EDITORIAL 



The Second National Conservation Congress 



THE keynote of the Second National 

 Conservation Congress is the con- 

 structive application of conservation 

 principles to concrete problems. The 

 White House Conference of May, 1908, 

 brought the issue before the coun- 

 try ; it showed the need of action, made 

 a direct appeal to patriotism, and ener- 

 gized the movement. The next landmark 

 was the inventory of natural resources 

 published in the report of the National 

 Conservation Commission. Though nec- 

 essarily incomplete, this was a fully ade- 

 quate presentation of the basic facts and 

 a succinct formulation of cardinal prin- 

 ciples. St. Paul marks the third stage 

 of the advance. The great interests con- 

 cerned with the problems of conserva- 

 tion will be represented there by men 

 who are leaders in the development of 

 natural resources. These men will at- 

 tack actual cases and advance definite 

 recommendations, in the light of their 

 business experience and trained ability. 

 From the program it is evident that 

 the several topics are to be handled from 

 the inside. Such men as A. L. Baker 

 and Wallace Simmons of St. Louis, and 

 T. L. Lewis, president of the United 

 Mine Workers of America, will deal 

 with the industrial aspects of conserva- 

 tion. Forestry will be represented by 

 Henry S. Graves, and water power by 

 Herbert Knox Smith. Judge Ben D. 

 Lindsey, of the Denver Juvenile Court, 

 will discuss the conservation of child 

 life. Dr. Francis E. McVey, of the Uni- 

 versity of South Dakota, a noted au- 

 thority, will present a paper on forest 

 taxation, while the discussion of this 

 topic will be conducted by J, B. White, 

 of St. Louis, whose influence in the 



lumber world, and effective work in in- 

 troducing conservative methods into 

 lumbering, are well recognized. 



A conspicuous place on the prograrr 

 will be occupied by the topic of publi< 

 land legislation, with special referenc< 

 to the proper development of such ma 

 jor resources as minerals and the publii 

 range. Another important and practica 

 feature will be the reports of the con 

 servation committees of the great busi 

 ness organizations of the country whicl 

 have been devoting themselves to th 

 mastery of the problems encountered ii 

 their respective fields of enterprise. I 

 is expected that these reports will con 

 tribute much new information, man 

 workable suggestions, and not a fe^ 

 positive results. 



Special interest centers, natural!} 

 about Mr. Pinchot's address on ''Th 

 Program of Conservation." Those wh 

 talk at random against conservation hav 

 been asserting that Mr. Pinchot has thu 

 far failed to lay down definite line 

 along which the ideal of conservatio 

 can actually be approached. We cor 

 sider this criticism altogether unfounde< 

 and believe that those who make it hav 

 not taken the pains or felt a desire t 

 acquaint themselves with Mr. Pinchot 

 brilliant achievements in constructs 

 conservation work. In this addres 

 however, Mr. Pinchot will accept th 

 challenge that has been offered, and wi 

 attempt to present a very definite pn 

 gram. This is an exceedingly difficu 

 task. It calls for a rare combinatio 

 of expert knowledge and constructs 

 statesmanship, a complete command ( 

 the subject on both its theoretical an 

 its practical sides. There is no doub 

 in our judgment, that he will be entire! 

 equal to the emergency and will acqn 

 himself in a manner which will leave li 

 tie to be desired. 



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