The Washington herald., 1908-05-14

natural resources. Accordingly. he
helped to outline a scheme of commercial
development. and by influence and inter-
state waterways commission was ap-
pointed by Virginia and Maryland.
1T met near where we are now meeting,
in Alexandria, adjourned 10 Mount Yer
non, and took up the consideration Of IN
terstate commerce by the only means
then available, that Of water. Further
conferences were arranged, first at An
napo1is and then at Philadelphia. It was
In Philadelphia that the representatives
Of all the States met for what was in its
original conception merely waterways
conferences; but when they had closed
their deliberations the outcome was the
Constitution which made the States into a
nation.
"The Constitution Of the United states
thus grew in large part out OF the neces-
sity for united action IN the .-'lse use OF
one of our natural resources, The wise
use Of all Of our natural resources, which
are our national resources as well, is the
great material question OF to-day. / have
asked you TO come together now because
the enormous consumption Of these re-
sources, and the threat of imminent ex-
haustion Of some Of them, due TO reckless
and wasteful use, once more calls for
common effort. common action.
Revolution of Industry.
'since the days when the Constitution
was adopted. steam and electricity have
revoluuonized the industrial world. No
where has the revolution been so great as
In our own country. The discovery and
utilization OF mineral fuels and alloys
have given us the lead over all other ma
tions IN the production of steel. The dis
covery and utilization of coal and iren
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, combined with the efficiency
OF our transportation, have made the con-
ditions of our life unparalleled in comfort
and convenience.
The steadily increasing drain on these
natural resources has promoted to an
extraordinary degree the complexity Of
our industrial and social life. Moreover,
this unexampled development has had a
determining effect upon the character and
opinions Of our people The demand for
efficiency IN the great task has given us
vigor. effectiveness, decision, and power,
and a capacity for achievement which in
It's own lines has never yet been matched.
So great and so rapid has been our ma
terial growth that there has been a ten
dency to lag behind in spiritual and moral
growth; but that is not the subject upon
which I speak 10 you to-day.
"Dlsregarding for the moment the ques-
tion OF moral purpose, It is safe to say
that the prosperity Of our people depends
directly on the energy and intelligence
with which our natural resources are
used. II is equally clear that these re-
sources are the final basis of national
power and perpetuity. Finally, it IS omin-
ously evident that these resources are in
the course Of rapid exhaustion
Unsettled Land Nearly All Gone.
This nation began with the belief
that it's landed possessions were IL
limitable and capable of supporting all
the people who might care to make
our country their home; but already
the limit of unsettled land IS I'm sight,
and, indeed, but little land fitted for
agriculture now remains unoecupied
save what can De reclaimed by irri-
BdtloA anu ui ai4thee. NS bcsdh Win
an unapproached heritage OF forests;
more than half OF the timber is gone:
We began with coal fields more ex-
tensiye than those OF any other na-
tion and with iron ores regarded as
inexhaustible, and many experts now
declare that the end OF both iron and
coal is IN sight.
The mere increase in our eonsump-
ton Of coal during 1907 over 1906 ex-
ceeded the total consumption in 1916.
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 divi-
| sion OF responsibility and utter lack
of system in dealing with them, that
there is less navigation on them now