The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-17
FROM OTHER PENS
WASTE AND ECONOMY.

1t is perfectly true that our agricul-
ture is wasteful, but when land is
abundant and cheap and the principal
capital Of farmer is his own
capacity to work it is often impos-
sible for him to practice scientific and
| intensive culture. He must skin the
ground and do what is the best for
| himself this season rather than what
| is best for his son Is years hence.
AS population grows denser and land
rises in value it becomes important to
get more out of the soil, and the far
| mer who did not have to buy his
| farm, but inherited it from his father,
and who had the advantage Of some
| measure of agricultural education,
| has the capital and the knowledge to
farm better and get bigger results.
| Secretary Wilson has assured us that
| within a dozen years there has been
| a marked improvement in American
| farming.
| When timber was abundant it was
| Of course used freely. When 1t was
| too abundant 1t had to be sacrificed to
| clear the ground for crops. AS timber
becomes scarcer and more expensive
| it is economical automatically; more
| iron and brick and stone are used in
| building.
| The forests can be replanted. They
must be. Already much has been
| done by federal and many state gov
| ernments in the way of beginning, at
| least, of reforestation. But SO far as
| modern science knows, nature is
| adding nothing to our mineral wealth.
| Still we must use coal and iron and
petroleum till their costs drive us to
| the discovery or invention Of substi-
| tutes. AS we have used iron In the
place OF wood. so we are using con-
crete in place of iron. Economy can
| defer the exhaustion of the worlds
| mineral wealth. but if there is no in
| crease in the supply of minerals with
| which the world as man knows II
| started out. the supplies will be ex-
| hausted at some time and mankind
| will inevitably use the cheapest com
| modities it can find. 1t will turn te
| others only when those it has used are
| exhausted, or SO nearly SO as to be
| xpensive.-Phi1adelp Record.
| SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS
To a suggestion that social condi.
tons can be bettered by doing the
thing that lies to hand" Miss Jane
| seldom see the thing that lies to hand
until they first get the social view.
point Miss Adams was speaking O.
the obligation upon a community te
provide Fairgrounds for children ant
to use the commercial resources fol
general social beterment. There wa.
no discrediting of individual philan
thropy, but rather the insistence tina
individual works are stimulated and
gain direction by acquiring better
sense of social obligation. Much thu
same idea, carried farther. is express
ed by Mr.. Frederic C. Howe of cieve
land, in his book, 1.-THE British City.
Mr.. Howe says of the better govern
ment arising in English and Scotch
cities: There is a renaissance of be
lief in public activity as opposed t.
private charity
The same principle is alive with u
in America, though here it is not ;
Renaissance" but a development. tn
. need of the city to do other things 70
its people than to put them in Jail
they do wrong is almost everywher
recognized. Philanthropy and privat
charity can never be spared from an.
civilization, but 1t is being more an,
more appreciated that society which
! requires much charitable relief I
wrong People can see that as 500
., as society gets to helping the helples
there will not be any helpless. To so
cialize individual impulses for tn
square and kindly thing is really tn
problem of a community. When
citizen will give dollars to relieve case
of distress that he sees and then vii
vote against a few cents tax for
; country home or for Fairgrounds an
the like, the trouble is simply that h
is not "city broke or society broke.
He is an anomalous Robinson Crusoe
/. l-KanSas Citv Star