The Ketchikan miner., 1908-11-14
OUR DEPENDENCY UPON
 NATURE.


 tribute from their neishborS. Wash iugton. Jefferson and Roosevelt have established nation hy the develop uent Of it's own resources.
 President Roosesel,'s state papers have again snd again contained sai, ring appeals so inc law makers ,o make adequate provision ior the con servasion of the nations natural rC- sources. No other president since Washington has given sQual prom nence 10 this line of practical states a,ansnip. l believe that future his- iogians will record no greater achieve nens of Theodore Roosevelt, than this That in the day of spectacular indus sgIas development. time when II Is all 10 easy 10 be optimistic and short sighted. he sa~ clearly Ihas Ameri- ea's natural wealth is nOt lneNhauS- sible. and invited the representatives of .he..sovereign states 10 meet in-eor ference the chief executive of the sovereign nation with the declared purpose ot taking steps 10 preserve for future ueeis ghe nations inhegi- tsuce.
 Our presidents well considered appeal in this time of peace sh 9uld arouse the new tyne of patriotism TO less than did Lineolu's cal 10 arns inspire a ueS devotion a the nation. The present issue Is as par4mouns as was ,has oi ls6O. though il may 6e one 10 which tae Opsimisi is better able .o shut his eyes. Il WIS Tot q trenzled alarmIst nal s hard heaiec. man ot science who also wsoie that future hissorians wIil relate the end Of Oar gbaFism from ,be time ~hen generations began 10 feel that they r!gh:tuliy had ID more than life estate III this sphere. with 10 rish; 10 Squander she inheritance of their sind . The reform tha. is so sorely needed must gain it's motive power u0i from .he well.inteuti0ned enshus- iasm Q. ,he fex. but from the well-in- formed intelligence O the many. The cam paign for coassgyatl0n must be one of education.
 The United States leads tbe world ia every important from. Of natural wealth. whether II be the product oi shs farm or ghe mine. Our wheat crop forms 2l per csut ot the worlds harvest. our corn crop 7s Der cent and OUT cotton crop s2 per cent. So, also. i1 inc matter oi i've stock, cur herds and ioess eomDrise T. Der cent ot the worlds grand ,o.al. Take the more important minerals-our output ot coal is 4e per cent Of the world $ production. Q: copper 5o gre cent, cur iron ore and oil al leas. t0 per cant.
 The increase in our per capita pro auction and cousam p,ioa of natural resources perhaps fun shes me best index Of The increasing dependence Of she nation upon is nzsural resources. Al the outbreak Of the Civil War the Der capita consumption ot coal in ,hs country was ouly li.tle oger oue- balt ion !: i1 I@0 il was about 3i5 tons. bus now tbs consumption has increas- ed 10 51s ions. h ls58 our per capita consumption of lumber 1as 2J1 board feet: io5ay l. is unJoua,edly close 10 5.eo board feel. In ls-3 our per capita production ot iron ore was l50 pounds l; last year i. exceeded half ton- Other metals 1T s8s 5e cited here the increase has been very great. a.. for instance. copper, 3aicn is hardly ie.s useful than iron and cement ol 4hich .hs c7Irtrg is .uss beginning 10 learn ths Use. The mineral issls, ifcu, copper. element. and lun nbar. are simply ths important letters in the slphabes with which man TOW spells industrial prosperity.
 The nosi valuable Of al natural resources ars water and soil. No mors attractive field for increasing t6e csgntF9's available wealth lies before gs today than that Of idstermin- ing the possibilities Of sur riyefs and T cams. Here @e shs!I fld the so- .g.i0n of the problems Of improved .li4nd water Transportation, success teI agriculture, cheap power develop ne1s. and adequate protection from Hoods. Great soil loss is occasion ed 0y iiliage methods which permit sur face washing. The soil waste thus started by mere negligence increases until the siopss arg gu.i.ed. l6e bottom lands coTFt-d with waste, the streams c1OEed. ard the nay gable rivers fli ed with bars. 50 universal and per sisieuE Is this drain upon our resoUr- ces that k l. estimated that at least ole billion tons Of this nation 5 sich- sss soil is annually carried into the sea hy cur rivers.
 The h.ect of soil and water re- sources cannot be discussed without mention of ,ns conserving influence ot our fote.ts. The records of How Of many rivers bat too plainly show the effect ot removing the forest cover. There is vital relation between the