Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-09

stop at once ii we are to continue 10
prosper is the warning given to the
people of the United tSatcs by J. A.
{. Holmes, chief OF the Technolocical
branch of the United States Geological
Survey. who has just returned to
Washington after Il three months M
spoction trip through the west. Mr.
Holmes, who is an expert on fuels
ana one of the best known scientists
III the country, toured the entire Wasr
NJ the instance of the government 70
lcarn Just how serious the conditions
ure' lie returns with the statrmcnt
that IN the mining operations of the
present timmc nearly one half of The
'o'ni coai supply is being LETT nndcr
ground; that water, the most valuable
OF all mineral resources. as . .;ourc,,
oi power is being wasted day after
day amt year after year to the ctcnt
OF millions of horse power: and that
forest fires have burned more lumber
man mas been used i'll the building of
homes or iii the industries. Ono of
me great national problems is the con
serving OF the fuel resources" saws
Nlr liolnlcs. AT the present rate of
increase Ill consumption. the better
part OF the fuel supply OF the country
VIII De gone by the end of the present
century unless the proper steps are
taken
Importance of Cheap Fuel.
Tho future ascondcncy of American
industries viii depend largcl yon our
manufacturers being able TO secure
cheap fuel. The value and cost of la
Dor VIII never be reduced in the Unit
cd tSatcs to what they are in foreign
countries; but this fact renders all
inc more essential in the struggle for
industrial ana commercial supremacy
th'a the manufacturers OF this coun.
Try be able to obtain fuels supplics
cncaper than they are TO be had in
other countries.
The world recognizes Americans
rs the most wastef1l of peoples in
inc utilization of their resources. Ger.
tainly no nation received so rich an
inheritance as did tn eUnited States
In its combination of soil and forest
and climatic and streams and mineral
resources.
rho nation has literally grown I'M
III luxury. Out of the very abund
ahcc of these resources we have de
Velopcd an Indifference to economy
and the habit of waste. w, have
destroyed our game for its hides and
horns; our forests for their tan bark
e or' q pittancc of the lumber thev
would yield; and meanwhile with n
thoughtiess Indifference we have nj.
lowed the forest fires to burn moro
= lumber than We have used in the build.
ing of homes or in the industries.
Meanwhile through the destrnc-
toh OF the forest about the sources
oil Important streams aud the Improper
cultivation of these slipping lands the
irrtilc SOILS are washed away from
we iields where they are needed and
deposited In the streams ANA har-
DORIS OF The country from which their
continued removal will cost an eno,
nous sum. We are thus gradually
but surely destroying the value of
our great water resources for mower
Tor irrigation and for navigation mr.
poses This fertile soil and genial
climate have furnished good enough
Tor inc nation and TO spare: anu 30
luxurious are the habits developed bv
ms over-production of food that it
is sometime said we waste food enough
10 supply another nation rs large MS
our own.
Water Wasted Every Day.
Water the most valuable of all orr
mineral resources as a source OF now
cr' rs being wasted day after day
ana year alter year after year to tho
eNlent oil millions of horse power
as the essential factor i'm all irrign
tioh work, 1t is being wasted by uso
10 excess III many instances; but ON a
nuch larger scale ana tn the yaIun
OF htinA eds Of millions of dollars
II is being allowed TO 20 to WASTE
year after year by not being used nj
all; and in many localities. the limit
cd supply of artesian water available
Tor irrigation and other nurpos,, ie bc
ing wasted on Il considerable scale
ny being allowed To flow continuous.
~ when not needed or in excess of
actual need.
other mineral resources arc being
wasted on as large n scale as IS trne
oil water. but their waste is oven moro
serious Il matter, for tho reason that
ne supplies arc not reproduced ms in
nc case of water. but when once OK
hausted. arc exhausted pnrmanontlv
NO better Illustration of this fact can
no found than is seen in the desert
ed mining camps, deserted after the
mines have become exhausted. In
connection with metallurgical process.
ses there is often waste of materials
whicn also prove Injurious, such MS
the large quantities of sulphur and
arsenic vapors that are turned loose
from the chimncys of the modern
smeltcrs. This waste is prcvcntablc
and should be prevented for the double
reason That these materials have n
commercial and economic value. and
thcy are destructive OF adjacent veg.
citation. This destruction of vogcta.
ton allows the rains to evadc the bare
land surfaces and deposit the trans
ported soil into the adjacent stream.
Waste OF Metals.