The Ketchikan miner., 1908-11-14

For each..-ton of mer chausaeie coal broug ht 10 the surface at least halt ton is wasted by heinz left in the ground or thrown in the cuim ptle. Great also k the loss in inefficient consumption. Less than lo per cent of the heat units of coal are utilized under the ordinary steam
 eilar, and in the locomotive the
 a>,e k said ,o be not less than a5 F cert
 I ,e reSori of waste. however, be- fire which every American should
 $ agi.asg is that ot the destruction oi saaN lifs in the coal mines. So
 rsrrrted. with several states 10 hs rom. 400a coal miners were : 'e sh's year. or au increase of 10 per cent over l907. l. is a matter of some qualification. however, that at least he nation hss made some pro- Y sion for investigations that may pre- vent ,,r lesson nine disasters.
 Our iron ore production of las, year 5l million tons. shows an increase ot over previous years of over T per cent. Even should the present out put continue without further increase. .he known reserve will be exhausted within the present century.
 The future of metal mining will be governed by the improvement of me.allagical and mining methods and by the available supplies of fuels, water. poWsr and mining timber, ss well as hy the discovery of new min ing districts. h the determination ot the economic value and aysilabii- i;y Of ore deposits. the fuel and water supply Is more important factor than the character of the ore itself. in real and large sense then, the gery life of our mining industry de- pend> up0n the conservation oi all the ether natural resources.
 To preserve these resources has al ways been the sim Of the present president. and although in some in stances he has been severely critieiz- ed. future historians will write Of him as being slhe most popular and saFelr the most vigorous president since Washington. He came 10 the pI e,ideocy al the time when the ere public first full. felt Is strength, ard his tang ngerament fitted the vigor ot ils mood. We had acquired outlying possessions as a re>ul. of war in which he served. Cnjer his admini>- traitor We shaped ou" colonial policy :: me Panama Canal was begun: our government had an unprecedented influence abroad. At home the plan of seclain..rg cur desert lands mas made. and the work of saving and re- newing our forests was begun. and the poiicy of improving and utilizing our river systems vas laid down. l. was under his administration that great land theits were stopped. and that the army Has made energetic and the navy strengthened. This was the per iod as hen great fortunes were belng 2 made D. uuregulated corporations. s hU>e leaders threatened the control of the people h politics and in gov ernmept Great interests had their silent privileges. their vested rights and taeir senators and eyen their legislatures. IL Was Roosevelt F no exposed them and punished them and again made the law respected. He refused tU become a candidate for a shira term and he used his popularity with the people 10 have his policy continued oi forhiddirg the corpora ,ions 10 control ,he government and ot living above the law.
 While much is said and written about the forest reserve and much criticism is iudulged in Of tbe Use Book il is absolutely certain that had 10 restrictions been put on timber cutting 90 as to stop unnecessary waste cur timber would disappear in an incredibly short space of time. But private ownership Of natural re- sources is q form of stewardship. and inc duty of man to mar and of the present 10 the future No clearer eX- position Of this truth has appeared than in the recent opinion of the sU- preme court of Maine, wherein it is sei forth that as ownership in lad is not the result of productive labor, ogt is derived solely from the state itself. the original oHnsr. and as the land resources are incapable of in crease. the state has the right to pro- tect is self against the impogerish- meni that would follow waste under private nership.
 A month later than the delivery Of the Maine decision the supreme court of the United States expressed q sim liar opinion. These decisions of the highest courts are the signs of the times. aud ark the d.@ning of an era Of conservation. The presidents policy os leaving 10 the next genera ton the national honor uust ainsd ar q thc nationsi resources gnexhausted is