Conservation League of America 



737 



pagne which I had carried the entire way 

 across Africa. Except the cherries in 

 rum with our friend with yellow fever 

 in the train, this was the only stimulant 

 I had taken during the last twelve 

 months, and it was done to drink the suc- 

 cess of the journey and not because I 

 needed it. 



The entire journey from D Jibuti, where 

 I had started on January 6, 1906, to this 

 place had taken 364 days, the distance 

 covered being no less than 8500 miles. I 

 had arrived in flourishing health, and, 

 although glad to return to Europe and to 

 my friends I was indeed sorry that so 

 delightful a journey had ended. 



CONSERVATION LEAGUE OF AMERICA 



By Henry Gannett 

 Geographer of the United States Census 



OUR readers will recall the historic 

 assemblage of the governors of 

 the states at the White House, last May, 

 to consider the subject of our waning 

 natural resources and to take steps look- 

 ing toward their conservation for future 

 generations. It was a notable gathering. 

 The governors of nearly all the states 

 were present, and with them were lead- 

 ing statesmen, publicists, economists, en- 

 gineers, and geologists. The assem- 

 blage was presided over by the President 

 of the United States. The utmost una- 

 nimity prevailed, and a set of resolutions 

 was agreed to declaring that every effort 

 consistent with the necessary use of our 

 resources should be made to preserve 

 them for future use. 



Shortly after this meeting' the Presi- 

 dent appointed a National Conservation 

 Commission, composed of four commit- 

 tees, one each on Waters, Lands, Forests, 

 and Minerals, the chairman of the Com- 

 mission being Mr. Gifford Pinchot, Chief 

 Forester, who had taken the leading part 

 in starting the movement. Many of the 

 states also have appointed conservation 

 commissions to cooperate with the Na- 

 tional Commission. 



This National Commission has com- 

 menced the task of taking an account of 

 stock of the country's resources in water, 

 land, forests, and minerals, in order, not 

 only to know what we have, but how 

 long, under the probable future rates of 

 consumption, the supplies will last. With 

 this are proceeding also studies of the 

 best means whereby the drain may be 



lessened without injury to our industries, 

 where waste may be stopped or reduced, 

 and where products may be utilized more 

 fully. 



Some of the matters now under study 

 are : Under the head of water, the amount 

 of rainfall, the amount and character of 

 the stream flow, the possibility of im- 

 provement of our streams for naviga- 

 tion, under comprehensive plans, the 

 prevention of floods, the present and pos- 

 sible future development of water power, 

 irrigation, etc. ; under the head of lands, 

 the status of the Federal land laws, the 

 condition of our soils and their possible 

 improvement to meet the increasing de- 

 mands of the future, the additional 

 amounts which can be put under cultiva- 

 tion, the condition of our public grazing 

 lands and the steps which may best be 

 taken for their improvement, the extent 

 of our swamp lands and the result of 

 draining them, etc. ; under the head of 

 forests, the amount of standing timber 

 remaining to us and the rate at which it 

 is being depleted, the best methods of re- 

 stricting the cut, preventing destruction 

 by fire and other enemies and of restock- 

 ing the cut and burned areas, the rela- 

 tions of forests and streams, and many 

 other allied matters ; under the head of 

 minerals, the supply in the ground of 

 each ore and mineral and the rate at 

 which these supplies are being exhausted, 

 with studies of the best means of pro- 

 longing the supply. 



The supply of game and fish and the 

 rate of their destruction, with the methods 



