The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



Why We Have Met 



By M. L. Alexander 



Commissioner, Louisiana Department of 

 Conservation 



Gentlemen : — I consider it an honor and a privilege to be called 

 upon to preside at a gathering- so important as this. I regret sin- 

 cerely, however, to say that Mr. Ransdell, who was originally chosen 

 to preside at this meeting, was unable to come owing to duties 

 which he is called upon to perform at this time at Washington and 

 which are possibly much more important than anything which could 

 • be taken up on the outside. 



Senator Ransdell has always expressed an active interest, not 

 only in the things which concern the development of his own state, 

 but which concern the development of the Southland or the devel- 

 opment of the whole United States, and I regret exceedingly that 

 he was not here to address you in person. 



This is an important meeting, gentlemen; one that is of great 

 significance — a meeting which we hope will mean something to you 

 and the sections which you represent. This meeting is not called 

 for the purpose of fostering any real estate interest or any specified 

 real estate development, or for the aiding of any men or set of 

 men, but it has been called by sound-thinking men for the purpose 

 Vast Problem of bringing attention to these large areas of cut-over lands which 

 ^1 rf exist in the lumber belts of the Southern States, areas of cut-over 



lands that now approximate something like 40 to 50 million acres 

 in that territory. Therefore, we hope that in your deliberations 

 here, in the papers that will be read before you, in the thoughts 

 that will be expressed, will have your due, careful and earnest 

 consideration, because there is a problem to be solved, a problem 

 the solving of which will mean so much to the development of this 

 section of the country. 



Now, gentlemen, I am called upon to act in a sort of dual 

 capacity today — not only called upon to represent Mr. Ransdell as 

 chairman of your meeting, but called upon to express the regret 

 of the Governor of the State of Louisiana that he was not able to 

 be present, being confined to a sick bed at the capital at Baton 



