The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-22

naturnl resources. By this action fne
conservation movement enters the field
OF definite constructive work, for
which It's labors In ascertafning the
country's present status and future
outlook were simply preparatory.
Very respectfully,
CLIFFORD PINCHOT.
Chairman.
Report Of the National Conservation
Commission.
The duty Of man to man, on which
the integrity Of nations must rest, IS
no higher than the duty Of each gen.
Grafton to the next, and the obligation
OF the nation to each actual citizen is
nc more sacred than the obligation to
the citizen to be. who in turn must
bear the nations duties and RESPONSE
bilities.
In this country. blessed with natural
resources in unsurpassed profusion,
the sense of responsibility to the future
has been slow to awaken. In the
growth OF the country and gradual de-
velopment of the natural resources
there have been three noteworthy
stages. The first stage was that Of in
dividual enterprise for personal and
family benefit. It led to the conquest
Of the wilderness.
The next stage was that of collective
enterprise, either for the benefit Of
communities or for the profit of indi-
viduals forming the communities. It
led to the development of cities and
states and too often to the growth Of
great monopolies.
The third stage Is the one we are
Cow entering. Within 1t the enternrisA
II collective and largely cooperative
and should be directed toward the lar
ger benefit Of communities, states and
the people generally.
In the frst stage the resources re-
ceived little thoughy In the second
they were wastefully used. In the
stage which we are entering wise and
beneficial uses are essential, and the
checking OF waste is absolutely de-
manded.
The waste which most urgently re-
quires checking varies widely in char
acter and amount. The most repre-
hensible waste Is that Of destruction,
as in forest fires; uncontrolled flow of
gas and oil, soil wash and abandon
ment Of coal in the mines. This is at
tributable, for the most part, to igno-
rance, Indifference or false notions Of
economy. to rectify which is the busi-
ness of the people collectively.
Nearly rs reprehensible is the waste
arising from misuse, as in the con-
sumption Of fuel in furnaces and en-
gines of low efficiency, the loss of wa
ter in floods, the employment of i'll
adapted structural materials. the grow
ing OF i'll chosen crops and the perpetu-
alton Of inferior stocks of plants and
animals, all Of which may be RENE
died.
Reprehensible in less degree is the
waste arising from nonuse. Since the
utilization Of any one resource is nee
essarily progressive and dependent on
social and industrial conditions and the
concurrent development of other re-
sources, nonuse Is sometimes unavoid-
able. It becomes reprehensible when
1t affects the common welfare and en-
tails future injury. Then it should be
rectitied in the general interest.
Natural resources are of no avail
without men and women to develop
them, and only a strong and sound
citizenship can make nation perma-
nently great. We cannot too soon en-
ter on the duty of conserving our chief
source of strength by the prevention Of
disease and the prolongation of life.
Waste reduced and resources saved
are the first, but not the last, object
of conservation. The material re-
sources have an additional value when
their preservation adds to the beauty
and habitability of the land. Ours is Il
pleasant land in which to dwell. To
increase its beauty and augment it's
fitness cannot but multiply our pleas
ure in 1t and strengthen the bonds Of
our attachment.
Minerals.
The mineral production of the Unit
ed States for 1907 exceeded $1,000, OOO,-
wv stA0 COA&AADGACA pt1 CtAL I'll Iue
total freight traffic of the country. The
waste in the extraction and treatment
of mineral products during the same
year was equivalent to more than
$500. 100000.
The production for 1907 included
800, OOO, 600 tons OF bituminous and 49,
100000 tons of anthracite coal, 1885,
100000 barrels of petroleum, $4,000, 600
tons Of high grade and 100000 tons
Of low grade iron ore, 2.50O,0o0 tons of
phosphate rock and 89,O00,0O0 pounds
Of copper. The values of other min
eral products during the same year In
cluded clay products, $162, oOO, 600;
stone, $71.OO0,O 900; cement, S56, OOo, 600;
natural gas. 5o,ooo, 600; gold, $780, 0o,-
600; silver. <37. 900. 600; lead, $3o,OOo.-
GOO, and zinc, $26 O0O, eco.
The available and easily accessible
supplies OF coal In the United States
aggregate approximately 1.400, 600. O00,-
600 tons. At the present increasing
rate OF production this supply will be
SO depleted as to approach exhaustion
before the middle OF the next century.
The known.supply Of high grade iron
ores in the United States appreximates
a =