Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

had at that time to make saints of. My friend, Uncle Henry Wallace, delivered that sermon, and it is the only sermon that I ever heard where politics and religion were not touched upon at all. And I am sure that he will preside at this Congress with that same justice; that there will be no complaint that there has been any offensive politics entertained upon the floor. I want to thank you again that you are here. And I want to say before I sit down, that a session of the executive committee, of which I am chairman, will meet at room 1111 Long Building tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. We will get here at 10 o'clock, having an hour to confer and pass some important resolutions and make some suggestions as to matters that will be presented to this Congress. (Applause)

President WALLACE-Please be seated just a moment. I wish to announce the appointment of the following committee on credentials: Prof. George E. Condra, of Nebraska; Dr. H. E. Barnard, of Indiana; Mr. Ralph H. Faxon, of Kansas; Mr. E. T. Allen, of Oregon, and Mr. W. E. Barnes, of Missouri.

Col. John I. Martin, of St. Louis, representing the City of St. Louis, Lakes-to-the-Gulf-Deepwaterway Association, and the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, has been selected as the sergeant-at-arms for this Conservation Congress. He has accepted the office and is now in charge of its affairs, and you will do just what he says, and do it with great pleasure, and with great profit to yourselves.

The secretary has some announcements to make. Before he makes them let me say that the meeting this afternoon will be at 2 o'clock, which is sixty minutes past one and sixty minutes before three. This afternoon's meeting will be a conference of governors of states and their representatives, and the presiding officer will be Honorable Herbert S. Hadley, and tonight we shall hear the President of the United States. (Applause)

Secretary SHIPP-All delegates or committees that have any announcements to make are requested to send them in writing to the secretary, so that they can be read from the platform, and posted at the information bureau.

The delegates from each state are requested to meet immediately upon the adjournment of the morning session, and organize by selecting from each state delegation a chairman and secretary, and a member of the committee on resolutions, and a vice-president to represent the state at the next Conservation Congress. The names of those selected should be handed in writing to the secretary at registration headquarters at the south entrance of the hall, or on the platform.

All state conservation commissions, and other state conservation organizations that have reports to make to the Congress, are requested to be ready to report this afternoon. The reports will be made as the roll of the states is called. In view of the number of reports to be presented, it is suggested that no report be more than ten minutes in length.

The delegates from all national organizations represented at the Congress are requested to assemble at some time during the day and organize by the selection of a chairman and a secretary, and choose a representative for membership on the proposed advisatory board of the Congress. If only one representative of a national organization is present, that representative should send in his name to the secretary.

Reports from national organizations are to be the first order of business Tuesday forenoon. In order that proper provision may be made for these reports all national organizations that have reports are requested to notify the secretary, either at registration headquarters, or on the platform, giving the name and address of the representative who is to make the report.

All delegates or committees that have announcements to make are requested to send them in writing to the secretary so that they may be made from the platform, and posted on the bulletin board at the information bureau.

President WALLACE-I forgot to mention one of the greatest features of this afternoon will be an address by the Honorable Ben B. Lindsay, of Denver, Colorado, on the "Country Child versus the City Child."

Recording Secretary GIPE-The chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution of Kansas City will give a reception in honor of Mrs. Matthew T. Scott, president general and the vice-president, from four to six this afternoon at the Coates House. All visiting and resident Daughters of the American Revolution are invited.

The club women of Kansas City have established a rest room within the convention building, to which all women delegates and visitors are cordially invited.

Delegate J. T. BAUMGARTNER (of California)—In addition to the announcements that have been made, I wish to ask the California delegates to meet at the Standard immediately upon adjournment.

President WALLACE-The Congress is now adjourned to meet at this place at 2 o'clock this afternoon.

SECOND SESSION.

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon President Wallace called the Congress to order.

President WALLACE-The Congress will come to order, and the Divine blessing will be invoked by Rev. Dr. R. M. Kerr, pastor First United Presbyterian church of Kansas City.

INVOCATION.

Our Father and our God, we pause at the opening of this meeting this afternoon to ask Thy blessing upon the National Conservation Congress in this and its other sessions, in all of its undertakings. We are asking of Thee the wisdom that is beyond the mind of man, and we come only to Thee. We are dealing with affairs of national interest and import, and we dare not come to any one but Thee, because we believe that in Thy power this land has been made, and in Thy Providence it has been discovered. And that our forefathers in Thy fear have established a nation which has often realized Thy signal blessing. We would recognize Thee as the God, and the giver of every good and perfect gift. Thou hast locked up in the mountains, hidden away in the soil of this country those elements that have made possible our material welfare and prosperity. We ask Thee this afternoon that Thou wilt grant unto the officers of this Congress, unto these its delegates and all of the people in this land interested in these problems the wisdom that will rightly enable us to appreciate Thy gifts, and rightly conserve them, to use them for the greatest good of the greatest number concerned. And we ask for Thy blessing to be upon our President, and his cabinet; upon the legislative bodies, state and national, upon all the courts of this land, that as the people of this country through these officers are striving to enact and execute just laws, they may do so in Thy fear, and that the righteousness of a Christian civilization may become more and more a reality. We would pray today that Thy material blessings to us have chief value in relation to human life and human deeds, and human development, and may the conservation movement that is on foot in this country always be broad enough and high enough to include the conservation of human life, the integrity of manhood, the virtue of womanhood, and the beauty and the innocence and the true worth of child life. We believe that these blessings will mean the highest good to our beloved country, and mean the advancement of Thy kingdom here in this earth, and we ask these favors through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

