The Republican journal., 1908-07-23
available nearly 1900 billion tons of

available nearly 1900 billion tons OF
coal, minable under present conditions,
or twice the tonnage estimated for the
rest of the world. Apparently Amerl-
cas- supply is so great as to render I'M
mediate alarm unnecessary, but If the
present phenomenal rate of increase III
consumption is maintained the supply
OF easily and cheaply mined coal Will
be gone before the middle of the next
century.
The waste of our natural gas supply
has been estimated at one million cubic
feet daily, or the equivalent OF ten mil
lien tons of coal year. Nor is The
record for petroleum much better In
the case of coal there is waste at every
stage of mining and consumption. For
each ton of understandable coal brought
to the surface at least half ton is
wasted by being left in the ground or
thrown upon the culm pile. Great also
is the loss by inefficient consumption.
Less than 10 per cent of the heat units
of coal are utilized under the ordinary
steam boiler. and in the locomotive The
waste is said to be not leSS'than 90 per
cent.
The record of waste, however, be-
fore which every American should
stand aghast is that of the destruction
of human life in the coal mines. so
far reported, with several States un-
heard from, 1924 coal miners were killed
last year, or an increase of 80 per cent
over 1906. 1t is matter Of some grail
fcation, however, that at last the ma
! ton has made some provision for lnVes-
| LEGATIONS that may prevent or lesson
mine disasters.
Our iron ore production OF last year,
! 81 million tons, shows an increase OF 5
| per cent over 1906 and p per cent over
1905. Even should the present output
continue without further increase, the
known reserves will be exhausted With
in the present century.
The future of metal mining Will &c
governed by the improvement OF
metallurgical and mining methods and
by the available supplies OF fuels,
water, power and mining timber, IS
well as by the discovery of new mining
districts. In the determination OF the
economic value and availability OF ore
deposits, the fuel and water supply is
more important factor than the charac
ter of the ore itself. In real and
large sense then, the very life Of our
mining industry depends upon the con-
| SCI fdtlOll VI oli JIG ouiiCA L'Ne"i"i -
| sources.
Private ownership of natural re-
sources is form of stewardship, and
| the duty of man to man and OF the
present to the future is being recognlZ-
ed as never before. No clearer EXPOSE
ton Of this truth has appeared than in
the recent opinion OF the Supreme
Court of Maine, wherein it is set forth
that as ownership in land is not the re-
suit Of productive labor but is derived
solely from the State itself, the original
owner, aud as the land resources are
incapable of increase the State has the
right to protect itself against the i'm
poverishment that would follow waste
under private ownership. So indlca-
tive is this opinion of the national
awakening that President Roosevelt de-
voted large part of his memorable ad-
dress on conservation to the Maine de-
cision. A month later than the de-
livery of the Maine decision the
Supreme Court of the United States
expressed similar principle. These
decisions of the highest courts are the
'signs OF the times and mark the
daWning of an era of conservation.
The Presidents policy of leaving 'to
the next generation the national honor
unstained and the national resources
unexhausted" is the keynote of the
new patriotism.