1546 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



encourage private owners towards the reclamation of Finally, this Conference desires to express and does 



their waste lands, and hereby express its appreciation of the work of Henrj- 



Furthermore, resolved, that this Conference reconi- S. Graves, Chief Forester of the United States Forest 



mends greatly increased reforestation by the State of Service, in the promotion of forest conservation and 



its idle acres, both those now owned and hereafter tenders him its sincere thanks for his attendance at and 



acquired by it, and his aid in the Conference. 



WHY NOT A SECRETARY OF FORESTRY? 



BY F. W. KANE 



THE time is ripe for creating a new cabinet officer, a 

 secretary of forestry and conservation. As long 

 as so inii)ortant and fundamental a field of world- 

 wide economics is subordinated to other avenues, like 

 those of Agriculture and Interior, which in themselves 

 are almost boundless in their activities and importance, 

 — just so long will this iinjjortant field of forestry and 

 conservation play second fiddle, and never be able to 

 stand on its own feet and accomplish what it should. 



We must conserve what natural resources we shall 

 have and secure greater leadership in enacting funda- 

 mental laws and principles of actual practice and co- 

 operation on the part of the national government, 

 states, and individuals, if we are to accomplish results. 



Nothing short of a clear-cut and recognized leadership 

 on the part of our American public which could be 

 svmbolized in a President's cabinet-officer can fill the 

 bill. 



My idea would l)e to have it fully understood, that 

 contTol and direction of natural resources would be 

 directly under the supervision of this new cabinet official. 

 Forestry and conservation have had their sporadic 

 leadershlii at times in such presidents as Harrison and 

 Cleveland, when our National Forests were created, and 

 then by Roosevelt, who greatly enlarged upon the 

 national program, and was the father of a new forest 

 policy and conservation. 



Our natural resources are certainly worthy of the 

 greatest leadership and recognition in their care and 

 economic utilization that we as a people can bestow upon 

 them. 



The creation, therefore, of the cabinet office of for- 

 estry and conservation, which logically comes with it. 

 the interests and functioning of this work thnnigliout 

 the nation, will in my judgment mean more in our leal 

 economic development than anything we can do. 1 he 

 machinery and organization, to our credit, is well tmder 

 way, but it needs, like many of the European countries, 

 a seaport of its own, in order that its real development 

 may be unhampered. It is unnesessary to point out at 

 this time the important part that lumlier and the by- 

 products of the forest played in winning the war, and 

 the experience should be enough to at least give whole- 

 some recognition of its importance. 



The Government now owns one-fifth of the standing 

 timber of the nation. The expenditures of the Forest 

 -Service alone have increased from less than thirty thou- 

 sand dollars in 1897 to approximately ten million dollars 

 in 1918. The receipts, likewise, have increased from the 

 National Forests' sales from nothing to iiiillions during 

 the same time. There are, likewise, many assets, such 

 as recreation and out-of-door health-giving qualities 

 that we are vearly growing to appreciate, which leader- 

 ship will bring- to light. We need a more modern for- 

 est policy. Colonel H. S. Graves, the United States For- 

 ester, is working hard and well to establish one, and so 

 are President Charles Lathroj) Pack, of the .\merican 

 Forestry Association, state foresters, and progressive 

 lumbermen everywhere. Therefore, why not give the 

 whole question the impetus that it deserves by having 

 forestry and conservation under the direction of a gov- 

 ernment department devoted solely to this work. 



\\'hat is true of forestry is equally true of conserving 

 all our natural resources. 'I'he longer we allow our 

 natural resources to be develo])ed in a ha])hazard man- 

 ner and without the very best direction and control, we 

 are just to that extent wasting our nation's birthright, 

 regardless of anv arguiiiein to the contrary. There was 

 never a time in the history of the world when the future 

 of everv couiUry dejjended more uj)on the iiUelligent and 

 economic development of her every natural resource than 

 the present. 



Are we .going to rise to the position of a world-jjower, 

 aiul then find as in the jiarable. we have Iniilt our house 

 upon the sand instead of upon a rock. These are no 

 idle words and this is no time to allow so im])ortant a 

 matter to go liy unheeded. There are great and power- 

 ful linancial interests already developed and their use- 

 fulness and im[)ortance are of the greatest of benefit, but 

 it inevital)ly follows that sooner or later there is a great 

 need on the i>art of the government and the cor])orations, 

 or these interests, of an understanding, in order that all 

 may work out for the best. 



The reconstructive period is here, and we can ill afford 

 to contiinie wasting our birthright. Luiubemien, manu- 

 facturers, ])Ower companies, sportsmen, naturalists, 

 statesmen, and all public-spirited, country-loving citi- 

 zens, should subscribe joyously and heartily to this idea. 



