I state that the present duty on 

 wood pulp and forest products is tend- 

 ing not only to destroy our natural re- 

 sources, but is a menace to the head 

 waters of the rivers that furnish the wa 



