24 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



February 10, 1922 



News from the National Capital 



National Agricultural Conference Adopts Forestry Resolution 



Protection of the commereial timber supply of the United States 

 was urged in a resolution submitted by the committee on a perma- 

 nent forestry policy of the National Agricultural Conference at its 

 final session of January 27. 



Sale of forest products by co-operative methods the same as for 

 farm products was recommended for legislative action and extension 

 of the public forest lands by gifts, purchase and exchange was 

 sponsored by the Conference. Co-ordination of Federal and State 

 legislation by various means suggested by a committee of the Con- 

 ference, to deal with that phase of the farmers' problems, was also 

 approved. 



Gifford Pinchot, who needs no introduction to the lumber indus- 

 try, was chairman of the committee. He addressed to the Conference 

 a plea for National forestry legislation, which "would become 

 effective everywhere at once." If saving of the forests were left 

 to the individual States, he maintained, "it undoubtedly would be 

 years before those States which have large supplies of timber would 

 take action. By that time it well might be too late," he said. 



"The 460,000,000 acres of timberland which remain, if they pro- 

 duce fifty cubic feet per acre per year, almost could meet our present 

 needs," he told the farmer. "But they have been so mishandled 

 that fifteen cubic feet is all they grow, while our population is 

 increasing and the uses of wood are multiplying. A higher standard 

 of living always means a larger use of wood. ' ' 



The committee declared that the first and most important step 

 toward ensuring a timber supply for the people of the United States 

 is the immediate stopping of further devastation on lands that bear 

 forests now, such as cutting mature timber without provision for 

 future growth, followed by fires which sweep across the slashings 

 and destroy what young trees remain. 



As measures immediately necessary, in view of the present situ- 

 ation, the committee recommended the following: 



Privately owned commercial lands, containing three-fourths of the saw 

 timber we have left, are being with a few honorable exceptions devastated 

 more rapidly and completely than ever before to the incalculable injury 

 of the whole nation. This devastation must be stopped by effective 

 legislation. 



The scarcity of timber has already resulted in excessive prices of lum- 

 ber to the farmers and consumers generally. The continuance of forest 

 devastation will, by restricting the supply of lumber, interfere to a dan- 

 gerous degree with farm development, the prosperity of agriculture, and 

 the supply of food for our people. Therefore action to prevent further 

 devastation of the remaining mature forests Is immediately necessary and 

 should be taken at once. 



Two-thirds of our states, containing three-fourths of our people, are 

 already dependent for timber upon the few remaining wood exporting 

 states, soon to be reduced to two or three. Therefore the forest problem 

 Is nation-wide and the nation itself must safeguard the Interests of Its 

 people by ensuring a permanent, cheap and ample supply of timber for 

 their use. 



Our forest lands contain mainly very young or very old trees. There- 

 fore the harvesting of mature timber should be so conducted as to leave 

 uninjured the middle and smaller-sized trees, upon which this nation must 

 depend to bridge over, so far as practicable, the coming shortage of lumber. 



Forest fires following after destructive lumbering have created a man- 

 made desert about as large as the forests of all Europe except Russia and 

 Scandinavia. Effective methods of fire prevention are well known. There- 

 fore liberal provision should be made for complete flre protection upon 

 public and private forest lands through co-operation between the national 

 government, the states and the private owner. 



There Is no public market information service for forest products as there 

 Is for other farm products. Therefore such a service, covering the pro- 

 duction, 'sales, shipments and prices of forest products, both In the United 

 States and in foreign countries, should be collected and disseminated to 

 farmers and other consumers and producers by the government at public 

 expense. 



Continuous and profitable forest production requires comparatively large 

 areas of forest land. Therefore co-operative forest production offers special 

 advantages as applied to scattered wood lots on farms. It should be 

 specifically authorized by legislation wherever such legislation does not 

 already exist. 



The same reasons which recommend the co operative purchase and sale 

 by farmers of other products and supplies apply equally to products of 

 the forest Therefore such co-operative purchase and sale should every- 

 where be authorized by law and widely practiced among farmers. 



Extension work in the production and harvesting of forest products Is 

 as necessary to the farmer as similar work dealing with other products. 



Research in forestry has already produced results of incalculable value 

 to the people of the United States and is essential for future progress. 

 Therefore research in methods of maintaining and increasing the pro- 

 ductivity of forest lands, in methods of utilizing forest products, should 

 be promoted in every practicable way. 



Since the shortage of construction timber throughout the world will 

 make it impossible to meet the coming scarcity of lumber, since we must 

 grow what we need or go without, and since the present area of forest 

 land in the United States is barely sufficient, under the best protection 

 and management, to meet the present needs of our people. Therefore the 

 total forest acreage of the United States must not be reduced, but on the 

 contrary must be increased wherever practicable by the inclusion of land 

 not more valuable for other purposes. 



Throughout the world, publicly-owned forests are better managed, better 

 protected and more productive than those in private hands. Therefore 

 the present area of public forests, national state or municipal, should not 

 only be kept rigorously intact, but increased as rapidly and extensively as 

 possible by purchase, gift, or exchange, and i)y additions from other public 

 lands. 



Our country is so large that the separation of sources of forest supplies 

 from centers of consumption results In expensive transportation charges 

 upon the consumer. Therefore the production of wood upon land not more 

 valuable for other purposes should be encouraged In every state and 

 region throughout the nation. 



The axe and fires have reduced to unproductive barrens vast areas of 

 forest lands good only to grow trees. These areas should be restored to 

 production by flre protection and planting. Therefore assistance to pri- 

 vate owners by furnishing planting material at cost or free should be given 

 by the state and federal governments in cases where the taking over of the 

 land and complete reforestation at public expense are not practicable. 



To grow a tree takes a lifetime or longer, and a forest crop can be har- 

 vested only at Intervals far apart ; therefore taxation upon forest land 

 should be so adjusted as to assist, rather than hinder, the practice of 

 forestry by private owners, without relieving forest property from its 

 proper share of the common burden. 



Presented by 



Chairman, Gifford Pinchot ; secretary, Raphael Zon ; Filibert Roth, A. C. 

 Davis, Carl Vrooman, H. S. Graves, J. H. Pratt, Geo. W. Slssons, E. H. 

 Clapp. Albert Manning, W. D. Brookings, E. P. Wllllts, Joseph Klttredge, 

 Mrs. M. W. Park, A. J. Fleming, A. W. Laird, J. G. Peters, Arthur Capper, 

 C. L. King, Dan Wallace. 



It is said that an alert and determined minority on the commitee 

 prevented the endorsement of specific legislative proposals for Fed- 

 eral control of the forests such as the Capper Bill. 



Rotary Cut Box Lumbermen to Meet in South 



A meeting of the Rotary Cut liox Lumber Manufacturers' Association will 

 be held in New Orleans, La., at the St. Charles Hotel on Wednesday, Febru- 

 ary 15, according to announcement made by J. M. Prltchard. secretary- 

 manager of the American Hardwood Manufacturers' Association, of which 

 the Rotary Cut Box Lumber Association Is an affiliated member. The 

 meeting will be called to order at 10 a. m., and very important matters 

 relating to the industry will be considered. 



Northern Wholesalers to Meet in Milwaukee 



The annu.il meeting of the Northern Wholesale Hardwood Lumber 

 Association will be held in Milwaukee, Wis., on Monday, February 1.3, 

 according to announcement made by Ted T. Jones of Minneapolis, Minn., 

 president. The business meeting will be held in the afternoon and this 

 will be followed by a dinner and entertainment In the evening. 



