JTJLT 15, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



67 



ably other important results will follow in 

 the near future. 



The association of his labors as state 

 geologist with his labors as a university 

 professor, has therefore enabled him to do 

 to better advantage both his work for the 

 intellectual development of the people of 

 Alabama at the university, and the work 

 for material development throughout the 

 state. 



NEW PURPOSE IN STATE DEVELOPMENT 



Furthermore, in this double capacity Dr. 

 Smith has contributed much to this new 

 purpose in the state's development, 

 namely, safeguarding the state's future 

 welfare. 



In the past, the chief idea of the state 

 has been, and naturally so, to explore and 

 publish its material resources, because ma- 

 terial development has always been, and 

 must continue to be, the important basis of 

 intellectual growth, and even the older 

 American states are still young. This 

 present development of resources is the 

 motive which has generally led to the es- 

 tablishment of state geological surveys ; 

 and great good has resulted along these 

 lines. The exploration of hidden or un- 

 known resources in different parts of the 

 state ; their advertisement to the world 

 through the publication of geological re- 

 ports has brought in new capital and popu- 

 lation, has led to a wise use of home capi- 

 tal and labor, afad has otherwise brought 

 growth and prosperity to the state. 



The new purpose in state development 

 to which Dr. Smith has contributed re- 

 quires that the state must not only en- 

 courage present development, but must 

 also safeguard its own future. It is this 

 purpose upon which the doctrine of con- 

 servation of resources is based. 



This does not mean that the state should 

 check development by endeavoring to save 



for the future what the citizen of to-day 

 needs for his own use. It means that the 

 citizen of to-day, in the use of this mate- 

 rial, while he has a right to what he needs, 

 has no right to ivaste or to misuse that 

 which he does not need to-day, but which 

 his children and his children's children 

 will need hereafter. For he neither cre- 

 ated, nor can he add to these resources, nor 

 replace them by others when the present 

 supply has been once exhausted. He can 

 and should, therefore, mine, prepare and 

 use these resources with the least possible 

 waste, and with the greatest possible effi- 

 ciency ; and it is the duty of the .state to 

 see that this is done. 



Generations come and go. The life of 

 the individual is short; his plans and am- 

 bitions relate to temporary purposes and 

 present profits. The state goes on for- 

 ever; and the state must safeguard its own 

 future. In a recent notable decision, the 

 United States Supreme Court says: "The 

 state as the guardian of the public welfare 

 possesses the constitutional right to insist 

 that its natural advantages shall remain 

 unimpaired by its citizens." 



In the developing and carrying out this 

 purpose, it is natural and proper that the 

 state should employ its own geologists and 

 engineers and chemists; that it should 

 make use of the facilities of its university ; 

 and that it should teach the new purpose 

 to its university students as well as to its 

 maturer citizens. 



The geologist and the engineer in the 

 employ of private capital must look pri- 

 marily for present profits. The geologist 

 and engineer in the employ of the state 

 must give primary consideration to the 

 permanent public welfare. And the public 

 welfare requires that, while in the develop- 

 ment and vise of material resources present 

 profit can not be neglected and must not 

 be made impossible, the way must be 



