FOREST DEVASTATION 943 



public. It is my belief that the lumber industry is not to be held re- 

 sponsible for existing conditions. The blame for this lies on the 

 nation as a whole and on its former unwise land laws from which the 

 lumber industry as well as the public has suffered. I believe that the 

 lumbermen ought to be consulted in regard to the proposed plan that 

 there may be less chance of unintended injustice to their interests and 

 also because their experience will be of great value in making private 

 forestry practicable. 



On the part of J. W. Tourney: 



Although I approve of the general summary of conditions as to 

 American forests and future timber supplies which might be termed 

 the preamble of the report and for this reason signed it, I am not 

 entirely in accord with the fundamental principles set forth in Part II 

 nor with the legislation suggested in Part III. 



Regarding the fundamental principles set forth under the proposed 

 plan (Part II) I agree with Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, together with 

 each paragraph under them with the following substitutions and ad- 

 ditions. 



Article 2. Paragraph (a). The substitution of the word checking 

 for the word forbidding in the first line. 



Paragraph (&). The addition of the word promoting in the first 

 line to read, by promoting the production of forest crops, etc. 



Article 6. The elimination of this article. I am unalterably opposed 

 in the report to matters relating to the adjustment between labor, man- 

 agement and the public and projects for the governmental control of 

 lumber production. 



Article j. I propose the following as a substitute for this article. 

 Whatever control is exercised by the Nation over privately-owned 

 timberland must be by the Federal government acting in conjunction 

 with and through the several States. 



The administrative charge of directing the effort to replace the 

 present destructive methods of lumbering by a system of continuous 

 production must be entrusted to the States. State legislatures must 

 provide certain minimum requirements in forest protection and forest 

 renewal and both the State and National governments provide sub- 

 stantial assistance to private owners in making effective a system of 

 management for each locality that will result in sustained yield. 



Article 8. The elimination of the word national from the first line 

 of the article and the change of the word three to two in the second line 

 to read, legislation to prevent forest devastation should have two 

 objects. The elimination of paragraph (b) from the article. 



