The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-12
BILLIONS OF TONS
TRILLIONS IN WEALTH
Staggering Facts Force Ma
tlOnal Acceptance Of
Statement
~ AssocInted prsan.l

Wy t1hobAillCO EEEaH.t
Washington, y. c.. Dec. 12.--1he IN
vcntory Of the mineral resources Of
the United States which the section
OF minerals OF The National Conservs.
tion commission, under the chairmau-
slip Of Representative JOAn Dazell of
Pennsylvania. has made during She
summer and fall is a long list OF wan
ing supplies. This was shown by the
report OF the section before the joint
conservation c-Hference. which sum.
mRrizes the figures OF the counarys
features OF this report were as fol-
lows
The mineral production of the Uni
ted States. now exceeds $4,000, 000,0 600
~ value every year and is sec nd only
to agriculture as a contribution TO our
national wealth. 81 furnishes our
light heat, and power and supplies 65
per cent Of the freight traffic of the
country
The waste In the mining and treat.
ment OF mineral substances during "A
year IS equivalent to more than three
hundred MILL dolalrs.
or all our minerals the fuels. which
supply heat, light, and power for de-
nestic as well as industrial purposes
are the most fundamentally sessential
to the nation. The use of the fuels in
wolves their immediate and complete
destruction. The urA of large supplies
OF ther materials also increases the
rate OF cnsumption OF the fuels for
both meRllurgical and manufacturing
purposes for as the nation has now
passed its early development stage,
manufacturing and consequently, the
use OF the fuels will increase much
more rapidly than population
Coal Supply.
The available and easily accessible
supplies Of coal in the United States
aggregate approximately l,463,S00. .060
600 tons. AT the present increasing
rate of production this supply will be
SO depleted as to approach exhaustion
before the middle cf the next century.
From the beginning Of cUal-mining
In this copnrty down to the close Of
| 1907, there were mined $685., ZOO, GOO
tons. and 1t Is estimated that for every
ton produced half a ton has been lcst
Or wasted; so that the above prodnc-
tlon represents an exhaustion OF the
coal supply to January j. 1908, aggre-
eating 10000, 100000 tont. The rate
OF production has been steadily In.
creasing
The first step In extending the life
I 81 our fuel supply. according to the re.
/ port, should he TO lessen the waste III
mining, handling, and transportation Of
coal Bnt there are equally great pos
sible savings, Il says, IN the use OF the
c1al not only IN the prevention OF
waste now recognized as such, but
liso IN discovering means OF avoiding
/ the losses Involved IN The transform
don OF heat into mechanical and elee.
trieal energy.
Iron supply.
Tho known supplies I nigh arade
iron ores IN the United States approX.-
mate 3.8a0,06S,000 sons. which az the
present increasing rate Of consumption
/ can not ne expected to last beyond the
middle OF the present century. II the
I Average Increase In the production g &
coal which has been shown In the
past, should be continued ii would
require the production during the next
three decades OF 6,329, 100000 tons. l.
/ Is evident, therefore, that before 1910
/ tlNltl Aat R4NuNNAArA Wal N-NN tNeNANN
maximum and begun 90 decline, or
large ase must be made Of low grPde
ores not now classed as available. Or
the importation Of foreign ores must
be greatly Increased. g should be re-
membered that in the future use Of
How grade iron ores, the condition will
be rendered siill farther unfavorable
Through tho necessary use Of low
grade Goals
! Other impcrtsnt Mineraie.
/ The known supplies of petr- ieum,
natural gas. and high grade phosphate
rock eau on eeb tepxc etaoin sshrdlua
lrack can not be expected, according to
ltie estimate In the report, to last
much beyond the middle Of the present
| century S %.
Waste CT Structural MsterIai, ( " SiS
The waste of naturaL minefsk = ya'
sources used Ia building and eDsineef
ING construction Is ol three kiRds:
T. That due TO Improper and Nts,e-
sul methods Of mining and preparing
for market.
g. That due 10 excessive use OF
structural &naterlal. boc4nee OF igu1r
auce eheir strength, durability, etc,
g. ThSt due TO Destruction BY fire
on account OF the in9lammnble char.
acter o7 building co0slrucliCn aud in-
adequate hnlaing iEws, and She non
enforcement thereof
Fir9 HcsGs Na< a.oNaes.
4 The greateSl Souree " waste