131 



resources of a region by outside capital tends to harm the native, es- 

 pecially if his civilization is not modern. In this case the outcome is in 

 the balance. 



The Futube. 



If exploitation pure and simple continues, twenty-five years will bid 

 fair to bring about the following results : The disappearance of this race 

 of true Americans as a unit ; the passing of the valuable timber ; numerous 

 forest fires in the region slashed over ; greatly increased erosion of the 

 steep hillsides with their soil already thin ; short periods of flood within 

 and below the region ; long intervals of low water within and below the 

 region ; the reduction of fish and game ; the introduction of a foreign mining 

 element, also a foreign manufacturing body ; and a region of great natural 

 beauty changed to a region of squalidness. Presently, with the increase 

 of population and the value of land in the United States, the region may 

 be reclaimed at great cost. 



Outside aid might do the following things : Regulate the exploitation 

 of the coal and timber so that it will be gradual ; aid the counties in 

 building good roads ; assist in educating the mountain people along broad 

 lines to close the gap between them and us ; help them to develop stock 

 raising, fruit growing, scientific agriculture, and scientific forestry. Some 

 of the results would be : The saving of the mountain race as a unit ; the 

 addition of a happy, prosperous, food supplying area to the United States ; 

 the prevention of the disasters of soil erosion and of flood, and the utiliza- 

 tion of water power. 



It is being pointed out that men break down under the tension of 

 modern industrialism, unless they, somehow, are brought into contact with 

 the beautiful, and get away for frequent moments of change and recrea- 

 tion. The government owns our national parks ; but they are far out 

 West, beyond the financial reach of the average worker. The government 

 might also establish numerous small parks in the Southern Appalachian 

 Highlands, which would become the recreation ground of millions of 

 workers east of the Mississippi River. 



