1908 



THE GOYKKNORS 1 C< >NFJ 



339 



Tennesseeans and Yirginians ; '1 

 made up, in the main, of Missourians 

 and Tennesseeans, and Oklahoma, 

 whose citizens are principally Tcxans 

 and Kansans. And so it is, all over 

 this broad land; our American states 

 are united by blood, united in pur- 

 pose, and joined together by patriotic 

 bonds to a common country. (Ap- 

 plause.) It does not matter so much 

 where a man is from as what that man 

 is. In Kipling's words : 



"There is neither East or \\ 

 Bonier, nor breed, nor birth 

 When two strong men stand face to face, 

 Though they come fmm the ends of the 

 earth." 



After referring briefly to the situa- 

 tion in Missouri as regards coal, iron 

 and other minerals, Governor Folk 

 anaised a tremendous burst of ap- 

 plause by the declaration that "the for- 

 estry question is our problem, and it is 

 a problem that we must settle, and set- 

 tle soon. The waterways question is 

 our problem, and if we do not settle 

 it we will fail of our duty, not only to 

 the present generation, but to those 

 who may come after us." 



Continuing in this vein, the Mis- 

 souri Executive said : 



"Governor Glenn this morning spoke of a 

 hill before Congress in reference to forests 

 and waterways. I want to indorse what 

 Governor Glenn said. That bill ought to 

 pass. (Applause.) Governor Glenn spoke 

 of vox pupuli, vox Dei. But there is a new 

 voice in the land a voice that was not con- 

 templated by the Fathers of this Republic 

 vx Cannoni. (Applause and laughter.) 

 This later voice has often proven more pow- 

 erful than vox populi, and it sometimes 

 seems that it has been thought greater than 

 rv.r Dei. 



"\Ye want to put our forests in proper 

 condition to preserve the timber we have, 

 and we want to adopt a comprehensive 

 . me of reforestation. I am sorry to say 

 that in Missouri we have no State Forester; 

 but as soon as I go back home I intend to 

 appoint a State Fore-try Commission . (Ap- 

 plause and cries of "Good! good!") I be- 

 lieve that every G ' to do the 

 same thing, and I am -un- that < very ]. 

 lature, when it meets, will ratify Midi 

 \\'c want to pr< its. II 

 am no t treading on forhiddr- !. but 1 

 have been wondering why. with tin 

 sity for fores! pi' n. it \\ould DOl 



';st. 



It me that, i 



l.roni;!.; 



a fool of lun 



1 API 



Governor Folk then turn the 



subject of improvement of inland v. 

 terways. lie referred to the Missouri 

 River, stretching clear across his state. 

 A.S it is a navigable stream, he said, it 

 .belongs to the Federal Government. 

 The states, he said, cannot nnd. 

 the work of improving such strc.v 

 without obtaining the consent of the 

 Government. If the Government does 

 not care to undertake the permanent 

 improvement of the Mi.-souri River. 

 he went on, and if the consent of the 

 Government is granted, Missouri i- 

 willing to undertake the work, pro- 

 vided that, by act of Congre-s, .V 

 souri is given the right to use the 

 water power generated by the river. 

 Applause followed his announcement 

 that Missouri would undertake to do 

 this work and to pay for it out of the 

 revenues derived from the sale of the 

 water power; and not only that, but 

 to run the state government out of 

 such revenues also. And, he stated. 

 he believed that every state through 

 which courses a navigable stream 

 could and would undertake the same 

 work, under similar condition-. 



Governor Folk was followed by 

 Governor Osborne, of Michigan, 

 whose announcement that the Senate 

 Committee on Interstate C"inme- 

 had favorably reported the bill for the 

 perpetuation of the Inland \Yaterw. 

 Commission brought forth a round 

 cheers and hand-flapping. 1'ractical 

 result- d Govern, 'i- < >sli. MM 



expected from the Conference: and 

 among tin- practii -ults air 



obtained were the announcements hv 

 Governor Folk and others that they 



intended immediately to app 'in- 

 Forest ry Comn ; and he ]' 

 for tl 'ii on ihe part of 



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1 "t:dl. then 

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