THE LUMBERMEN'S ATTITUDE TOWARD FORESTRY ^ 



By Harry T. Kundall 

 General Sales Agent, Kirby Luiiibcr Company^ Houston, Texas 



Lumbermen know that without reforestation the lands which now 

 carry a stand of timber must become exhausted, to the ultimate destruc- 

 tion of their business and to the embarassment and injury of posterity. 



The Texas himbermen likewise know that there is little probability 

 that the laws, organic and statutory, will be so changed that forest 

 lands under private ownership may be carried for a sufficient time to 

 enable those lands to produce a crop of trees. 



Under the constitution of Texas, taxation must be uniform and 

 must be based on the fair market value of the property subject to 

 taxation. There is no probability that the constitution can be changed 

 in that regard ; therefore it is impossible that privately owned lands 

 may be utilized for reproducing our forests. Only the State can under- 

 take such an enterprise; and the question is. Will the State do it? 



The farmer gets each year a crop from his land which enables him 

 to pay the taxes and other carrying charges, whereas the forest owner 

 gets a fair crop only once in fifty years. If he cuts his timber in shorter 

 periods, he is sacrificing his values and injuring posterity. 



The home-builder in Texas in the next generation will have to obtain 

 his building materials in the far Pacific Coast country, paying exor- 

 bitant prices and high freight rates. The present generation seems to 

 take no note of this fact or, if it has noted it, it seems unconcerned 

 about the generation yet to follow. 



There is only a relatively small area of Texas adapted by nature to 

 forestrv growth. It seems a crime against posterity not to keep that 

 area perpetually so employed. The question is. Will it be done? 



si: Hs * * * * * 



Like the average business man. I regret to say that I have not 

 watched closely the political situation in my own State; consequently 

 I was very much surprised in reading the platform of the Republican 

 candidate for Governor to find that that gentleman was attacking the 

 Democratic candidate because he was considering plans looking toward 

 solving the forestry problem. The Republican candidate stated in case 

 he was elected the citizens of the State might feel sure that he would 



' Cut-Over Lands, Vol. 2, No. i, April, 1919, pp. 20-23. 



647 



