The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-01-23

= - ut" ~ .
with him.
The report or the commission Is de-
voted mainly 20 an inventory Of the
cornlry's resources III minerals, lands,
forests and waters. closing with a scc-
! ton on "natlonal efficiency"
The mineral production Of the Unit
ed States for 1861 exceeded S2000,O0O.-
600 and contributed G5 per cent OF the
| total freight trade OF the country.
! The waste In the extraction and treat
ment OF mineral products during the
same year was equivalent TO more
than $300000o00. The available and
easily accessible supplies Of coal In the
United States aggregate approximately
00.0000o0.000 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 (the 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 wen be estimated. but IL clear
ly exhaustible within one TO three cen
turtles unless unexpected deposits are
\ found.
The consumption OF nearly all our
mineral products II increasing far
more rapidly than our population. A
stray CLEAN Of light In the otherwise
gloomy mineral situation Is seen Ia
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-hfths Of the country's IRE LOSSES
or IN average Of 100000 day, could
be prevented n the precautions taken
In Europe were adopted here.
Speaking OF the nations cultivable
area. the report declares that There has
been o 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 IA 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 6000-
600 farms. averaging lao acres each.
but only a little more than two-6fths
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 rs our country now con-
talns, but we must greatly increase
the yield per acre.
The greatest unnecessary waste Of
our soil "a prcventable erosion. Second
only 10 this Is The waste, nonuse and
misuse Of fertilizer derived from AMI.
mails and mon other great causes OF
loss are due 10 injurious mammals.
plant diseases and insects. Most Of
these farm losses are preventablc.
Tho present public land laws as n
whole do not subserve the best inter
ests OF the people. Title TO the surfans
OF the remaining nonmlneral public
lands should be granted only to actual
homemakers.
Next to our need OF food and water
comes our need OF timber, declares the
report. The preservation by use under
the methods OF practical forestry OF
all public forest lands either IN state
or federal ownership IL essential TO
the permanent public welfare. Effec-
tive and immediate cooperation by pri-
vate enterprise, state ownership and
federal ownership Is needed II the pub
lie interest Is 90 be subservcd. by rem
sonable thrift we can produce a con-
slant timber supply beyond our present
need and with 1t conserve the useful
ness OF our streams for irrigation. wa
ter supply, navigation and power
OF the 70.O00.0O0.O0000 cubic feet
OF water annually flowing into the sea
less than per cent Ia restrained and
utilized for municipality and commu-
nifty supply; less than ? per cent Cor
some 10 per cent az that IN the arid
and semarid rcgionD Is used for llri-
Z EAitNnt itifui% ~ ilAA tNMk ~ AMtM ana
navigation and less than 8 percent for
power.
The frcshcts are attended by de-
struciive soil erosion The SOIL matter
annually carried into lower rivers and
harbors or Into the sea IL computed at
7S0.O000O0 tons. Soll wash reduces by
10 20 20 per cent the productivity OF
upland farms aud increases channel
cutting and bar building I'm the rivers.
The annual loss to the farms alone f.
$500. 100000. aud large losses follow
the fouling OF the waters and the d.
mInIshed navigation OF the streams.
Broad plans should be adopted pro-
viding for a system OF waterway Inn
provement extending 20 all uses Of the
waters and benefits TO be derived from
their control
Under the heading National Eli
cheney the report says: 80 y