The Alaska citizen., 1914-05-18
PLEA IS MADE FOR A BETTER
 CONSERVATION
COUNTRY LOST 100000 LAST YEAR, SENATOR
 DECLARES.

7 1913 lost s41,O0O,00O which might have been earned here, with large part of the sum going to labor. was described in the senate recently in remarkable speech by Senator Jones, of Washington. discussing his bill to aid and to regulate the de velopment, operation and mainten- ance of water powers on government lands.
 The speech was the opening gun in the fight over development of the natural resources of the nation and was listened to attentively by mem bers of the senate.
 Cost of Crops to be Cut.
 Senator Jones explained to the sen ate how great agricultural boom might be brought about by develop ment of the nations water powers; how the size and quality of crops might be increased in some instances twofold by use the nitrate fer tilizers, which would then be man. ufactured; and how many new in dustries could be created on the basis of the hydroelectric power if investors wero encouraged by the right sort of dam law,
 More than 100000 hydroelectric horsepower, said Senator Jones, has been developed In European countries during the last five years for use in the manufacture of nj trate of lime and cyanimide through the fixation of the nitrogen of the air. Not single horsepower in the United States has been devoted to these purposes. There are near ly 2O0,O0O,000 horsepower possible of development in the United States, a fact which indicates that there is no scarcity of this resource.
 Industries Sent Elsewhere.
 Because of the fact that these great industries have been unable to locate in this country under the terms that make investment practic- able. they are turning to such places as Canada and Labrador, and to Iceland.
 We imported during the year 1913 more than $41 100000 worth of nitro genous products all of which could be made in the United States if we were possessed of rational wa ter-power policy.
 Congress and other official and public bodies have spent much time and money Investigating the req sons for the increased cost of living and in practically every report the main cause has been found to be reduced per capita and per acre pro duction of food In this connection it has been shown conclusively that with an adequate supply of nitrogen as fertilizer it will easily be possi- ble, by intensive methods of agri- culture, so to increase the yield of cereals per acre as to bring down materially the present cost of liv- ing, and set forward the danger line of shortage of food for the ever increasing population of the earth far into the next century.
 Tn Belgium, where the soil is of no better average quality than in the United States, the yield of wheat, rye, barley, and oats is over double that of the United States, owing en- tirely to the continued application of fertilizers, principally nitrate of lime.
 Would Provide for War.
 German experiments have shown that by the introduction of 100000 tons of nitrogen yearly into the soil the increased crop obtained in the German empire would be 63,0OO,- 900 tons.
 We we'll know that nitrogen is the basis of all explosives. and un- til it is manufactured in this coun- try the United States will be de- pendent in time of war on foreign nations for it's supply. We can be- come independent producers of nj trogen if, by means of wise laws, we make it possible to establish new industry in this country. This industry is to be obtained only through the development of the cheapest kind of electric power. The government will fail of this beneficent purpose if it places even small burden by taxation or re-