Title | The natural wealth of the Soviet union and its exploitation |
Alternative Title | The natural wealth of the Soviet union and its exploitation: an address delivered before the extraordinary session of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet union held in Moscow, June 21 - 27, 1931 |
Creator (LCNAF) |
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Contributor (Local) |
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Publisher | Co-operative Publishing Society of Foreign Workers in the U.S.S.R. |
Place of Creation (TGN) |
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Date | 1932 |
Subject.Topical (LCSH) |
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Subject.Geographic (TGN) |
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Genre (AAT) |
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Language | English |
Type (DCMI) |
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Original Item Location | HC335.G82 1932 |
Original Item URL | http://library.uh.edu/record=b8304510~S5 |
Original Collection | Socialist and Communist Pamphlets |
Digital Collection | Socialist and Communist Pamphlets |
Digital Collection URL | http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/scpamp |
Repository | Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries |
Repository URL | http://libraries.uh.edu/branches/special-collections |
Use and Reproduction | In Copyright: This item is protected by copyright. Copyright to this resource is held by the creator or current rights holder, and the resource is provided here for educational purposes. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any format without permission of the copyright owner. Users assume full responsibility for any infringement of copyright or related rights. |
File Name | index.cpd |
Title | Image 10 |
Format (IMT) |
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File Name | uhlib_1800818_009.jpg |
Transcript | other words, with the advance in technical progress, man learned more and more about the properties and qualities of the substances and forces of nature, continually extending their sphere of utilisation, thus enhancing the importance of these natural resources. To sum up, natural wealth, or natural resources — whether mineral, animal, or vegetable — cannot be said to exist in a definite predetermined quantity. The development of natural resources, and the degree of their exploitation, is the function of a definite development of the forces of production, of the technical and economic conditions of a given human society or of a given country. It was only after the discovery of fire that the advent of the iron age was made possible, which supplanted the stone age and added iron ore to the utilised wealth of nature. Not so very long ago no attention was paid to coal, whereas now it is one of the most important sources of energy. Only some 70 years ago nobody was interested in petroleum, whereas now we find "civilised humanity" ready to cut one another's throats for it. The history of drawing of oil into the system of human economy is particularly instructive. At first, it was used only to obtain an illuminant, kerosene. Benzine and maz- out residues were simply discarded as waste. Thus, at Baku, mazout' used to be poured into ditches running through the streets, and that portion of the town became known as "Black Town," a name it has retained to this day. Why was mazout thrown away? Because they did not know how to burn it. As soon as the required process was discovered, mazout became an exceedingly valuable fuel, surpassing by far the highest grades of coal in usefulness. Benzine has a similar history. Prior to the appearance ! 1 8 |