Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-25
w1srINg YATrrAL REsoURcEs.

WASTING NATURAL RESOURCES.
Mr.. James ]. Hill is a very practical
man. He has had n most extensive ex-
perience in business affairs, of which
he is an intelligent and careful student,
and is one of the great railroad men Of
the world. The views of such a man
are worthy of thoughtful consideration.
Generally an Optimist in regard to the
possibilities of this country, Mr.. Hill
appears to have somewhat modified his
opinion and looks into the future with
mlsgivings. His address before the
Commercial club of st. Paul few days
ago was distinctly pessimistic.
Looking ahead only quarter OF
century, Mr.. Hill said that with popu-
lation at that time of 100000 or
more people this country will be as
hard put to it to feed its idle classes
as Great Britain is today. He urged
that we are living profigately and sell
ing our heritage I'm every possible man
ner There must be better cultivation
of the land, which is unquestionable
and will certainly come. But the really
serious proposition is that we are ex-
hausting our natural resources. II that
is the fact il may well arrest attention.
Mr.. Hill thinks we are forging ahead
too fast. We are not exercising that
care and prudence in the use Of our re-
sources that the people of other nations
are observing. While they use all pos
sible economy in production we are
more or less wasteful. Perhaps there
is truth in this. We have such an
abundance of raw materials that the
possibility of their ever being exhausted
has never been seriously considered. 1t
Is matter that Is certainly worthy
of attention. "It is all well enough to
talk about what we are doing" said
Mr.. Hill. Examine it closely and you
will find that we are doing nothing ex-
cept selling our natural resources and
exhausting them" He expressed the
opinion that within ten or fifteen years
we will have no wheat to export, "but
the man who is going to eat the bread
made from that wheat must have some
thing to do. Somebody must furnish
the payroll and who will it be? Who
will buy what he makes?"
1t Is the opinion of those who have
given careful thought TO the subject
that the United States can support a
population three or four times as large
as 1t now has. OF course this contem-
plates a better cultivation of the soil
and as already remarked this will come.
Twenty years ago the prediction was
made that in a few years from that
| time we would have no wheat to export,
but probably would have to import
wheat to supply the home demand. We
are still exporting wheat and are likely
There is no doubt that we can and will
| increase the production Of that grain
and of other fOodstuffs. AS to the raw
materials for manufactures there Is rea.
son to believe that the supply is suti.
cient for generations to come. Beyond
that we of today need not seriously
concern ourselves. In regard TO the
question as TO who will buy our pro
auctions. that will be determined by
our ability to compete with our indus
trial rivals in the worlds markets. We
have been making very good progress
in this direction for some years. May
' =
vance for an indefinite time?
Mr.. Hills views are suggestive ant
not without value, but they need caus,
no apprehension or dampen the spirit
OF progress that is carrying this country
to industrial and commercial supremacy