The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-05-14
.DR. Whites
SPEECH on
RESOURCES.
University Geologist Deplores
the Waste Of Natural Gas
and Other Fuels.
PLEADS FOR THE FORESTS
Adjures the conferees to Take
Up the Fight Against
Avarice and Greed.
PLEADS FOR THE FORESTS

WASHINGTON. D. c., May "a
AT the conference of governors to-
day at the White House, DR.. i. C.
White, of West Virginia, said in part
In an address:
A great geologist once said "The
nations that have coal and iron will
rule the world" Bountiful nature
has lowered the American people
with heritage of both coal and iron
richer by far than that OF any other
political division of the earth.
A simple glance at geological
map OF the United States, will con
vince any one that nature has been
most lavish to us in fuel resources,
for we find series of great coal de-
posts extending in well scattered
fields almost from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. while even over much OF New
England and the coastal plains, vast
areas OF peat, the primal stage ofcoal.
have been distributed. But coal of
every variety from peat to anthracite
is not all of natures fuel gifts to
fortunate America. Great deposits
of both petroleum and natural gas
occur in nearly every state where coal
exists. and In st,ils hat have no coal.
What account 8 we as a Nation
give of our stewardship of such vast
fuel treasures? Have we carefully
conserved them using only what was
necessary in our domestic and indus
trial life. and transmitted the r.
mainder like prudent husbandmen,
unimpaired to succeeding genera
lions? Or have we greatly depleted
this priceless heritage of power, and
comfort. and source of worldwide
influence, by criminal waste and wan
ton destruction? The answer should
bring blush Of shame to every
patriotic American, for not content
with destroying our magnificent for
ests, the only fuel and supply bf car
bon known to our forefathers, we are
with ruthless hands and regardless OF
the future applying both torch and
dynamite TO the vastly greater re-
cources of this precious carbon which
provident Nature has stored for our
use.
First let us consider how we have
wasted natural gas, the purest form
of fuel, ideal in every respect, self
transporting, only awaiting the turn
ing of key to deliver to our homes
and factories, heat and light, and
power. The record of waste Of this
our best and purest fuel is national
disgrace. AT this very minute this
unriyaled fuel is passing into the air
within our domain from uncontrolled
gas wells, from oil wells, from giant
fambeaus, from leaking pipe lines
and the many other methods OF waste
at the rate of not less than one bill
lion cubic feet daily and probably
much more.
Suppose that 1t were possible for
some Nero inspired by mania of
incendiarism, to apply a consuming
torch to every bed of coal that crops
to the surface from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and that the entire coal
supply of the Union was threatened
with destruction within very few
years. what do you think world hap
pen? Would our State legislatures
sit undisturbed panoplied by such a
carnival or fire? Certainly not;
there cild be a united effort by the
Governors and Legislatures of all the
states in the Union to stay the
progress of such direful conaagra-
ton.
Whatever is possible in the shape
of legislation for the protection OF
our fuel resources should be done by
the individual States which you rep
resent. Twenty-nine Of the 46 States
OF the Union produce coal and "a OF
these. produce more than million
tons annually, while practically the
same number produce vast quan titles
of both petroleum and natural gas.
The percentage OF coal left In the
ground beyond recovery varies from
40 to 40 in the different fields, to say
nothing of the wasteful and extraya-
CANT use of the portion extracted,
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