WOODS 

 ^ WATERS 



SOILS 

 ORES 





liniiifti 



Vol. XIV 



OCTOBER, 1908 



Xo. 10 



THE NATIONAL CONSERVATION 



COMMISSION 



What It Is Doing 



By HENRY GANNETT, Geographer, U. S. Geological Survey 



(EDITOR'S NOTE. Mr. Gannett's official d-M-nation is Geographer of the U. S. Geologi- 

 cal Survey. For several years past he has been assigned to the Ci-n-u- Bureau, and is n^w 

 practically in charge of the Cuban census. At President Roosevelt's request, he wa- 

 assigned to the statistical work connected with the work of the Xati<uinl Conservation Com- 

 mission, because of his superior qualifications and ability. At the completion of the Cuban 

 censu- Mr. Gannett will devote In- entire time t" the work for the Xational Conservation 

 Commissioi 



Till-" Xational G m-ervation ("0111- 

 mi-sion was formed for the pur- 

 po-e of conserving our natural 

 resources; to reduce waste; to encour- 

 age proper and economical use; to in- 

 crease tin- Mipply of -nch thine:- as can 

 be increa-ed : to induce -nb-tituti< >ns of 

 one sub-tance f -r another when desir- 

 a1K-- in -hurt, to encourage all possible 

 mca-nre- for making our natural re- 

 Si >urc< - U" -'i^ far a^ pi i-^ibU-. 



Xatnrally. the tir-t xtr]) in such a 

 work i-; to learn jti-t where we stand 

 to take an inventory of our natural re- 

 -onrce- to find out how much timber, 

 iron, coal, land, water, water-power. 



etc.. we have t < draw on. and the rate 

 at which our supplies are being used. 

 , nd will probably be required in the 

 future. To all thN i- naturally added 

 the study of the amount and sources of 

 wa>te and destruction. 



\Yith the-e matters are naturally as 

 -ociated the study of mean- of econ- 

 oinixing. which is, of course, the ulti- 

 mate end and aim. 



The information -ought by the ( "om- 

 mi--i >n i- being -implied by vnriou- 



. ernment bureau-, nearly all those 

 ngaged in scientific or semiscientific 

 wi >rk being m< >re > <r le-- full enlisted in 



it- service. 



51 r 



