The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-19

There 10 an aspect OF the tariff discus
slos ussfcn "a rot often presented. but
which must arise with serious porfent
during ths next generztion- II Il the ten
esnrv Of the export % raw materials 70
depiese our natural wealth by senGsng oat
% the country without nnanrsacturs the
sfored-np resources Of centuries. In the
Wild rush Ter rapid wealth accumulation
by tts present generation too little bsed
ss paid 20 Tie wrongs that we may inflict
upon the future There IL quite prssa-
ienf noslon that the natural resources q
this country are inexhaustibie. but, at the
rats Of deplstion wasch machinery AID
ssnprrvsd processes makes possible the
next century may &c brought fare 10 face
with the question ~ want ia many things
that are nos supersburEans- The atten-
ton Of England has been seriously drawn
TO TIE approaching exhaustion % her coal
supply within q century. and The tesu-
usony Of experts IL 10 the effect that The
supply or anthracite coal n rtls country
wisl. al the present rate OF output. last
about the ssns length Of time. But
more important. because greater. source
OF loss 81 the depletion of cur soils by con-
tlnuai cropping. II II well known that the
tine has long since passed when the East
era farmer could compete with those IN
the West In raising wheat. and this not
withdrawing his proximity TO the sea-
board and tie great cities OK the East II
n evident that our magnificent native
forests can not be replaced IN ten times
the period that IL vii take 20 consnrns
them. This need not be a cause for seri-
GUS regret 1; the areas upon which they
grow can be converted into good agrieul-
tural land. but In many places the denu6ed
tracts are only At for cattle and sheep
ranges. and may rot even be ~ for that
when robbed of the moisture which forests
retain IN dry weather.
No email part OF the great economic
problem OF the future viii be thu deriving
CT means ard the adoption OF poilcies that
VIII enable as 10 return 10 oar Land as
much as possible CT the native eiemsnts
Of whlch II has been robbed 1t Is sppar-
ent that this can no; be done BY shipping
out OF the country unirssted the raw prod
nets Of the soil and forest from which. IL
from snywhers. the fertiiizing residue
must bs extracted. ard receiving In re-
turn sone highly finished manufactured
artistic from which nothing can be had TO
restore the exhaustion. Looked at from
the standpoint. Of the employment OF labor.
il Is evident that there Is great economic
waste and poor hushandry ID exchanging
sn article whose value + mostly made I'D
OF our natural resources and bat little &
labor. Tor one whose value T. mostly the
labor embodied IN II. ard bat nttie Ok SIS
substance. In the FIRST case. besides the
exhaustion of our natural wealth. we lose
snst 50 much % the means Of employing
labor as Is rspressstss BY the difference
between the valpe y the crude product
and the value os The finished article into
which such product can BE made. IN ao-
espslag TIE foreign srtic1e we lose :he
chance az empieysng home labor In the
making OF IL, merely because Tire home
lAber might cost a little more than the
/ foreign. 1t will then be seen that the op-
| porsunily 70 employ home iAhcr = les. IN
/ two wRya, while cur ssorec-up natural
wealth Il exhausted without replacement
1 in another way.
OF eoarse there Is llnals 20 TIE spp,ica-
4 tlcn e a poi.cy which AIMS thus 10 secure
/ he greatest quantity q benefit from The
retention and trsatmeat q the home prof.
I ues Certain products OK foreign countries
/ which We cannot raise without zoo great
/ expense sheala. under common sense dc
sates. 30 admitted free. and here comes
/ r. TIE deesTins 81 proserticn with re-
/ eiproclty. tss ssoadesf. s9gnaest and most
ux,ll-onnsi4ersa seonenis policy that Il
has ssoa tie faytans OK this eoaatry ana
/ ,hls century % sTesve.