Bridgeton pioneer., 1909-01-28
INVENTORY OF
COUN7RY'S RESOURCES
Commission Tells How They
Should Be Conserved.

/
commission Clifford Pinchot, chairman
| of the commission, says the entry OF
| the conservation movement into the
| field of definite constructive WORK Is
accomplished by the authorization OF a
| Joint committee on cooperation. 10 pe'
| composed of six members of the state
conservation commissions and three
members of the national conservation
| commission, with it's chairman and
secretary. This committee is to devise
ways and means for effective co-opera-
tion between all forces working for the
conservation of national resources.
Mr.. Pinchot takes occasion to recog-
nize the work of the secretary of the
commission Thomas B. Shipp, and the
secretaries of the four sections of wa
ters, forests, lands and minerals,
Messrs. W. ]. McGee. Overton W.
Price, George W. Woodruff and ]. A.
Holmes, respectively, without whose
services, together with the government
experts, the making of the national In
ventory wouid have been impossible.
The five secretaries sign the report
with him.
The report Of the commission is de-
voted mainly to an inventory of the
country's resources in minerals, lands,
forests and waters, closing with Sec
tion on national efficiency"
The mineral production of the Unit
ed States for 1907 exceeded $2,000,000,-
900 and contributed 65 per cent Of the
total freight traffic of the country.
The waste in the extraction and treat
ment of mineral products during the
same year was equivalent to more
than $30O,OOO.OOO. The available and
| easily accessible supplies of coal in the
United States aggregate approximately
100000, 100000 tons. At the present
increasing rate of production this sup
ply will be so depleted as to approach
exhaustion before the middle of the
next century. The high grade iron
ores fhe only iron ores available for
| use under existing conditions) cannot
be expected to last beyond the middle
of the present century. The same is
true of the petroleum supply. The sup
ply of stone, clay, cement, lime, sand
and salt is ample, while the stock of
the precious metals and of copper,
lead, zinc, sulphur, asphalt, graphite,
quicksilver, mica and the rare metals
cannot well be estimated, but is clear
ly exhaustible within one to three CEN
turies unless unexpected deposits are
found
The consumption of nearly all our
mineral products is increasing far
more rapidly than our population. A
stray CLEAN of light in the otherwise
gloomy mineral situation is seen in
the fact that while the production of
coal Is increasing enormously the
waste and loss in mining are diminish
ing. There is urgent need Of greater
safety to the miner. The loss of life
through mine accidents is appalling.
Stress is laid on the assertion that
four-fifths Of the country's fire losses,
or an average Of $1,OOO,0OOa day, could
be prevented if the precautions taken
In Europe were adopted here.
Speaking Of the nations cultivable
area, the report declares that there has
been slight increase in the average
yield of our great staple farm prod
ucts, but neither the increase in acre
age nor the yield per acre has kept
pace with our increase in population.
Within a century we shall probably
have to feed three times as many
people as now, and the main bulk Of
our food supply must be grown on our
own soil. We have now nearly 6OOO.-
600 farms, averaging 146 acres each,
but only little more than two-fifths
Of the area Of continental United States
is under cultivation. The United
States can grow the farm products
needed by population more than three
times as great as our country now con-
tains, but we must greatly increase
the yield per acre.
The greatest unnecessary waste Of
our soil is preventable erosion. Second
only to this is the waste, nonuse and
misuse of fertilizer derived from ami
mails and men. Other great causes Of
loss are due to injurious mammals,
plant diseases and insects. Most of
these farm losses are preventable.
The present public land laws as
whole do not subserve the best inter-
ests Of the people. Title to the surface
Of the remaining nonmineral public
hands should be granted only to actual
Aomemakers
Next to our need of food and water
comes our need Of timber, declares the
rePert. The preservation by use under
the methods of practical forestry Of
all public. Sprest lands either in state
or federal ownership is essential to
the permanent public welfare. Effec-
tiveand Immediate cooperation by pri-
vats enterprise, state ownership ana
federal ownership is needed II the pub
lieSinterest is to be subserveds BY rea-
| Gnable thrift we can produce q con-
giant timber supply beyond our present
need and with it conserve the useful
19ess Of our streams for irrigation, wa
fter supply, navigation and power.
" OF the 70O0O,0OO,OO0OOO cubic feet