THE year's accomplishments 9T 



the immense world changes now taking place in the structure of in- 

 dustry are considered, it takes a vivid imagination to discover radical- 

 ism in plans for an exceedingly mild public control of an industry 

 which is badly in need of such control for its own good. At times I 

 am inclined to believe that the measures suggested are so conservative 

 as to be of doubtful efificacy. One thing, however, is sure: if the 

 operations of the lumber industry are not soon brought into accord 

 with the public welfare through reasonable, nation-wide changes, let 

 that industry beware of public pressure later on which will be of a 

 genuinely radical character. It is to avoid the many disturbances of a 

 radical change that foresters are now endeavoring to agree upon a 

 sound and liberal plan for control, to lead the public to adopt that 

 plan, and to bring about its adoption without disruption. 



We are proposing to stop forest devastation by means of appropri- 

 ate legislation, precisely as other injuries to the public welfare are 

 stopped. Only through legislation may efifective, uniform, and fair 

 measures be applied. In proposing such legislation we intend to see 

 that the lumber interests are equitably dealt with, just as we propose to 

 see that the public interests are thoroughly safeguarded. The belief, 

 still persistent in some quarters, that the lumberman should adopt 

 only such measures as will bring him greater immediate profit, methods 

 only of a so-called "business" character, fails to take into consideration 

 the fact that the question of forest devastation is of national public 

 concern, that it has passed far beyond the field of the individual timber 

 holding. The only question of a business nature to be answercvl is 

 "Will it pay the nation to stop forest devastation?" There is but one 

 answer to that. Will the lumberman lose ? How can he lose when his 

 own permanent prosperity hangs upon the perpetuation of his raw 

 material and a generous use of that material by the public? The con- 

 tinued pros])erity of the lumber industry under methods which devas- 

 tate is inconceivable. 



That the Society of American Foresters will play an important ]-iart 

 in the struggle to come is my earnest wish. That its influence in mold- 

 u\jj: public opinion will be vigorous and sound I have no doubt. I retire 

 from office with a sincere appreciation of the opportunity granted me 

 by the Society for taking a part in the fight for the advancement of 

 forestry in one of its vital stages. 



