420 FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



mineral mines, so that an object lesson time has come for a change. As a peo- 



to private enterprise might be furnished pie, we have the right and the duty to 



with a view of abrogating the present protect ourselves and our children 



fearfully wasteful methods of produc- against the wasteful development of 



tion. our natural resources, whether that 



We know from experience that at- waste is caused by the actual destruc- 

 tempts at development on the part of tion of such resources or by making 

 the states as separate entities must be them impossible of development here- 

 local, incomprehensive. and inadequate; after." 



these efiforts must absolutely cease at The Resolutions Committee of the 



the state boundary lines, although a full \Miite House Conference also stated in 



realization of results may be attained its report, made to the Convention, that 



only by obliterating political divisions. 'A\'e declare the conviction that in the 



It is quite clear, then, that our natural use of the natural resources our inde- 



resources should be developed and con- pendent states are interdependent and 



served in a national way, and national bound together by ties of mutual bene- 



development is possible only by a na- fits, responsibilities and duties." 



tional agency whose policy it would be The Inland Waterways Commission, 



to realize for all the people, irrespect- in its preliminary report, voiced its con- 



ive of locality, section, or state, the viction regarding the matter thus : 



maximum of benefits at a minimum of "Means should be devised and applied 



expense. for coordinating forestry, farming. 



Whilst most of us are believers in the mining, and related industries with the 

 theory of States' rights, and but few use of streams for commerce and for 

 subscribe to the maxim that a strongly other purpose." Also, "c|uestions con- 

 centralized government would be more cerning the control of water-power and 

 beneficial for us yet all of us do be- waterways should be treated as a gen- 

 lieve in union, which, carried to its log- eral question of national extent, while 

 ical conclusion, is cooperation ; ^nd in local or special projects should be con- 

 considering a question so vital as the sidered as parts of a comprehensive 

 very life of the Nation what grander policy of waterway control in the in- 

 principle should be invoked than the terests of all the people." 

 one which expresses itself in the term James J. Hill concluded his admira- 

 cooperation. ble address at the Governors' Confer- 



President Roosevelt, in his address to ence by saying: 'Tf this movement is 



the Governors at the \Miite House, to make headway * * * it needs 



pointed out that even "Washington the cooperation of all the influences, the 



clearly saw that the perpetuity of the help of every voice, the commendation 



states could only be secured by union, of nation and state, and such coopera- 



and that the only feasible basis of tion as that out of which this nation 



union was an economic one : in other was born, and by which it was reared 



words, that it must be based on the de- to worthy manhood." 



velopment and use of their natural re- Andrew Carnegie, in his paper, likens 



sources." "this Nation to a large family receiv- 



The President also poin*^ed out that ing a rich patrimony from thrifty pa- 



"whilst our natural resources are not rents deceased intestate * * * 



gone, they have been so injured by neg- Now the first duty of such a family is to 



lect and by the division of responsi- take stock of its patrimony ; the next, 



bility and utter lack of system in deal- to luanage the assets in such manner 



ing with them, that there is less naviga- that none shall be wasted, that all be 



tion on our waterways now than there put to the greatest good of the living 



was fifty years ago." And, finally, "In and their descendants." 



the pasf we have admitted the right of Prof. Emory R. Johnson, in his 



the individual to injure the future of "Navigation Resources of .\merican 



the Republic for his own profit. The Waterways." says "There is only one 



