68 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXII. No. 811 



found of using the resources of the state 

 with minimum waste; in order that while 

 not preventing the profit of to-day, re- 

 sources not needed for to-day may be safe- 

 gaiarded for the needs of to-morrow. 



CONSERVATION OP KESOURCES MUST HAVE A 

 RATIONAL BASIS 



The enthusiast in preaching conserva- 

 tion of resources has often done harm to 

 the doctrine by claiming that, in order to 

 perpetuate the state's resources for future 

 use, there should be curtailment in the use 

 of these resources to-day. But among in- 

 telligent people, like the average citizens 

 of the United States, any doctrine to suc- 

 ceed must have a rational basis. And the 

 man who asks the question, "Why concern 

 ourselves about the future supply of min- 

 eral resources which seem to be inexhaust- 

 ible ? ' ' must be given a rational answer. 



We may as well understand that the 

 men of this generation will not mine, ex- 

 tract or use the state's mineral resources 

 in such manner as to entail financial loss 

 to themselves in order that a supply may 

 be left for the use of the future. There 

 will be no mineral industries without profit 

 to those who make investments for devel- 

 opment purposes. Men do not go into the 

 mining business for their health! And 

 any consideration of the doctrine of con- 

 servation of resources must be accom- 

 panied by equal consideration of the doe- 

 trine of conservation of capital, and 

 conservation of human life. 



We may as well understand also that 

 neither the state's nor the nation's needs 

 will be curtailed. These needs will in- 

 crease with the extent and variety of our 

 industries; and they will increase even 

 more rapidly than our population. 



Furthermore, the present generation has 

 the power, and it has the right, to use these 

 resources in so far as it will use them effi- 



ciently. It has the right to use as much of 

 these resources as it actually needs. But 

 the statesmen of to-day should remember 

 that in any state, and in the country at 

 large, we have but one supply of mineral 

 resources; and when this supply is gone 

 we shall have no other to take its place. 

 They should remember, further, that this 

 one supply has required millions of years 

 for its accumulation; that the demands on 

 this supply will increase even more rapidly 

 than our population ; and that this supply, 

 however large, measured in the terms of the 

 needs of a great and rapidly growing 

 country, is a limited supply. The supply 

 is 7iot inexhaustible. 



Whether we consider the resources of the 

 state of Alabama, or the resources of the 

 United States, there can be no doubt as to 

 the fact that, measured in terms of the 

 life of the state or the nation, at the pres- 

 ent increasing rate of consumption and 

 waste, we shall, while the state and the na- 

 tion are yet in their infancy, exhaust the 

 mineral resources necessary as the essential 

 basis for the welfare of succeeding genera- 

 tions. 



Having this information at hand, neither 

 the state nor the nation can shirk the re- 

 sponsibility resting upon it, on the claim 

 that succeeding generations will probably 

 discover other now unknown resources for 

 their use; for such conclusion would be 

 unjust and in-ational. As irrational as it 

 would be for the farmer to use up his 

 farm's supplj' of provisions during the first 

 half of the year, trusting to luck for the 

 other half year's supply. The right of the 

 present generation to use efficiently of these 

 resources whatever it needs, carries with it 

 the sacred obligation not to waste the great 

 heritage that has come down to us for the 

 use of all succeeding generations of Ala- 

 bama's citizens. 



It is therefore reasonable to expect that 



