Repository: UIHistories Project: SWE - Proceedings of the First International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists [PAGE 291]

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skilled personnel. May I quote Lincoln: "Capital is only the fruit of labor, and it could have never existed if labor had not first existed". As we know, "Labor is the tree of knowledge". INDUSTRIAL AND SOCIAL NEEDS The Brazilian hydrographic system needs to be controlled urgently. As it is known, forest reserves play an important role in the water system of earth. Many dry regions were formerly vast forests where timber was removed and used in railways, for cooking, for coal production, etc. Here again ignorance transformed rich regions into dry and inhospitable parts of Brazil. Our rivers, the Amazon, S. Franscisco, etc., are powerful (attaining 22 million horse power), but only a small part of this is profitable. Other elements of living, such as food, clothing, and housing, surely with the rich soil and good cultivation will become sufficient. I am sure that a well planned agrarian reform should bring most important social and political improvements, and if the demand of the increasing population is satisfied, the standard of living of the rural population, as a matter of course, should also rise. This must be accompanied by incentives to agriculture production, for example, (a) training personnel to more advanced techniques, (b) investing in land and implements, and (c) developing transportation means. As the growth of industrial and social needs is larger than the national productivity, inflation is lowering the acquisitive power of money. Here I would like to refer to our former Brazilian Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Roberto Campos, who is actually leading our economic problems. I am quite sure that he is capable of pulling my country out of the inflation spindle. In a short paper such as this one it is impossible to say what is being planned for solving Brazilian economic Problems, but I pray that the Almighty will peacefully make Brazil become as great and powerful country as our eldest sister of North America. THE WORLD'S STANDARD OF LIVING Here I can only talk about some ideas: It would be great if all the countries could cooperate to make humanity live happily and peacefully. The Act of the Atlantic signed in 1941 by Sir Winston Churchill and President F.D. Roosevelt and all allied countries proclaimed: "Great Britain and the United States will make efforts to open to all nations, big or small, winner or loser, access to raw material of the world, and to trade so as to make those countries economically prosperous". It is my sincere hope that this may be accomplished!

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