(3) The States and the Nation must be careful to conserve the natural resources of the country from waste, and advantage of the people.  The forests, still so recklessly felled, must be guarded, not only for the sake of the future timber supply, but to prevent floods, ensure a proper supply of water in times of drought, and preserve the soil from being washed away.  The scientific practice of forestry, the maintenance of an efficient fire patrol, and the reforestation of denuded areas that can best be utilized for the growth of timber, must be undertaken or supervised by government experts.  The very limited supplies of coal, oil, and natural gas must be protected from waste.  Arid lands must be brought into use where irrigation is possible, swamp lands drained, waterways and harbors improved to their full usefulness.[Footnote:  On national conservation, see C. R. Van Hise, The Conservation of Natural Resources.  Outlook, vol. 93, p. 770.  Atlantic Monthly, vol. 101, p. 694.  Review of Reviews, vol. 37, p. 585.  Chautauquan, vol. 55, pp. 21, 33, 112.] National and state highways must be built as object-lessons to the towns and counties that still leave their roads a stretch of mud or sand.[Footnote:  It is estimated that ninety per cent of the public roads in the United States are still unimproved; that the average cost of hauling produce is twenty-five cents a mile-ton, as against twelve cents in France; that $300,000,000 a year would be saved in hauling expenses if our roads were as good as those of western Europe.] All of these material improvements have their civilizing influence, their moral significance; as Edmond Kelly put it, “By constructing our environment with intelligence we can determine the direction of our own development.”  So it is of no small consequence what sort of homes and cities we live in.  During the next generation or so, while the State is slowly bestirring itself to undertake these duties, there will be great need of civic and village improvement associations, women’s clubs, merchants’ associations, etc, to arouse public interest, demonstrate possibilities, and stir up municipal holidays, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Arbor Day, Thanksgiving Day, etc, should be used to stimulate civic pride in these matters; pulpit and press should be brought into line.  It will be a slow and discouraging, but necessary, task to awaken the people to a realization of the potentialities for a better civilization that lie in the utilization of government powers.  What should be done in the way of public education?  The principle of state support of education has, happily, been pretty fully accepted in this country, although in the East the universities still have to depend upon private benefactions.  The public-school system is excellent in plant and principle; the next step is to work out a rational curriculum.  The average high-school graduate today has learned little of what he most needs to know how to earn his living, how to spend his money wisely, how to live.  The average