The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-07-21
The WASTE OF MINERALS.

The report of the National Conserv-
alton Commission Of 1905, showing
the reckless manner IN which our nat
urai resources are being wasted finds
an echo IN bulletin Just issued by the
United States Geological Survey. In
which are reprinted the papers on min
erai resources contributed by members
OF that Survey to the conservation re
port The data on which these papers
are based were not obtained especially
for the occasion, but were taken from
the files OF the Survey. where they.
had been accommodating for years TAX
ID together they present a state Of aft
fairs that may well awaken reflection.
Coal is considered first, and it is
shown that waste IN mining loses for
ever about onehalf as much as il mar
keted. This half is either left In the
ground in thin beds or in the shape
OF pillars to support the roof. Coal
has beer extensively mined In the
United States for not much more than
half a century, but the consumption
is increasing 50 enormously that II
this increase should continue all the
easily accessible coal would be ex-
hausted By the year 2040 and all coal
By the middle of the twenty-irst CEN
tury- II will. Of course, not continue
at such a rate, for the increasing
scarcity viii raise prices and check
consumption Water. power. too, win
undoubtedly largely take its place.
I hn
alton is a good deal more serious
Petroleum has been used for less than
] fifty years, and 1t Is estimated that
the supply viii last only about twen-
ty-nve OF thirty years longer. II pro-
duction is curtailed and waste stop
ped 1t may last till the end of the
century. The most important effects
of its disappearance will be in the
lack OF lubricants and in the loss OF
] illuminants. Animal and vegetable
oils win not begin to supply its place.
This being the case, the reckless ex-
ploitation Of oil fields and the con-
sumption Of oil for fuel should be
checked
IN natural gas the waste is enor-
nous; 1000. 100000 cubic feet are es-
tsmated to be wasted into the air ev.
cry twentv-four hours The gas sup
ply will last about twenty-five year,
about as long as 1t has already been
utilized
Il iron is very abundant IN nature, but
usually is found in ores SO poor that
it can not be extracted at any reason
able cost The best ores are being
rapidly worked and it f. estimated
! that within thirty years they VII
have been exhausted and that It vii
e be necessary TO resort to ores th6
e can not now be worked ct profi
q This, of course. means higher price
+ unless new and much cheaper Pre-
d cesses shall have been invented.
e Gold. silver, and zinc are all s
z abundant that the supply is likely t
b last for centuries. Copper is ais
abundant, but is largely in low-grad
a ores which can not now be profitabl
h worked. At increased prices, hov
3 ever. the supply will probably b
abundant For lead, however, tn
: outlook is much less favorable. Il
: production in the United States
: stiIl increasing slightly. but is d
: creasing elsewhere in the world, an
: this despite a marked Increase.
prices. Probably the worlds outpl
has already reached miximum an
will henceforth decline.
l. The phosphates, 1t is estimated, vi
= be exhausted in about twenty-h'
= years, and theefarmer will then ha'
!, to look elsewhere. for fertilizer
!, : Fresh supplies of all these mate
:, ials may, Of course. be found, but le
= cept for gold) 1t seems unlikely tn
:. they viii be great enough or valuab
n enough to materially affect the es
i'd mates.