Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-07-27
By FRANKIN K. LANE, Secretary
of the Interior

most of the commodities which max
for this preparedness To produce tn
others is very largely a matter Of de
veloping those resources we have neg
lected, and in the forefront Of thes
neglected resources are our water pow
ers
Such development VIII open to tn,
West an Industrial era Of such possibl
tiles as have been almost undreamec
Of The fuels available include natura
gas, OIL Ignite and coal. The coal, re
duced to coke, offers raw material fol
the production by electric smelling
| processes, of the carbide extensively
used for Illuminating purposes. Here
at hand are great deposits Of limestone
| that viii furnish the lime required to
form calcium carbide used In the fxa-
ton Of nitrogen and the production OF
ammonia At hand, also, are noun
tains OF phosphate rock awaiting the in
stallatlon of appliances to free its con
tent Of phosphoric acid and combine 1t
with ammonia as fertillzing agency
at less cost than any now known.
Sodium sulphate sodium carbonate
and sodium chloride are here. the lat
ter Offering material for electro -chemi
cal production Of soaps, bleaching pow
der, etc, in time Of peace and for tho
making in wartime Of the deadly chic
rine gas now devastating the trenches
Of European battle fields.
Abundant Iron Deposits.
Iron deposits are here In abundance,
which, with 1uxing and reducing mate
rails at hand and cheap hydroelectric
power as the agency for reduction. may
make the Pacific Coast a competitor
with the Ohio Valley In the production
Of special grades of pig iron and the
manufacture in electrical furnaces of
high grade steels. Also at hand are
the materials for the manufacture OF
such steel alloys as ferromanganese,
feTochrome, ferrosilicon, ferrotung-
sten, ferromolybdenum and others.
Here are rnre metals-bartum in tho
form OF sulphate and carbonate. zinc
and copper, gold and silver-all await
ing the magical touch OF the cheap
electrical Potentially in our wasted
stream flow to make their utilization
the basis of new settlement, new
towns and cities, new centers OF civin-
cation and new sources OF activity and
wealth.
As a by-product. and not an unim-
portant one, of the atmospheric nitro
gen plants, we can produce cyanide, |
giving new life and impetus to the
mining and production Of precious |
metals from low grade ores. In fact
this material either as by-product or
from metallic sodium produced with
the cheap power available, should
make the Pacific Coast the logical dis
tributing center for cyanide used In
gold extraction. Our Alaskan copper,
now shipped as far away as New Jer-
sey for smelling, may be cheaply and
reduced and manufactured
by electrical processes on the Pacific
Coast, and the same hydro-electric
power which viii bring these indus
-rles into existence VIII afford the en-
Argy for cheapened transportation OF
heir products over electrified railways.
Security of Investment Needed.
We must depend upon private enter
1rise and capital to secure this develop
nent To enlist private enterprise and
money in the work. our legislation
must offer to investors, to promoters
md builders. the security Of invest
nent and hope OF reasonable reward or
'eturn which viii induce them to put
erprises. The door must be securely
ocked against exploitation Of the pub
ic need and speculation I'm future val
les Of these power sites, but there
must be no improper barriers or handi-
APPS to enterprise and development.
Production Of cheap power depends
IS largely upon the securing Of invest
nent at low rates of interest as upon
economy Of physical operation. II the
legislative conditions are such as force
apital to earn large returns 1t neces-
arily means higher priced power and
Eliminates many OF the desirable uses
o which cheap power could be put II
t is economical to combine more than
me water power under a single eperat-
ng control or with one distributing
ystem which will increase the per
entage Of generating capacity utiliz-
d and so reduce the unit cost, neither
mere prejudice nor political timidity
hould be allowed TO prevent such eco
lomical operation.
The big things which should not be
ost to sight are that use constitutes
he highest form OF conservation OF
water power. that power not used to-
lay is wasted. and that power used to-
lay does not diminish the potential
-alue Of the same power for use I'm the
uture, while every dlowatt Of cleo
rical energy produced by water CON
erves human labor or adds to its
and is the equivalent OF a
uel saving which closely affects not
ufv orosanf dav gnduefr4uf ona so.4of ! {