THE PERIOD OF CONSERVATION 161 



Pinchot, sat in session at Washington for several weeks, hearing 

 testimony regarding the public lands, and then Pinchot and Newell 

 went west to confer with various western interests. In March, 1904, 

 a partial report was finished, and a year later the second part of the 

 report was finished and sent to Congress. This report, like the Donald- 

 son report of the early eighties, contained a vast amount of informa- 

 tion regarding the public lands and the operation of the public land 

 laws, and recommended a number of changes in those laws, in the 

 interests of conservation. It is not certain that this report accom- 

 plished a great deal toward the repeal of bad laws or the enactment 



)f good laws ; in fact, it was somewhat disappointing as far as result- 

 ing legislation was concerned, but at any rate it furnished needed 



iformation regarding public land questions. ^^ 



THE WATERWAYS COMMISSION AND THE CONFERENCE OF 



GOVERNORS 



In March, 1907, President Roosevelt created the Inland Waterways 

 [Commission, to make a comprehensive study of the river systems of 

 [the United States, and suggest means of improvement of navigation, 

 [development of power, irrigation of arid land, protection of lowlands 

 rfrom floods, and of uplands from soil erosion — to work out **a compre- 

 [hensive plan designed for the benefit of the entire country." While this 

 [commission was engaged in an inspection trip along the lower Missis- 

 [sippi, Pinchot, who was a member, conceived the idea of calling a con- 

 ference of the governors of the states to consider the question of the 

 conservation of the resources of the country. President Roosevelt, of 

 course, approved the suggestion, and wrote to the governors of all 

 the states, inviting them to a conference to be held in the White House 

 in May, 1908. Invitations were also extended to the justices of the 

 Supreme Court, to members of the cabinet, to all the senators and 

 representatives in Congress, heads of scientific bureaus at Washing- 

 ton, representatives of the great national societies, both scientific and 

 industrial, representatives of journals, and to notable citizens known 

 to be interested in the natural resources of the country, including 

 J. J. Hill and Carnegie. 



The character of this conference shows the importance which 

 Pinchot and Roosevelt attached to the question of conservation. It 

 21 S. Doc. 189; 58 Cong. 3 sess. 



