I ' ii iS 



F.DITORI \I. 



353 



uniformity of policy among the busi- 

 ness and oilier organizations men- 

 tioned has been found wise, SO har- 

 mony and unifonnily among the states 

 will "doubtless also gradually he found 

 vvi>e. 



Though convening to consider a 

 specific question, that, namely, of con- 

 servation of natural resources, it is 

 noteworthy that the one conference 

 held sees far heyond that single ob- 

 ject. Governor Swanson, of Virgin- 

 ia, mentioned extradition, standardiz- 

 ation of laws on marriage and divorce, 

 taxation and police power as questions 

 that should be considered at the next 

 conference. The remarks of both 

 President Roosevelt and Mr. IJryan 

 are likewise suggestive of future pos- 

 sibilities with respect to corporation 

 control. Speaking of the respective 

 fields of state and Nation, the Presi- 

 dent said, "I am trying to find out 

 where one or the other can act, so 

 that there shall he some sovereign 

 power that, on behalf of the people, 

 can hold every big corporation, every 

 big individual, to an accountability so 

 that its. or his acts shall be beneficial 

 to the people as a whole." While Mr. 

 Bryan pointed out felicitously that 

 there should be "no twilight zone" 

 between the domains of state and Na- 

 tion in which corporations may hide 

 and escape control- 



( hi reflection, it should be evident 

 that if the people of the I'nited Stale- 

 have seriously set themselves to work 

 to control, through their various gov- 

 ernments. National and state, their cor- 

 porations and trusts, no better scheme 

 could be devised than a conference 

 representing all these governments and 

 deliberately formulating a policy, leg- 

 islative and administrative, whereby 

 this end should be pursued. The fa- 

 miliar process of scudding from -tate 

 to state, and of oscillating between 

 state and federal jurisdictions, where- 

 by, it is commonly believed, ^reat in- 

 terests have played hidc-and--cek 

 with justice, and snapped their linger- 

 at Government, might, in tin- \\av. be 

 seriously discouraged. 



Again, the jealousy between -late 

 and Nation over the qne-liou of re- 

 spective powers that ha- proved 

 serviceable to mighly la\\l 

 could, by this meth >d. be -ettled with 

 the minimum of difficulty. The I're-i 

 dent declared that, a- respects tip 

 ademic side of tin- question" \ -late 

 ami National functions, he cared noth- 

 ing. "I deal," he said, "with the mat 

 ter from the standpoint of true p< pu- 

 lar interest, and therefore my de-ire 

 is to employ indifferentlv either the 

 principle of state-' rights, or the prin- 

 ciple of National sovereignty, which- 

 ever in a given case will b 

 the needs of the people." With tin-. 

 view the Conference acquiesced, much 

 to the disgust of at leasi one new-pa- 

 per prominently identified with corpor- 

 ate interests. Obviously, when stat< - 

 and Nation cease disputing over which 

 shall or shall not catch the hare, the 

 prospect for catching it will materially 

 improve. 



That such conferences, meeting per- 

 haps annually, in future may develop 

 a legislative "third house" naturally 

 suggests itself. This first conference 

 did. in fact, urge action by Congr- 

 as is shown by the following re-olu- 

 tion : 



"We especially ur^e on the Fidcral 

 Congress the immediate adoption ot 

 a wise, active, and thorough watcruay 

 policy providing for the prompt im- 

 provement of our stream- and con-erv- 

 ation of their watersheds required for 

 the use- of ci mnierce. and the ] 

 lion of the intere-t- < >f our pe> p 



Other recommendations, applicable 

 to Congress, were also made. 



Conceding the point, however, d 

 it not afford ground for c< n^raKila- 

 tion rather than for regret? The gov- 

 ernors are nearer the people certain- 

 ly than the upper, and probably than 

 the lower house of Congress. Con 

 gres-iiu-n are in tin- National Capitol. 

 mo>t of them hundred-, many of them 

 thou-and- of miles from their constit- 

 uents Governors arc j n their home 

 state<. in closest touch with public 

 ntimenr. Furthermore, tlv rn- 



