The Somerset reporter., 1908-06-25

i
The rivers Of Maine now turn
wheels that furnish total Of some
what more than 100000 horsepower
and with proper storage facilities the
full development of her water powers
might yield 1900 horsepower.
This conservative estimate of the
Importance of Names water power is
fair index of the value of the ma
TONS water resources, by far the
larger part Of which is yet unde-
veloped
Washington showed how far he
was in advance of his time by at
tempting to arouse public interest in
the problem of maintaining the fer
tility of the soil. II the soil problem
deserved attention in Washington's
time, it surely requires serious
thought today. Four generations Of
Americans since then have been
prodigal in their treatment of the
soil and it has been the exceptional
farmer who has left TO his son the
land richer than he himself received
ii. Great soil loss is occasioned by
tillage methods which permit sur
face washing. The soil waste thus
started by mere negligence increases
until the slopes are quilted, the bot
tom lands covered with waste, the
streams choked, and the navigable
rivers filled with bars. So universal
and persistent is this drain upon our
resources that it Is estimated that at
least one billion tons of this nations
richest soil Is annually carried into
the sea by our rivers. The wasteful
practices of the present must give
place to extensive cultivation rota-
ton and fertilization.
If ii is true as has been stated that
the American people are of all the
, world the most sinful MASTERS, the
greatest sin has been committed
against the American forests. "What
will those who follow us use in place
of wood?o is not in reality so serious
a question as what can they do with
out forests?n The subjects of soil
and water resources cannot be dis
cussed without mention of the con-
serving influence of the forest. The
records of flow of many rivers but
too plainly shows the effect of re =
moving the forest cover Take the
instance of the Pemigewasset River,
in New Hampshire, with records ex
tending over more than twenty
years; the annual period of low wa
ter has gradually increased from an
average of 90 days to 125 days.
There is a vital relation between the
forest and agriculture, manufacture,
and navigation. As the great con-
server of other resources the forest
deserves the nations care.
Americas prominence in the mat
ter of mineral fuels deserves more
than passing notice. The $50, 1000, 900
tons of coal mined in 81 States last
year would require for its transporta-
tion over 800 900 trains of so cars
each, and the combined length of
those trains would extend two and
two thirds times around the globe at
the equator. Recent surveys of the
natl on's coal fields indicate an area
for the more accessible Goals of 327, :
600 square miles. This is four times
the area of the known coal fields of
the rest of the world. In these vast
coal fields the nation has available
nearly two hundred billions tons OF
coal, minable under present condi
tions, or twice the tonnage estimated
for the rest of the world. Apparent
ly Americas supply is so great as to
render immediate alarm unnecessary,
but if the present phenomenal rate or
increase in consumption is maintain
ed 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 million tons of coal year.
Nor is the record for petroleum
much better. In the case OF coal
there is waste at every stage of min
ing 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 95 per cent
The record of waste, however,
before which every American should
stand aghast is that of the destruc-
ton of human life in the coal mines.
So far reported, with three states to
hear from, 1924 coal miners were
killed last year, or an increase of so
per cent. over 1906. 1t is however a
matter of some qualification that at
last our nation has made some provi-
sion for Investigations that may pre-
vent or lesson mine explosions.
our iron ore production of last
year, 81 million tons, shows An in
crease of per cent. over that of 1906
and of u per cent. over that of 1905.
Even should the present output con-
tinue without futher increase, the
known reserves will be exhausted
within the present century. The
future of metal mining will be gov
! erned by the improvement OF metal
j lurgical and mining methods and by
the available supplies of fuel, water,
power, and mining timber, as well as
by the discovery of new mining dis
tricts In the determination of the
economic value and availability of
ore deposits the fuel and water sup
ply is more important factor than
the character of the ore itself. In a
real and large sense, then, the very
life of our mining industry depends
upon the conservation OF all the
other natural resources.
Private ownership of natural re-
sources is a form OF stewardship, and
the duty of man to man and OF the
present to the future is being recog-
nized as never before. No clearer
exposition of this truth has appeared
than in the recent opinion of the
Supreme Court of Maine wherein 1t
is set forth that as ownership in land
is not the result of productive labor