The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-05-21
WARNS NATION OF
SOIL DEPLETION
RAILWAY BUILDER" TELLS
GOVERNORS D[FARMING
MAY BRING STARVATION
COAL AND IRON ARE
N RLY EX-
HAUSTED.

cesSlty OF immediately taking up the
problem OF conservation OF natura
resources in the United States j:
pressing. All the speakers at the sec
ond days session OF the conference
in the East room Of the White House
agreed that the day of coal and iron
exhaustion is drawing near and thai
farming lands are now being SC
grossly mistreated by ignorant OF
greedy agriculturistS that the return
in crops to the acre is diminishing al
a startling rate each year.
President Roosevelt personally
opened the morning and afternoon
sessions and first called Governor
Johnson OF Minnesota TO the chair
In the afternoon Governor Deneen o.
Illinois, at the Presidents request
presided. No action was taken by
the conference, and this leaves until
the morrow the framing of a set oi
suggestions or recommendations. The
resolutions committee was in session
all day Thursday
James J. Hill read an exhaustive
paper. He covered a wide range IT
discussing the topic OF mineral and
soil depletion He issued a warning
that unless steps are taken TO prevent
continued destruction and loss, the
country in another century may be
face to face with actual privation
Mr. Hill accused farmers of today
of deliberately robbing the soil OF its
richness in order to make a tempor-
ary gain in dollars. The eastern state:
are dotted by abandoned farms, he
said, and so are the southeastern
commonwealths
The builder of railroads" said thai
all industry is dependent on the ma
tion's agricultural wealth.
I'VE shall have less and less ol
this agricultural wealth to pare with
as population increases" he added
land, as to enlarging greatly our sale
of manufactured products in the
worlds markets, it is mostly dream
We cannot finally compete there, ex
cept in a few selected lines, without
material lowering of the wage scale
at home and change in the nationa
standard of living which our people
are not willing to accept without ;
struggle.
When capital cannot find prof
there will be no money for the pa,
rolls OF an Improbable business
Doubtless as we grow we shall bu,
more and sell more; but our main de
pendence half a century ahead mus
be upon Ourselves. The nation cal
no more escape the operation of tina
law than can the man. 1t is time =
set our house in order
With privation might come an er;
of mutiny and discomfort said tn,
speaker. He quoted letter of Lore
Macauley on this point-a prophec,
that with the decline of this country
breed distress and distress spoliation
After that the same sort of a delug
that ruined Rome. Mr.. Hill said TIL
picture might be too gloomy, but
would serve as a warning
Mr.. Hill declared that our soil ha
been abused in two ways, b singl
cropping and by neglecting fertiliza
tion He continued:
"The two remedies are as we'll as
certained as is the evil. Rotation o
crops and the use of fertilizers &C
as tonics upon the soil. We Nigh
expend our resources and add billion
of dollars to our national wealth b.
conserving soil resources, instead O
exhausting them as we have the for
ests and the contents of the mine.
For there is good authority for tn
assertion that the farmer could tax
from the same area of ground in fou
years grain crops as much as sevel
now give him. leaving the poducts O
the other three years when the Ian
rested from grain as clear proh
due to better methods.
''He can do far more than that b
joining stock raising with grain rails
ing. Nature has provided the cattle t
90 with the land There is as muc
money in live stock as there is j
grain. Looked at in any way ther
is money in live stock; money TO
dairy products, money for beef. mon
ey for the annual increase, and mos
money of all for the next years GRO
when every particle of manure
saved and applied to the land
Governor Brooks Wyoming; Gov
ernor Cutler, Utah; Governor Good
ing, Idaho. and Governor Toole, Mon
tana. followed Governor Folk Th
took issue with those who were urg
ing the federal government to pusi
conservation legislation They be
lieved that each state should tax
care of its own resources. \ req.
was made 70 the governors by Secre
tary Garfield, who claimed that stat
lines had been left behind by the me-
and women of the nation. The state
he held, would lose none of thei
rights if the nation nursed the natura
resources of all the states.
For Sale.
IIousehO1d goods of fhe late Mrs