The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-09-27


natural resources have been conserv.
ed and intelligently maintained-we
find them SO well defined as to lead
to but one conclusion.
This is illustrated in Germany where
they have maintained the fertility of
their soil for centuries. 1t produces
more per acre today than it did gen.
erations ago. Their great forest es-
tates have remained in tact; they
have cut crop of timber from them
regularly every year, producing an an
nual income, but the capitalize for
est estates greater and more val
liable today than it was before our
country was discovered Fires have
not destroyed their forests They
have long since learned the wisdom
of applying, AN ounce of prevention"
and fortunately have no Pork Bar
redT' to stand in the way.
And we find in our own history
many instances where great business
enterprises have sprung promptly
from our efforts to intelligently de-
state of Illinois was passed over by
the first settlers as land of no op-
portunities. 1t is today, in product
1veness and volume of business, one
of the greatest states in the Union
In the states of Utah and Colorado
vast areas formerly looked upon as
barren and useless wastes, have been
by the intelligent handling of natural
resources, made to produce annually
wonderful crops of fruit and veget-
ables-the traffic in which has become
great commercial industry. In the
development of the southwest-depen-
dent very largely upon one resource
the fertility of the soil-yet, calling
into being such lusty young giants as
Wichita, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and
others of that type. In the vicinity
Oh Birmingham, Ala, section which
before the war was occupied mainly by
cotton antations-wherein there was
nothing that could be properly called
bus1ness-where generations came.
and passed to the Great Beyond, and
never saw the smoke of factory, or
heard the hum of a busy mart of trade
Today, with but one generation inter-
vening, We find there live and pros.
porous modern city-the heart of a
great industrial region. The change
has come from developing three natur-
al resources, which up to the close of
the war had been allowed to lie idle
and unproductive-the forests, the
coal and the iron.
Here again We find an example of
the business dependence of natural re-
sources one upon the other TIE tim
Der from the forests was needed for
the mining of the coal, and the coal
was needed in the manufactures from
the iron ore; and again the forests in
the development of means of transport
tation to the markets of the world.
So there seems to be ample evidence
that business activity follows prompt
ly upon the intelligent development
of natural resources, and decay with
equal certainty follows the neglect or
wasteful use of the capital which ma
ture tenders US, and for our steward
ship of which she holds us strictly ac-
countable.
l have frequently been asked by
those who know our system of getting
reliable Internationally do people
over the country feel in regard to-
Conservation; are they in favor Of it
in all its aspects, or do they seem to-
Mt cd ,lI- boz, D.
AS that is question that has di-
rect bearing on the business of the
country, we naturally had made care
full inquiry regarding 1t, and we bad
learned that the majority of the peo-
pie do not understand enough about
have no adequate idea what conserva-
ton means as applied. for instance by
this organization to our natural re-
sources.
In spite of exhaustive reports issu-
ed by the departments-in spite of
scholarly and illuminative articles on
the subject, the people generally do
not yet understand the real object of
conservation. A busy people in trade
do not have time to read Government
Reports or long speeches on any sub
ject, and of course no one can do JUS
tice to even one element of this great
subject in a short article.
The net result is therefore that
there is no general understanding of
even the A B C of conservation
such as should be given to the peo-
ple-such as they would be glad to
have, and such as they must have be-
fore there is warrant for feeling that
the foundation stones of conservation
are SO firmly grounded that no tran.
STORY wave of agitation on unimpor-
tant details can be successfully used
to dislodge them.
The majority have not yet grasped
the idea that one of the prime OBJ |
jects of this conservation movement
is to preserve the fertility and pro.
ductiveness of the soil, on which we
all depend for our food supply.
They are not aware that already in
many parts of this country, where for