THE lumbermen's attitude TOWARD FORESTRY 649 



Other Southern States, has not felt the necessity of considering forestry 

 problems, but the necessity for such consideration now requires some 

 action. The simplest method would be for the State to purchase cut- 

 over lands suitable for reforestation, withdraw them from taxation, 

 and place them under the control and protection of the State Forester. 

 The ultimate result of this would be extensive tree-planting of wood, 

 the safeguarding of these forest areas from fires and other dangers, 

 and the evolving of a system of cutting that would insure a perpetual 

 supply of forest products. It is not likely that within the time any plans 

 mature covering extensive withdrawal of forest lands and their growth 

 to mature forests that the State of Texas would become so crowded 

 that these lands would be needed for agricultural purposes. Further- 

 more, as a general rule, pine forests grow better on land not entirely 

 suitable for agriculture, except under intensive and expensive develop- 

 ment. 



THE ONE ALTERNATIVE LEFT 



The failure of the State of Texas to take up this problem and deal 

 with it as a problem of and for the entire people leaves one alternative, 

 viz : In the development of the immense areas in the w^estern part of 

 the State the new citizen, instead of being able to buy native-grown 

 lumber at a fair price, on comparatively low freight rates, must ma- 

 terially increase the cost of his improvements by paying for lumber 

 shipped from distant parts of the United States at heavy transportation 

 costs. 



I wish to again impress upon you this fact ; that, as a lumberman, my 

 interest in forestry is nil. Nothing can now be done by the State that 

 will bring one penny's benefit to any lumberman now engaged in the 

 manufacture or sale of forest products. When the lumberman of today 

 saws the trees he owns and scraps his plant, his capital will enable him 

 to become the banker, the ranchman, or the manufacturer of some 

 other commodity, or with his capital and experience he can continue 

 business in othei" sections of the country where timber is still available. 

 But, on the other hand, the lumberman, as a private citizen, being 

 closely in touch with the situation and realizing, as the great body of 

 citizens must soon realize, the necessity of some definite forestry proj- 

 ect under the control of the State, his interest is a serious one, and as 

 a citizen I raise my voice to appeal to you and to the other citizens of 

 this State to face the forestry problem fairly and squarely and deal with 

 it in the only possible way, viz.. the State to acquire suitable lands for 

 reforestation purposes and to safeguard and handle the growing forests 

 along recognized lines. 



