The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-12
PERIL ID NATION
 IN GREAT WASTE Lumber and Coal Supply Is
 Diminishing Fast PLANS TO CHECK WASTE Government Commission Has Been Appointed to Inquire Into Nations Resources and Form Measures
 to Conserve Products.
PLANS TO CHECK WASTE

0nlcdSOf OGIODeG lI.-lSpeCldl.) )-ONef b. 100000 people, or more than half the total wage -earners in the United States, are directly dependent for their livelihood upon coal, iron, timber, the soil and other natural resources which are rapidly be- ing exhausted according to figures which have just been compiled by the Conser- vation League of America. According to the league, the aVoidable waste of the na- tion's wealth is reaching alarming pro- pogtions. yet few people realize the ex- tent to which the country as a whole will be affected by measures designed to check this waste. It was with the intention of clearing up this point that the present in- vcstigation was undertaken. and the re- sults which are now made public, dis close some interesting facts.
 The first subject to receive attention was lumber. According to the last census report, 962,S7t persons in the United States are engaged In the lumber business, or as carpenters and joiners. cabinet-makers and the like, are dependent upon the lum- Der business for their livelihood. These have already been affected by the exhaus- ton of timber in the east and middle west and are vitally concerned in the efforts of the government to- conserve as much of the remaining supply as possible for con- tinual usefulness through the agency of the national forests and to encourage pri- vate owners to grow trees in systematic and profitable way According to the ex- perts of the forest service at Washington our present rate of cutting is three times hat of nurth nd at ic ta ha maining supply of timber will hardly last 30 years. This is a problem that the lum bermen are already facing, and their sup port is counted on in urging legislation for the further protection of the forests and encouragement to farmers to plant trees as crop.
 The coal supply is also threatened with exhaustion. Anthracite coal is timed to last but 50 years. Bituminous coal will not be exhausted until later, but unless a check is put upon the present uneconom- ical methods of mining, which have al- ready wasted as much coal as has been mined, it will not outlast the next cen tury, and long before that time hundreds of thousands of miners will have to seek other means of employment.
 The total number of coal miners, ac- cording to the figures now made avail able, is 344, 292, to which are to be added over 100000 coal and wood dealers and stationary engineers and firemen, making a total of GOA, 1s0 persons who are directly dependent upon coal for their work, and who would have to change their occupa- ton if coal should give out. Already the miners organizations are looking forward to this time and John Mitchell, former president of the United Mine Workers Of America, has actively interested himseH in the work of conservation and is an of ficer of the league
 Tn addition to the workers in these inn portant industries, the farmers are begin ming to take keen interest in conserVa- tion, in five or six different ways. Soil exhaustion, erosion, irrigation. drainage, water ways, and the regulation of water supply by the forests on the headWaters ari source streams of the larger rivers are all matters that directly affect the farm,r's pocketbook. For this reason the figure of the total number of persons de- pendent for their livelihood upon the soil or dealing in the products of the soil Is particularly interesting. It reaches the enormous total of 10,644,l54 or over third of the total number of persons engaged in gainful occupations in the United States.
 Following is a condensed summary of rhe nrincipal resources of the country and the number of persons sdependent upon