EDITORIAL 



Forestry and Irrigation First tying the world. For the first time 



in history it is now possible for men 



The report of the White House scattered over an area as great, al- 

 Conference, practically complete, is mos t, as that of Europe, to come to- 

 contained in this issue of FORESTRY gether quickly and inexpensively, to 

 AND IRRIGATION; and this magazine is confer, surrounded by "all the com- 

 the first among periodicals to publish f orts o f home," to keep in touch, 

 a full account of the meeting of the meanwhile, with their ordinary inter- 

 Governors. Almost the entire maga- ests> and to re turn promptly to their 

 zine is devoted to this report, and the regular work. Hence, meetings of 

 papers, addresses, discussions, etc., are bodies, commercial, political, economic, 

 given in the or.ler in which they oc- educational, scientific, religious, phil- 

 curred. Sixteen pages have been osophical, and what-not, are the order 

 added to the magazine in order to of thc (lay 7 huSj i n fl uence d by the 

 do this; and even with such addition it Time Spirit, it was probably inevit- 

 has been found necessary to omit prac- ablc that representatives of all of the 

 tically all other features, departments, states s h ou ]d, sooner or later, be 

 etc., usually found in the magazine. ])rou o-h t together in conference with 

 N T one but papers actually read at the representatives of the several branches 

 Conference appear in this issue ; of thc Federal Government 

 eral extremely valuable ones not de- ^ a factor in developing the Na- 

 livered because of lack of time, but Uonal irit> as inst the old time 

 which will appear in the published re- particul;iri sm which, once regnant, 

 port of the proceedings, will be printed made the developrnen t of the Nation 



and a true National policy so difficult, 



'= "-' ''-- such a meeting was doubtless potent. 



"A New Departure in Government" As a factor in developing uniform pol- 

 icies among multiplying and widely 



The Governor's Conference has been separated states, this meeting, with 

 well styled "a new departure in gov- those to follow, may be even more 

 ernment." The states of the Union potent. The individualism which so 

 have grown in number from thirteen long characterized the American man, 

 to forty-six. The Nation has risen has likewise, in large measure, char- 

 from a position in which the govern- acterized the American state. State 

 orship of a state or even the mayor- policy, state legislation, state aclmin- 

 alty of an important city was held istration. has hitherto been, in great 

 as a higher dignity than membership degree, a matter of "every tub stand- 

 in either branch of Congress. Yet ing on its own bottom." The result 

 never before, in the century and a has been divorce laws, labor laws, cor- 

 quarter during which this development poration laws, and the like, striking- 

 has been in progress, have representa- ly suggestive of a patchwork quilt, 

 tives of the states and of the three While, super-imposed upon this maze 

 co-ordinate branches of the National of dissimilar and inharmonious state 

 Government met together. As an in- legislation, has been still another sys- 

 novation, if nothing else, the event tern of Federal legislation, making the 

 might well be styled "epoch-making." confusion worse confounded. 



Such a coming together reflects But the states are now learning 



strikingly the spirit of the age. This what individuals earlier began to 



is an era of congresses, conventions, learn ; namely, that their relations in 



and great concourses. Modern fa- a commonwealth are relations not of 



cilities, notably railroads, telegraphs, independence, but of interdependence, 



and daily newspapers, are tapidly uni T Further, as harmony and substantial 



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