656 CONSERVATION 



tistically the extent of the Nation's coal seems in a large part unwarranted, 

 reserves ; but great as are these stores Utilize this water power and there will 

 of fuel, at the present rate of increase result not only the financial saving of 

 in consumption, these statistics indicate to-day, but also the conservation of the 

 that the supply of easily mined coal will coal. Nor should we think that pos- 

 be exhausted before the middle of the terity alone is concerned in this con- 

 next century. Cheap coal has given servation of our resources. Every step 

 this country its industrial supremacy, toward the exhaustion of our easily 

 and it is well to take this account of mined coal, for instance, will be marked 

 stock. ■ by a rise in price. 



The very- abundance of our mineral It is, then, only by systematic study 



fuels and ores of the important metals of the natural resources of the coun- 



has discouraged economy, so that the try that progress can be made toward 



problem immediately before us is that national conservation. The practical 



of waste prevention. Nowhere are the value of the Survey's scientific work 



present conditions more critical than in has been recognized in this connection 



the case of coal. At every stage in the and the usefulness of its results appre- 



mining and utilization of coal there is ciated by the general public. With 



waste to an extent almost beyond belief, reliable information before us regard- 



and much of the technologic investiga- ing our stores of natural wealth our 



tion on the part of the Survey is di- present wasteful practices, and our pos- 



rected toward lessening the waste in sibilities of improvement in methods of 



the production of coal and increasing utilization, there should indeed be suffi- 



the efficiency in its consumption. . cient incentive to join in the movement 



Water is unquestionably our greatest for national betterment, 

 mineral resource. All great industries As a citizen of Maine, addressing a 

 — agriculture, manufactures, transpor- representative body of Maine men, I 

 tation, and mining — depend upon it, should speak of the share our state 

 and it is fortunate indeed that our has in this national conservation. In 

 President has called the Nation's atten- all that relates to natural resources, 

 tion to the value of its water resources, political boundaries play little part. 

 The possibilities of our rivers and Most of the important rivers of the 

 streams well deserve the investigation country are interstate streams. The 

 I mentioned earlier as being carried on distribution of the forests and depos- 

 by the Survey. Flood prevention would its of valuable minerals antedated by 

 save to the Nation over $100,000,000 centuries and ages the definition of 

 annually, and it is believed that flood state boundaries. Thus the paper man- 

 control could be secured by an expen- ufactured from timber from the Maine 

 diture equivalent to the present losses forest by power derived from one of 

 from the floods of a few years. Inland our rivers may go to a southern city, 

 water navigation is demanded to solve or again, the steel used by one of our 

 the present-day problems of interstate Maine mills may be the product of a 

 commerce. Reclamation by irrigation Pennsylvania furnace using Minnesota 

 and drainage means the winning to the ore. West Virginia coke, and New Jer- 

 use of man of vast tracts of fertile land sey limestone. It is this interdepend- 

 and thus increasing the national wealth, ence, this community of interest, that 

 Even more opportune to-day is the dis- makes anything that affects any part 

 cussion of the utilization of our water of the country a matter of real concern 

 power. While America is the greatest to the citizens of Maine. Yet there are 

 consumer of coal, more than one-half certain phases of this broad subject that 

 of the present consumption in the touch us more intimately than others. 

 United States has for its object the The farm, forests, and water powers 

 generation of power. In the presence of Maine comprise her chief natural 

 of enormous undeveloped water pow- wealth and constitute the real basis for 

 ers, this drain upon the coal resources her industrial life. Of these I will men- 



