The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-04-25
American Extravaganza From
A European Viewpoint

= -e-e-S
Are the natural resources Of this coun-
try being wasted? II Is so CHARGED bv
Albert Won Scheele who Is now engaged
chamber OF commerce, with headquarters
In Chicago and branches in the larger
cities Of the country This Indictment Is
not entirely original with the honorabie
gentlemen from Belgium. It has been ad-
vanced time and again ever since the
origin OF the nation known as the United
states OF America. Il industrial opera
tions IN the United States be COMPARED
with those In various European countries
they undoubtedly would show to the ad-
vantage Of the latter If viewed from a
standpolnt OF economical utilization Of
raw material In order to understand
the viewpoint Of the European an ex-
tract from Mr.. Won Scheeles statement
Is given:
wasteful people on the earth Your re-
sources are so great that you never have
Ielt the need for economy and you throw
away Things that In Belgium we would
save ana use. / have seen my brother
in-iaw take great piece OF splendid
nlckory timber and use 1t as fire-wood
IN Belgium we would find a better use
for a piece Of wood like that over tbera
we use the broken branches and fapots
for firewood
II is the same way with the subject of
alcohol. Alcohol can be made from al
most anything and almost anything can
pc made from alcohol 1t can be made
from semidecayed vegetable matter. coal
wood, almost any organic matter Ana
from alcohol are made forty-three by
products that l know of. All through
Germany. France, Holland, Belgium ana
the Latin countries they are using alco
hol for industrial purposes. Over there
we burn IT, while here you drink it.
1t is In methods of economy like this
that we can say we are ahead nf ~.
Americans industrially
The contrast is great but must be re-
rf1 f4s41 AH ttt.--
tween the basis on which operations are
conducted in the two countries Ii must
be admitted that when a tree is cut IN
europe a greater percentage of it is put
10 Some useful purpose than when a
similar tree is felled in this country. 1t
Is possible owing to the teeming popu-
lation Of Europe, to uti7ize practically
every part Of the tree, including the small
branches-mere twigs, which bear the
foliage. There is a market or demand
for all of it and presumably 1t can be
SOLD at profit
Those who have made a study of ma
tural resources in this country are some
what concerned at the rapid inroads
being made upon them. They recognize,
however, that seeming waste and extray-
agance. while undoubtedly constituting
a drain upon the resources of the coun-
try, Justihes itself. 1t is not extrava-
gance or wanton destruction to convert
into merchantable commodity only that
part of the raw material that can be
handled prohtably; It is a poor kind of
economy or poor business Judgment that
viii spend more in turning out an article
OF commerce than can be received from
its sale This cardinal principle has been
overlooked by those who. criticise Ameri-
can methods and condemn American
The lumber industry. per-
haps, has received more than its lust
share Of attention from these self styled
critics. yet were the aforesaid critics
engaged in the business they could NOT
keep their business going and follow out
methods other than were observed by
their competitors.
White pine manufacturers in the north
deplore the waste of timber which their
caused and until the last
few years pointed to the South where
similar practices were In vogue, and the
lumberman in turn deplored
conditions on the Pacific coast because
they were more extrava CANT than Ills |
OWN. Where the country has become
more thickly settled and there is more
diversified demand, use of a greater por-
ton Of the forest trees is made practic-
able, but those engaged in the work |
should not ask why others in less thicklv
populated parts of the country do not
observe similar practices. The answer is
obvious: 1t is impossible under present
methods.
In a broad sense this country has. to
Use one of President RooseveIt's favorite |
erms, been skinned. Those who have |
)ecn instrumental In establishing the ont |
)osts of civilization in its various corners |
lave able resources. Hundreds of square |
niles of forests did not constitute an in |
entive toward close utilization; apparent |
y illimitable deposits of coal were not |
n the nature of an incentive toward CON |
erving other kinds of fuel; the abundant |
iches Of the soil which annually yielded |
10 a rich harvest were not an induce |
nent TO the early farmer to give back |
my part OF that which he had taken |
way. In all lines resources have been |
considered inexhaustible and industrial
perations up to within the last few
ears have apparently been conducted on
hat basis. A new era has dawned, and
he American farmer and Industrial
perator is going back over the ground I.
rom which he has reaped so bountifully
nd making provisions to replenish II
his work has already begun and has
ttained greater proportions than many
re willing to believe
American farmers ana manufacturers
ave reaped where they have not sown:
ow they are preparing to SOW where
rom the very nature of things, they can
OF expect to reap.-American Lumber
ian.