Evening star., 1923-07-03

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have been. constantly impressed that
wise development Of natural resources
! does not often result In their dfsas-
| trous diminution Rather 1t seems
as rule to result in a growing, an
expanding, an increasing supply and
variety of the very riches upon which
we make drafts.
II do not fear that present develop
ment Is liable to impoverish us in the
ing to every historical analogy, Is
what will. take place. Why, you all
emember that a quarter century ago
so wise a man as James J. Hill was
warning us that within fifteen years
| this country would have to import
wheat! Twice that period has passed
our population has grown enormous
! ly and yet today wesare producing q
! greater surplus of wheat than any
other country in the world. Our diff
Guilty Is not, to find wheat for, our
selves. but to find other countries that
will buy 1t from us.
Recalls Gold Scare.
"In 1908 Mr.. Bryan eloquently tas-
sured US that gold could no longer
| serve as the worlds money standard
| because there could not possibly be
enough of. it produced Before the
!
science had perfected new processes
| of gold extraction, and in a few years
another group of earnest people were
just as solemnly warning us that we
| couldn't go on using gold as our
money standard, because it was get
| ting too common!
"Fortunately for us, we didn't get
unduly excited about either predic-
tion, and today we find about every
| body agreed that to get back on the
nf r
est needs,
so. contemplating the certainty
! that another century will give us a
population of probably 100000, 600, one
Is forced to conclude that a wise de-
velopment of resources is the only
! policy to which we dare commit our
/ selves. There was a time when the
public domain was thought of as a
| treasure house of potential wealth
to be. locked up against the day when
we should need 1t. 1t was assumed
| that by looking it UP we should make
1 it surely available whenever it was
required.
PrOdigal Era Past.
"As a matter of fact, that would
prevent it from being ready when
| needed. Development must be grad
| ual; business of the decades and the
centuries. 1t should indeed. be given
wise direction and supervision. The
| opportunities of the newer country
should be so administered as to in
| sure their equitable distribution in
/ the future, We have done with the
era OF thoughtiess. and reckless ex-
| ploitation of our domain. There will
not again come a time when imperial
estates Will be distributed with Law
ish hands to enterprising gentlemen
| whose only claim is that they would
| like to- own them.
| "Wezwant the west o,be a land of
homes and of the freest opportunity
for the esta blisfH1erit of the families
possessing independent means of live
| lihood. Ii is recognized that the very
| different conditions of the plains and
| cations of the policies that have
| served so, well in other parts of the
| country. Those notifications are be-
! ing wrought out gradually with a
view to promoting here that wide di-
| versification of Industries and occu.
| pations which is invited by your va
| riety of resources. and which is the
| ideal state of modern society.
Even-Handed Justice.
1T is not desirable that the west
| should fall into the hands of bonanza
! corporations seeking to exploit il
for the profit of stockholders who
| live somewhere else. But. on the
other hand, it is worth while to en-
phasize that many OF the most valued
| resources of the west are of such
| character. and their development,
must be on such a scale. that they car
! only be made available under con-
| centrated management and by the
use of capital in large units.
| We must enforce measures which
will give capital and management at
| tractive returns. but which will al
ways keep in sight the primary pur-
pose of dealing out justice even
handed, opportunity and an absolutely
fair interest in the product of human
! industry. effort and intelligence. -
| II spoke a moment ago of the fact
| that as a rule the utilization OF
natures resources commonly results
! in their increase rather than their
! dimunition- That is peculiarly true
/ of one especially valuable resource OF
Iyour mountain west. i mean your
! water. The flow of a great river that
| runs away to the sea without being
! utilized for power or for irrigation
| is wasted forever. To prevent its
benefit of a distant future. If 1T is
| to be of service tomorrow, it must
1 be harnessed today.
New View of Rivers.
| Our whole view of the relation of
| water to western development has
| changed much in the last generation.
! Only a few years since these waters
| full merely for irrigation and agricul-
| ture We entered upon a great pro-
gram of irrigation enterprise in that
| era when we had as yet but a vague
notion about the dual purpose that
j your water resources ought to serve.
! But now we know that the same water
can in most cases be utilized both
| for power and irrigation.
| Thus the great power development
| will mark the sites of industrial CEN
! ters. adjacent to which will grow UP
! rich areas of intensive agriculture
production. The industrial populations
will provide markets, without impossi-
BILE transportation expenditure. for the
products of the soil: and in turn the
| people on the soil will afford markets
for the products of industry.
! Transportation will be increased
and cheapened through electrification
! of the railways; and in the light of
| what We now know about all aspects
| of this subject. we may confidently look
! forward to generation in which these
young and vigorous commonweaIt this
| of the west will boast as great a
population as the entire nation num-
bers today. capable of living for the
greater part within itself, representing
a wide diversif1cation of industries
and OcCunafiOnS and havipp 70 Yrnh