. Conservation. Forests and forestry. THE CONFERENCE PROPER 35 power, which certainly is something which has been produced by divine Providence. The idea to me is entirely abhorrent that there is any legislative body that by itself, by its ipsi dixit, by the passage of a law, can make it possible for me to go and file in some county clerk's office and thereby acquire that water power forever and ever, and after me my children and their children, to own it forever and ever. I say that it takes an egotism, and .such a depth of egotism that we do not often see, to accept that as a legal propositi
. Conservation. Forests and forestry. THE CONFERENCE PROPER 35 power, which certainly is something which has been produced by divine Providence. The idea to me is entirely abhorrent that there is any legislative body that by itself, by its ipsi dixit, by the passage of a law, can make it possible for me to go and file in some county clerk's office and thereby acquire that water power forever and ever, and after me my children and their children, to own it forever and ever. I say that it takes an egotism, and .such a depth of egotism that we do not often see, to accept that as a legal proposition or as a fundamental fact, or as a thing that is right; such an egotism that I, at least, have not reached yet. I do not mean by that to say that these powers should not be used. I would like the freest kind of use of them. But it should always be a beneficial use. There never should be any such thing as a monopoly of the pow- ers of a great State in that direction or in any other direction, if I had the power. in fact it is a good deal like resolutions that we pass. We believe in honest men and vir- tuous women, of course we do. We believe in the conservation of the natural resources. Of course we do. But how are we going to get at them ? I believe that, before this conven- tion adjourns, there ought to be some practi- cal scheme devised, some basis upon which we could rest hereafter. And I have a basis. Many others may have other bases better than mine, but still I have one that I would like to suggest. I believe there should be a resolu- tion passed, offered by some Governor—not by the representative of some Governor, but by some Governor—first, that the National Conservation Commission should be made a legalized body resting upon exactly the same basis of legality and right to exist as any other great department of the Government, with sufficient funds to enable it to carry on its work properly. I believe that there should be the closest relationship between the State
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