Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-01-28
INVENTORY or
C0uNTnY'S RESOURCES
Commission Tells How They
Should Be Conserved,

In forwarding to the president the
report of the national conservation
commission clifford Pincho chairman
OF the commission, says the entry of
the conservation movement into the
field Of definite constructive work is
accomplished by the authori3d tion OF a
Joint committee on cooperation. to he
composed Of six members of the state
conservation commissions and three
members OF the national conservation
commission, with its chairman and
secretary. This committee IL to devise
ways and means FOR effective co-opera-
ton between all forces working for the
conservation Of national resources,
Mr. Pinchot takes occasion TO recos-
rize the work of the secretary Of rhe
commission. Thomas r. Ship, aud the
secretaries Of the four sections Of wa
tiers, forests. lands and minerals,
NeSsrs y. J. Niece. Overtou w
Trice. George ". Woodruff and J. \
Holmes. respectively. without whose
services, together with the government
experts, the making OF the national in
ventory would 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
countrys resources in minerals, lands,
forests and waters. closing with sec
ton on national efficiency"
The mineral production Of the Unit
ed States for 1907 exceeded So 0O0OOn,
900 ard contributed 20 per cent Of the
total freight traffic of the country.
The waste In the extraction and treat
mcnt of mineral products during the
same year was equivalent to more
than $500 100000 The available and
easily accessible supplies Of coal in the
United States aggregate approximately
100000 Oo0,0O0 tons. At the present
increasing rate Of production this sup
ply viii be so depleted as to approach
exhaustion before the middle OF the
next century. The high grade iron
ores Ghe only iron ores available for
use under existing conditlonsl 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 sock Of
the precious metals ard of copper,
lead, zinc. sulphur, asphalt, graphite,
quicksilver, mica and the rare metals
cannot we'll be estimated, but is clear
~ eXhauStible within one TO three cen
| t,ria Tod IA a "a
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 IL laid on the assertion that
four-ffths Of the countrys fire losses,
or an average OF 100000 day, could
be prevented II the precautions taken
IN Europe were adopted here.
Speaking of the nations cultlvable
area. the report declares that there has
been slight increase In the average
yield OF our great staple farm prod
ucis. but neither the increase in acre
age nor the yield per acre has kept
pace with cur increase In population.
Within 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 6,000-
600 farms, averaging lac acres each,
but only 4 little more than two-tifths
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 az great as our country now con-
ta!ns, but we must greatly Increase
the yield per acre
The greatest unnecessary waste or
our soil Is proventnble erosion. Second
only to this IS the waste. nonnse and
nisuee Of Fertilizer derived from AMI