REGULATION OF TIMBER CUTTING 



283 



Then we want to understand that 

 legal regulation, in order to accomplish 

 its own ends, is nor altogether a simple 

 matter. Men have talked many times 

 as if all that is necer-sary to carry out 

 the principles of forestry is to leave 

 standing the timber under a certain size. 

 Working foresters have long ago gotten 

 beyond that point. They know that the 

 cleanest kind of cutting is often the best 

 forestry, and that a hard and fast rule 

 shuts out the possibility of some highly 

 desirable operations such as thinning. 

 Further, they understand perfectly that 

 regulation of any kind that is to result 

 in the best way must take into account 

 many important considerations — the sil- 

 vicultural facts, operating methods, the 

 owner's desires and necessities. Only 

 such regulation as this is entitled to be 

 called forestry, and only such will fully 

 meet the necessities of the case. It may 

 not indeed be practical in our early at- 

 tempts at regulation to aim for or ex- 

 pect the best results, but only to set 

 broad limits beyond which men shall 

 not go; but the real complexity of the 

 matter must be held in mind, adminis- 

 trating officers must be men who thor- 

 oughly understand the ideals to be 

 gained, and it must be recognized that 

 regulative laws might easily be framed 

 that would do less good than harm. 



As illustrating this matter, let me re- 

 mind my hearers of the problem put be- 

 fore the forestry profession of the 

 country by Mr. E. A. Beamiff, formerly 

 in charge of lumbering on Indian res- 

 ervations in Wisconsin. With ten years 

 to operate a covmtry by railroad and 

 limits of expense naturally in force, he 

 asked the help of the profession in for- 

 mulating plans by which the operation 

 could be carried on at a profit and a 

 reproduction at the same time secured. 

 This showed a real grip on the actual 

 points of the problem on the part of this 

 forester. I do not know that Mr. Bea- 

 miff received any satisfactory replies. 

 A problem somewhat similar the au- 

 thorities and lumbermen are trying to 

 work out in New York state. 



Legal regulation at its best is not a 

 simple or inflexible matter. A variety 

 of facts must be taken into account, a 



policy made up which recognizes the 

 silvicultural necessities, the methods of 

 operation and the wishes and necessi- 

 ties of owners, and freedom must be al- 

 lowed for variations according to the 

 judgment of the officers whose duty it 

 is to see the law carried into effect. 



As to the objects to be gained by reg- 

 ulation, it seems to me that President 

 Taft in his recent conservation message 

 stated a principle that is needed when 

 he stated that the interests of the pres- 

 ent ought to be considered as well as 

 those of the future. That would be a 

 strange suggestion to make in some as- 

 semblies, but it strikes me it may be 

 needed here. To apply it to the matter 

 in hand we may note that needless 

 waste of available material is quite as 

 well worthy of consideration as the in- 

 terests of a future crop. More so, it 

 would seem to many, for this bird is in 

 the hand. 



Thus, when yellow pine ties are hewn 

 in the South, sacrificing one third of the 

 lumber available in order to get down 

 to the heart, and sent into the northern 

 country where vast quantities of cheap 

 material suited to the purpose still stand, 

 a vast waste and loss occurs which 

 perhaps should be taken into cognizance 

 by the law. It will, however, be far 

 better if such wastes are rectified by 

 the development of actual business, and 

 in this particular case it is likely that 

 this will soon be done. Economy in 

 the use of present stocks of timber is, 

 however, of importance, as well as a 

 provision for a future crop, and laws de- 

 signed to secure close utilization and to 

 make sure that high-class timber does 

 not go to inferior uses would be fully as 

 easy to formulate and to operate as 

 those aimed at the other end. Funda- 

 mental to the whole business, however, 

 to economy in the use of timber and to 

 maintenance of the growing power of 

 the land, is efficient fire protection. In 

 some circumstances this once secured 

 seems to answer every reasonable end. 



Thus far, only the interests of timber 

 production have been considered, the 

 questions relating to the utilization, re- 

 production and perpetuation of timber 

 crops. It is realized fully, however, 



