Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-14
ENORMOUS WASTE OF
LIFE AND RESOURCES
Startling Figures Contained in
Report of Senate Commit
tee on Conservation.

Estimating the annual preventable
waste of the nations natural resources in
billions of dollars, the Senate committee
on conservation today furnished the Sen
ate some compact and startling informa-
ton regarding the annual waste 1t Is
contained In the report of Senator Dixon
in behalf Of the committee, in favor of
the enactment Of the bill for the creation
of commission on the conservation OIL
the natural resources
Reviewing the waste Of the material
resources of the country. the report turns
to the waste Of human ffe.
Large as is our use and prodisal as
is our waste of natural resources, our
reckless waste of human life is an even
greater reproach to our intelligence and
humanity says the report Since coal
mining began in 1920 the loss OF life in
the mines has exceeded our fatalities in
war, and the sacrifice still goes on at
the rate of two or three full regiments
yearly, most of the fatalities being due
to avoidabe accidents. The mortality in
manufacturing and transportat tiOn is hard
ly less grave, while our national efficiency
is further reduced by the prevalence Of
preventable disease. BY easily avoidable
accidents and preventable disorders our
average expectation Of life is lowered by
several years, our normal increase in
population Is materially retarded. and our
national efficiency is greatly reduced
More Wasted Than Used.
The report goes into detail in present
ing an inventory of the natural resources
of the country; and then it turns to the
waste.
The inventory shows" says the re-
duction of coal from 1870 to the present
date has been something less than 5000
OON,OO tons, and that the waste in min
ing and handling has been considerably
greater-in other words, that to date
more coal has been wasted than used.
THE wastes in petroleum and natural
gas are also enormous: up to date much
more has been wasted than used. In
the production and use of iron the wastes
are less, though still needlessly large; the
chief loss arises III ill-advised uses and
shortsighted adjustment of means to end.
The exhaustion Of our timber sup
plies, due partly to injudicious numbering
and to the destructive clearing Of lands
today worth less than the timber de-
stroyed, is still more largely due to for
est fires Experts estimate that since
the country was settled much more TIM
ber has yielded to forest fires than has
fallen before the ak.
Immense as are our wastes in min
eral and timber resources, the needless
losses in agriculture are no less seri-
Gus The chief waste is that of ero-
sion. or soil wash. According to the
conservative determinations of the
geological survey incorporated in the
| inventory, the streams Of the country
annually pour into the sea 7s3.000.00O
| tons of sediment Of which a large part
comprises the finest and most soluble
mort ions Of the soil matter-the very
| cream of the soil.
"Stnl greater than the actual losses
that may be appraised in pounds and
bushels and dollars is the unrecognized
| injury resulting from failure to coordi-
! nate and apply the resources advan-
| tageously.
",Through state agencies and the
Federal Department Of Agriculture eX-
pert knowledge is spreading; yet bet
| ter coordination of the several agen-
cies would be beneficial