22 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



November 2.".. 1921 



New Yorkers State Forestry Policy Views 



Resolutions endorsing the recommendation of Governor Miller of 

 New York that a constitutional amendment be adopted to provide 

 for the better protection and more profitable management of the 

 forest resources of New York State were adopted b}- the Empire 

 State Forest Products Association at the sixteenth annual meeting 

 at XJtica on November 10. The resolution said that while New York 

 is not in need of Federal assistance in caring for its forest resources, 

 the association would "approve co-operation in fire protection, 

 timber census and research work when and as such co-operation, in 

 the judgment of the state, will be mutually advantageous." 



The association resolved that it "approves the general principles 

 for the physical study, protection and perpetuation of national 

 forest resources and favors legislation to this end to the extent and 

 no further; that the measure adopted be co-operative and educa- 

 tional and in no way infringe on the constitutional rights of private 

 ownership, or by restrictive or mandatory statutes interfere with 

 the free use, within the law, of private property or the policy and 

 action of sovereign states." 



The Federal policy creed, as laid down by the association at this 

 meeting, follows: 



1. Adequate protection of forests from injury or <lt'structiou b.v lire or 

 insects. 



2. The extension of pulilic ownership of lands suitable for the reproduc- 

 tion of forest growths. 



3. Land classification and a general forest surve.v. 



4. Extensive reforestation of public lands and liberal inducement for 

 private reforestation. 



5. The liberal recognition of public responsibility commensurate with 

 public benefit for the cost of forestry upon private timber lands. 



The resolution was introduced by W. C. Hull, acting chairman of 

 the resolutions committee. 



In the discussion of a forestry policy, which preceded the 

 introduction of the resolution, George N. Ostrander, president, re- 

 iterated his opinion that either the Snell or Capper bill would mean 

 ultimate Federal regulation of private cutting practices. 

 Ostrander Re-elected President. 



When the annual election was held Mr. Ostrander was re-elected, 

 as was also Ferris J. Meigs, vice-president. The following were 

 selected to serve as directors: Ernest A. Sterling, chairman; W. L. 

 Sykes, Col. W. E. Haskell, John N. Carlisle, W. C. Hull and C. L. 

 Fisher. 



The last three named will constitute the executive committee of 

 the board, with W. C. Hull chairman. 



At the directors' luncheon W. L. Sykes was re-elected treasurer 

 and A. B. Recknagel as secretary and forester for 1922. 



As chairman of the legislative committee Mr. Hull presented a 

 report, which dealt with forest fire prevention, speaking of it as one 

 "most vital to our interests and to the public," and recommending 

 more drastic legislation and penalties for those who leave or start 

 tires in the woods," it having been held that the carelessness of 

 persons in the woods is probably the chief cause of forest fires. 



"A forest fire," it was said, "may work greater damage in one 

 vear than can be made good by forestry in one hundred years." 

 Rules to Restrict Carelessness. 



These suggestions for remedial measures were made: 



lu shortening the fishing and hunting seasons, forfeiture of license to fish 

 and hunt for two years or more if found guilty of violation of law concern- 

 ing forest fire ; legislation which may make conviction easier hy presumptive 

 evidence; publication of penalties for violation of the forest fire law in 

 the Syllabus of laws relating to fish and game ; a questionnaire as to pro- 

 visions of the fire 1 w to be filled out by applicant when hunting or fishing 

 license is obtained ; compulsory instruction in flre prevention in the public 

 schools. 



Along the lines of reforestation one of the niost interesting ad- 

 dresses made at the convention was that by Prof. S. N. Spring of 

 Cornell University, who told "How the Forest Comes Back After 

 Cutting." The gist of his paper was summarized for the hardwood 

 type of the western Adirondacks on a typical tract as follows: 

 How the Forest Comes Back. 



1. The forest c<»mes liacli because seedlings and saplings are alread.v 

 present underneath in many parts of a mature and overmature stand. 



2. Bared areas will be reforested if seed from a seed crop of the .year 

 just preceding logging has been shed over the area. 



3. Where non-merchantable thrifty seed-bearing trees remain uncut these 

 odd seed to the exposed areas. 



4. In respect to area the forest has come back abundantly in little open- 

 ings and in small cleared areas ranging from a fraction of an acre to several 

 acres. On land logged for merchantable pnlpwood and hardwoods in 

 1920-21 an adequate stand of trees is assured from saplings and seedlings 

 on the area with the possibility of additional seeding by trees left in 

 logging. On an extensive area at Wawbeek cleared completely in 1902-3 

 and the slash burned in piles, a stand of useful species has come back. 

 This stand is fairly well stocked and offers a comparison to the Oval Wood 

 Dish tract where non-merchantable trees were left. "What we can do witli 



-our forests," he said, '"is determined I)y studies of this sort." 



{Continued fi 

 eases is not sufficient to induce the right kind of man with ambition 

 to adopt this profession. I believe that a lumber inspector should 

 be one of the best paid men in our institutions and should be a 

 man of absolute integrity and fairness, as he probably has a greater 

 opportunity than any other man in our employ^ to be dishonest. 

 If we all would pay our inspectors what they arl'worth, and hold 

 them strictly to National Hardwood Lumber Association rules, I 

 believe a great deal of our trouble would cease, and when the 

 shipper knows his lumber is rigidly inspected he will sliip us better 

 grades. 



Lumber should be an easy commodity to buy, on account of stand- 

 ard rules which, if properly applied, should eliminate any differ- 

 ence of opinion between the buyer and seller'and should insure our 

 receiving the material we buy. 



I have personally seen inspectors unloading lumber who are too 

 tired or have not sufficient interest in their work to even turn a 

 board over to see both sides, simply inspecting one side only. Do 

 you realize that this lumber is dollar and cents to your house, 

 exactly the same as the money in the cashier's department, and that 

 your cashier is under bonds, while your dollars and cents going into 

 the lumber yard are absolutely at the mercy of your inspector? 



You have undoubtedly had the experience, as I have, along tlie 



om ixuje 20) 



line of some of your people telling you that "so-and-so" has just 

 purchased a quantity of lumber at a ridiculous price. This naturally 

 causes you to investigate, and, in nine times out of ten, have you 

 not found out that that low-priced lumber is worth just exactly 

 what it is sold at, or less, and that in some cases it is sold to a 

 concern whose inspector honestly or otherwise has taken in lumber 

 that 3-ou would have turned down on the track and would not have 

 accepted, as it was not up to National rules? 



In dollars and cents, lumber and veneer are the largest items of 

 purchase with the house that I represent and I am very much inter- 

 ested in any movement that this association may make tliat will 



{Continut'd on page 2G) 



Who's Who in Woodworking 



iContinmd from page 21) 



He was for two 3-ears president of the Federation of furniture 

 associations and for thirteen years was president of the Central 

 Bureau of Dining Table Manufacturers. During the War he was 

 a member of the commission wliich represented the furniture indus- 

 •try. He is now chairman of the lumber committee of the National 

 Council of Furniture Associations. 



