The daily sentinel., 1908-05-13

| lead over all other nations in the pro-
duction of steel. The discovery and
utilization of coal and iron have given
! us our railways, and have led to such
industrial development as has never
before been seen. The vast wealth of
lumber in our forests. the riches of
our soils and mines, the discovery of
gold and mineral oils. with the effic-
iency OF our transportation, have
made the conditions of our life un-
paralleled in comfort and conven-
ience.
The steadily increasing drain on
these natural resources has promoted
to an extraordinary degree the COM
plexity of our industrial and social
| life. Moreover. this unexampled de-
velopnent has had a determining eff
feet upon the character and opinions
of our people. The demand for effic-
iency in the great task has given us
vigor effectiveness, decision. and
power, and a capacity for achieve
ment which in its own lines has never
yet been matched. So great and so
rapid has been our material growth
that there has been tendency to lag
behind in spiritual and moral growth:
but that is not the subject upon which
| speak to you today
'Disregarding for the moment the
question of moral purpose, it is safe
TO say that the prosperity of our peo-
pie depends directly on the energy
and intelligence with which our nat
ural resources are used. 1t is equally
clear that these resources are the
final basis of national over and per
petuity. Finally, it is ominously evil
dent that these resources are in the
course of rapid exhaustion.
This nation began with the balief
that its landed possessions were ILL
mitable and capable of supporting all
the people who might care to make
our country their home: but already
the limit of unsettled land is in sight.
and indeed but little land fitted for
agriculture now remains unoccupied
save what can be reclaimed by irri-
CATION and drainage. We began with
an unapproached heritage of forests;
more than half of the timber is gone
We began with coal fields more ex-
tensive than those of any other nation
ana with iron ores regarded as in
exhaustible. and many experts now
declare that the end of both iron and
coal is in sight
me mere increase in our conSump-
ton of coal during 1907 over 1906 ex-
/ ceeded the total consumption in 1876.
the Centennial year The enormous
stores of mineral oil and gas are
largely gone. Our natural WATERWAYS
are not gone. but they have been SO
injured by NEGLECT. and by the division
OF responsibility and utter lack of
system in dealing with them. that
there is less navigation on them now
IMAM there was fifty years ago. Final
ly, we began with soils of unexampled
fertility and we have so impoverished
them by injudicious use and by failing
TO check erosion that their crop pro
duc1ng power is diminishing instead
OF increasing. In word. we have
thoughtiessly, and to large degree
unnecessarily. diminished the re-
sources upon which not only our
prosperity but the prosperity of our
children must always depend.
We have become great because of
the lavish use of our resources and
we nave Just reason to be proud of
our growth. But the time has come
20 inquire seriously what will hannen
W1en our forests are gone, when the
coal, the iron. the oil. and the gas
are exhausted. when the soils shall
nave been still further impoverished
ana washed into the streams. nollut-
hiS the rivers. denuding the fields
and obstructing navigation. These
questions do not relate only to the
next century or to the next genera
non. IL is time for lis now as
nation to exercise the same reason- |
ao4e foresight in dealing with our
great natural resources that would be
shown by any prudent man IN CON
serving and widely using The mon. |
sitN which contains the assurance of |
well-being for himself and his chill
dren
The natural resources have
enumerated can be divided into two |
sharply distinguished classes acc,rd |
lhsly as they are or are not capable
of renewal. Mines if used must neces- 1
sarily be exhausted The minerals !.
do not and can not renew themselves /
therefore in dealing with the coal |
the old, the gas. the iron, the metals I
generally. MI that we can Go is to
ivy to see that they are wisely used |
time.
THE second class of resources con-
sists OF those which can not only be |
used in such manner as TO leave them .
undiminished for our children. but .
can actually be improved by wise use.
The soil. the forests. the WATERWAYS
come in this category. In dealing with
mineral resources. man is able to i'm /
prove on nature only by putting the
resources - 4 beneficial use which in
the end eNhausts them: but in dealing
with the soil and its products man can
improve on nature by compelling the
resources to renew and even recon-
atruct themselves in such manner as
TO serve increasingly beneficial uses
while the living waters can be so con-
tfolied as TO multiply their benefits.
Neither the primitive man nor the
pioneer was aware of any duty to pos
terity in dealing with the renewable
iesources. When the American settler
telied the forests. he felt that there
was plenty of forest left for the sons
who came after him. When he ex-