232 joL'RNAL OF Forestry 



erty be virgin timber or cut-over land, sbould be compelled to protect 

 it against damage or destruction by fire, for unless he does so his prop- 

 erty becomes a public nuisance and should be dealt with accordingly. 



The immediate problem before us, therefore, the one problem of 

 vital importance to the advancement of forestry in the United States, 

 is how to plan for and bring about such reasonable management of 

 privately owned forests as will guarantee ample and conveniently acces- 

 sible supi^lies of wood for the country in years to come. The question 

 of who ultimately should own the forests of the country must also be 

 solved and solved with all due expedition. Let us not, however, con- 

 fuse these two problems. The question of future ownership is ex- 

 tremely complicated and cannot be finally settled for many years ; the 

 question of kee])ing forest lands productive is fairly simple and should 

 be settled without delay. As foresters should and must be the guiding 

 and ])ropelling force for better things in forestry, the Society of Amer- 

 ican Foresters should and must rouse itself from a lethargy bearing 

 many of the earmarks of the lumber industry's inertia. A committee 

 comprising the keenest minds at the Society's disposal, with advisory 

 experts, is now in process of formation. It will be the duty of this com- 

 mittee to plan and direct the Society's efforts for the advancement of 

 forestry in the United States, and every one of us should lend it whole- 

 hearted assistance. 



When we come to consider the problem of whether forest lands 

 should be ultimately in private or public ownership, the question should 

 be approached from the standi)oint of the best interests of the whole 

 country. It might be determined that the individual owner of forest 

 property could not advantageously serve the public interests in the long 

 run. He is not, as a rule, in a favorable position to invest large sums 

 returning low interest after long periods, assuming hazards which are 

 often serious. It might be concluded that forestry, from its very 

 nature, was an enterprise most favorably handled by collective interests 

 on a large scale. If such a conclusion were reached, we should then 

 face the decision as to whether this collective interest should be a com- 

 bination of lumbermen or the Government. It has been proposed, for 

 example, that in lieu of Ciovernment ownership the lumbermen of the 

 country should be allowed to combine, forming one great association^ 

 or syndicate, or trust (the name is immaterial). This would facilitate 

 the borrowing of capital, and the control of production, distribution, 

 and prices, thus placing the lumber industry on a more stable financial 

 basis than at present and offering every inducement for the manage- 

 ment of forests in continuity — for the practice of forestry. In return 