President WALLACE-I take great pleasure, Ladies and Gentlemen, in announcing Governor Hadley of Missouri as the presiding officer this afternoon. Governor Hadley. (Applause)

Governor HADLEY—Mr. Chairman and Members of the Congress: I was selected to preside this afternoon in the expectation that this afternoon would be distinguished by a conference of governors. I say distinguished advisedly, because nowadays when governors confer there is distinction to be passed around on all present, and some for others. However, there were a number of governors here yesterday who were unexpectedly called out of the city, but who will return during the sessions of the Congress. There are some who will be present who have not yet arrived, and consequently it has been decided by the officers in charge of this Congress that upon this afternoon prior to

the address of Judge Lindsay, there will be a call of the states, upon which call the representatives of the various states who are here, other than the governors, will speak for a few moments in reference to the general question of conservation in their respective states, and the conference of the governors will be held later. After this call of the states you will have the pleasure, I understand, of listening to the address by Judge Lindsay. In calling for the representatives of the several states, those who are here representing the governor, or those who may have been selected by the delegates from any one of the states to speak in reference to the situation in their state relating to the general policy of conservation will arise, and either speak from the floor, or come forward to the platform. The representatives of the press, whose requests are always entitled to consideration, if not to be followed, request that the representatives come forward so that their names and their remarks can both be heard and preserved. I will now ask the secretary to proceed with the call of the roll.

Recording Secretary GIPE-Alabama. Is there a representative from Alabama present? (No response) Arizona. (No response) Arkansas. (No response) California.

Chairman HADLEY-Mr. J. C. Baumgartner of the State of California will speak for that state.

[Mr. Baumgartner's speech will be found in the supplementary proceedings at back of book.]

Chairman HADLEY-I am certain we are all glad to know that though California may be a little short upon water, it is not short on good society, the possibility of good development. The secretary will proceed with the call of the states. The secretary calls my attention to the fact that the number of the states makes it necessary to somewhat limit the statements from each, and they will be limited to five minutes. The chairman, however, has a slow watch, so govern yourselves accordingly.

Recording Secretary GIPE-The next state on the roll is Colorado. Chairman HADLEY-Is the State of Colorado represented here? Recording Secretary GIPE-Connecticut. (No response) Delaware. (No response) District of Columbia. (No response) Florida. Chairman HADLEY-Is the representative of the State of Florida in the hall? Go ahead.

Recording Secretary GIPE-Georgia.

Professor E. L. WORSHAM, of Georgia-I am not the speaking representative from Georgia, but I will make a brief report as to what conservation is doing in that section of the United States, or what we

are doing along conservation lines. I regret very much indeed to see so many vacant seats in the audience from the states to the far south. This is a very busy time with the people in the south, as most of you know, and there are a great many conservationists who would like very much indeed to be present at this meeting, and I think it is safe. to say that the fact that they are not here does not mean that the South is not interested in conservation, and that they are not doing something along those lines. Mr. Chairman, and gentlemen, it is true, however, that the people of the southern states are not quite as active in the conservation movement as the people of the North and West, and why, I cannot see, because there is no doubt but that in the beginning God smiled more sweetly on this section than on any other section of the American continent. He did more for those people than all the rest. He endowed us with resources more wonderful than those of any of the other sections of the United States. Those good people have gone on from time to time not realizing what these resources meant, until they are gradually passing out of their hands. speak for other states, but for Georgia, Mr. President, I want to say that we have enough water to supply California, and a good many other Western states. That is the least of all of our troubles. As to water power, we have water power enough running waste to run every spindle in the southern states. It is simply awaiting the hand of the developer, and we want to see it properly developed, and not gobbled up as it has been done in many of the western states. This is one of the big problems that the State of Georgia has on its hands today. It is a natural section for manufacturing interests of all kinds, and you can get the cheapest power on earth on account of this wonderful water power that is stored up in its mountains.

We have coal enough to run Georgia and California a thousand years. We have rich stores of iron that run higher in per cent of iron than those of the Birmingham district, and very few people know its value. I understand the State of Georgia supplies three-fourths of the asbestos output of the United States. Our marble speaks for itself in monuments like that beautiful capital of Minnesota. Our granite speaks for itself in buildings like the federal building in San Antonio, Texas, and other buildings which I could point out. Our rich stores of boxite many of you know about, but, there are numerous other things of this kind, Mr. Chairman, which I could mention, but I don't care to dwell on them at this time. The main thing that we are here to discuss is the conservation of soil fertility, the conservation of agricultural resources. We of the South are an agricultural section. You take away from us our agriculture, and while we are rich in minerals and various other things, in a measure we would be helpless. It is the only spot on earth, you might say, that has a monopoly on the greatest crop on earth, and that is the cotton crop. This I consider by far the most interesting, the most valuable phase of conservation.

« AnteriorContinuar »