The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-05-21

helped to ousllne . sehsuss Of oom-
msreiaI development and 6y his In
1aenee an Interstate Waterways
Commission Vas appointed sy Viz
ginIA and Mary land
IL met near where we are now
meeting. In Alexandria. adjourned 10
Noun, Vernon. and took up the con-
gideration of interstate commerce by
the only means then available. that
of water. Further confsrences we're
arranged. frat At Annapolis and then
at Philadelphia. IL Was In Philadel-
phia that the representatives Of all
the States met for what was in its
original conception merely . water
ways conference; but when they had
closed their deliberations the out
come was the Constitution which
made the States into u nation.
The Constitution Of the United
States thus grew in large part out
of the necessity for united action In
the wise use OF one OF our natural
resources. The wise use of all our
natural resources. which are our na-
tional resources as well, Is the great
material question OF to-day. / have
asked you TO come together now be-
cause the enormous consumption OF
these resources. and the threat OF
imminent exhaustion OF some of
them. due TO reckless and wasteful
use. once more calls for common ef-
fort, common action.
Revclutionized Industry.
Since the days when the Constitu-
ton was adopted steam and electric
ity have revolutionized the industrial
world. Nowhere has the revolution
been so great as In our own country.
The discovery and utilization of min
eral fuels and alloys have given us
the lead over all other nations in the
production of steel. The discovery
and utilization of coal and iron have
given us our railways, and have led
to such industrial development as
has never before been seen. The vast
wealth of lumber in our forests, the
riches of our soils and mines. the dis
covery Of gold and mineral oils, COM
bined with the efficiency of our trans
portation, have made the conditions
of our life unparalleled in comfort
and convenience.
The steadily increasing drain on
these natural resources has promoted
to an extraordinary degree the com"
plexity of our industrial and social
life Moreover, this unexampled de-
velopment has had a determining eff
feet upon the character and opinions
of our people. The demand for eff
ficiency in the great task has given
us vigor, effectiveness, decision and
power, and a capacity for achieve
ment which in it's own lines has nev-
er yet been matched. So great and
so rapid has been ouS material
growth that there has been a ten
dency to lag behind in the spiritual
and moral growth; but that is not
the subject upon which | speak to
you to-day.
Disregarding for the moment the
question of moral purpose, it is safe
to say that the prosperity of our peo-
pie depends directly on the energy
and intelligence with which our nat
ural resources are used. 1t is equal
| ly clear that these resources are the
| final basis of national power and per-
petuity. Finally, it is Ominously evi-
dent that these resources are in the
course of rapid exhaustion.
This nation began with the belief
that it's landed possessions were H.
limitable and capable of supporting
all the people who might care to
make our country their home but al
ready the limit of unsettled land is
in sight, and indeed but little land
fitted for agriculture now remains
unoccupied save what can be re
claimed by irrigation and drainage
We began with an unapproachet
heritage of forests; more than hall
of the timber is gone. We begar
with coal fields more extensive thar
those of any other nation and will
iron ores regarded as inexhaustible
and many experts now declare tina
the end of both iron and coal is ii
sight
InrOads on Resources.
) The mere increase in our con
: sumption of coal during 1907 owe
, 1905 exceeded the total consump
ton in 1876, the centennial year. TIL
enormous stores of mineral oil an
gas are largely gone. Our natura
l waterways are not gone, but the
have been so injured by neglect, an
$ by the division of responsibility an
utter lack of system in dealing wit
them that there is less navigation o
them now than there was fifty year
ago. Finally, we began with soils c
: unexampled fertility and We have
+ impoverished them by injudicious us
. and by failing to check erosion ths
their crop producing power is dimil
ishing instead of increasing. In
word, we have thoughtlessly, and
. a large degree unnecessarily, dimil
ished the resources upon which NJ
only our prosperity but the prospe
II ity of our children must always d
pend.
We have become great because
the lavish use of our resources al
we have just reason to be proud
our growth. But the time has con
- to inquire seriously what will ha