The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-12-14


rest. Agriculture is unquestionably
still the greatest of our industries, but
mining is easily second in Importance.
The value of the products and the
number of men employed by these two
industries are sufficient evidence OF
this fact.
In this country agriculture received
aid from the federal government and
the states long before mining, and to-
day, as far as official encouragement
is concerned, agriculture is the best
organized of all our industries. You
win find agricultural organizations In
every state in the union; in addition
there are several great national or
CARNATIONS, any one of which Is at all
times ready to call attention to the
needs of agriculture
Mining is becoming better organic
ed and number of organizations,
notably the American Mining con-
gress, are now working in it's behalf,
but we have much farther to go to
reach the stage of organization at
tanned by agriculture. This organl-
cation of agriculture Is reflected by
the activities of the federal govern
ment. With the department of agri-
culture back Of this industry and sew
eral thousand skilled men looking af-
ter it's every interest, with congress
for many years educated to the needs
Of agriculture, it iss comparatively
easy matter for agriculture to get
what it wants in the way of appro-
priations.
have had some comparative sta
tlstics prepared concerning the two
great industries and some Of the con-
illusions reached are almost startling.
According to these statistics, mining
is not receiving from the federal gov
eminent anything like its just share
of the appropriations annually made.
The statistics show that IL mining
were to receive the same considera-
ton as agriculture, comparing the
relative value OF the outputs of the
two industries, mining would receive
nearly four times as much as 1t now
receives, or $S,O1S,56O instead of ST.
333,075 Another interesting compar-
ison shows that the federal govern
ment in the present year has donated
to the farmers one dollar for every
1926 worth of products Of the farms,
1t has donated to mining one dollar
for every $1017 worth of products
from the mines
l am pleased to say, however, that
mining is beginning to receive more
recognition. Last year congress pass
ment in several important mining re-
gions of the United States of ten min
ing experiment stations and seven
mine safety stations In addition to
those already established, but provid-
ing that not more than three of the
mining experiment stations and the
same number of safety stations shall
be established in one year.
comparative financial aid given by
the federal government to the two
great industries, shall summarize
somewhat briefly the work done by
the department of the interior in its
efforts to aid mining. That depart
ment, as you know includes the two
federal bureaus, the geological survey
and the bureau of mines, whose activ-
tiles relate almost wholly to the min
eral industries.
No other country in the world has
such vast and varied mineral re-
sources as the United States, In 1880
the value of the mineral products of
this country, according to the tenth
census, was $364O00,OOO; in 1900 the
value had risen to $1,06S, 100000 in
1910 to $780,, 100000; and in 1915. ac-
cording to the advance figures of the
geological survey, to $2,379, 000,0 900.
From 1880 to 1915 the population of
the United States increased about
100 per cent, whereas the value of its
mineral production increased nearly
seven fold.
But this tremendous increase in
production has been accompanied by
unparalleled waste, in both the pro-
duction and utilization of our mineral
wealth, with too little regard for the
health and safety OF the men whose
labor converted the natural resources
into the commercial products. A peo-
Pile of restless energy ndividualistic,
eager for immediate success, and hav-
ing little regard for the lessons of the
past. we have INDUCED in an orgy Of
hasty exploitation, with the result that
already we are nearing the limit OF
maximum production of some miner
ais, although the original supply, II
wisely mined and utilized, would have
lasted us many years longer and
would have brought us ten times the
wealth To conserve our remaining
supplies, that is to extract. prepare,
and utilize the minerals and ores in
such manner as will be of most bene-
fit to the nation, is not q simple nor
an easy task. Our mineral resources
are many and extend throughout great
areas, occur under widely varying geo.
logical conditions, and are subject in
large part to state laws that differ