The Delta independent., 1907-02-22
AMERICAN WASTE.

aMEhlCAN WAS L.
Rational consideration of our poten-
tial resources and of available future
employment for this great multitude
must, of course, proceed together.
Labor must have material to work up
on; and labor and material must also be
so conjoined that the sum total shall be
an increase of product equal to the ad-
vancing demands upon it, while at the
same time our natural resources shall
not be exhausted. Only thus can the
future be made safe. Only thus can
the people of the years to come be
saved from retrogression. We come
back to the big. fundamental things;
to raw materials, and supply and de-
mand, and the severe utilities without
which no nation. great or small, can
long keep poverty and distress or even
death at bay.
'Of all the sinful wasters of mans
inheritance in the earth-and all are in
this regard sinners-the very worst are
the people of America" These are
the words of great scientific author
ity. the late Prof. Smaller, of Harvard
University. This whole nation of pre-
sumably busy and serious men has orig
mated many wasteful and eXtravagant
policies: nay, worse. it prides itself up
on some of those very records of con-
sumption which establish the astonish-
ing fact of national destruction and
waste that cannot be repaired. The
mighty wealth of this continent was
adequate. with ordinarily provident
handling, for an indefinite increase of
the demands upon it. The inheritors
of this wealth have already so far dis
sipated it that some prudent care of
the residue cannot be postponed without
certain disaster.
FOUR SOURCES OE WEALTH
The summation of actual resources
of national wealth is comparatively
short and simple process. Passing over
the atmospheric elements that minister
indirectly to the national economy, there
are just four sources from which man.
kind must draw all natural wealth. Of
these the sea does not supply more than
two or three per cent. of mans food.
1t may therefore be dropped from the
calculation, as it cannot be made much
more largely contributory to human
support. The forest, once a rich herit-
age is rapidly disappearing. Its pro-
duct is valuable not for food. hut for
shelter and as an accessory in the pro-
duction of wealth. Its fate is interest
ing here rather in the role of an exam
pie. For we have done with our forests
already what We are doing just as sue
cessfuly with the remainder of our nat
ur;l capital. Except for the areas on
the Pacific Coast. the forest as source
of wealth is rapid ly disappearing.
Within twenty years. perhaps, we shall
have nowhere east of the Rocky Noun
tains timber product worth recording
and shall then be compelled to beg in in
earnest the slow process of reforesting.
What is less clearly perceived is that
we are wasting in the same fashion
other resources which no repentance
and no ingenuity can restore or rep lem
ish. The exhaustion of the greatest of
these. the land will be spoken of la ter
Our mineral wealth, however. stands on
another plane What is taken from the
mine can never be replaced. Through
all eternity as far as we can see. the
consumption of mineral wealth stored
IN the ground must be tinality. The
possible gross product is mathematically
limited. The adaptation of this to
future uses should be matter of in.
tinitey greater anxiety than the present
balance sheet of business concern.
Yet the singular fact is that. among a
people convinced that they are ground
ed in the rudimcnts of political economy,
the progressive exhaustion of this pre-
cious resource is everywhere heralded
as triumph of enterprise and a guage
of national prosperity. The nation
publishes periodically the record of Il
scattering OF assets never to be re-
gained. and waits. with a smile of COM
placence. for general congratulation.
Continued next week.