DISCUSSION OF THE PINCHOT REPORT 461 



of the structure. The Government under such principles is slow — and 

 delays are very discouraging at times. Success can be attained only 

 through education — by working from the bottom toward the top. We 

 must convince the people (that is, a majority of the people), that a 

 certain thing is right, and when that is done the thing is accomplished. 

 In other words, the strength of public opinion and public conviction is 

 necessary before any program can be put through and made a success. 

 Take, for example, our public school system and the system of public 

 parks. In spite of all the handicaps which our system of government 

 entails, our public school system is always maintained and supported, 

 as is also our system of public parks. The reason is that the people are 

 convinced that education and public playgrounds are essential, and 

 once convinced they do not hesitate to support the program and put the 

 plans into effect. 



I cannot agree that the lumber industry has entirely failed to meet 

 the problem. I believe it is just as much interested (and probably 

 more interested) in this problem of forestry than are the people at 

 large. It has been my experience that there are just as many public- 

 spirited, large-calibre men in the lumber business as will be found in 

 any other industry. They are, naturally, looking out for themselves 

 and for their own business interests, but even so, they are doing exactly 

 the same thing that men in every other line of business are doing. 

 They should not be blamed for this any more than we should blame the 

 Wool Growers' Arsociation for not taking a more active part in the 

 forestry movement. 



The continuance of the lumber business is dependent upon the con- 

 tinuance of the forests. Every lumberman will admit that, and to that 

 extent he is interested in the continuance of the forests. The people 

 themselves are as much to blame for the present conditions as are the 

 lumbermen This Xation very unwisely gave away exceedingly large 

 bodies of timber at a very small charge. The lumber industry during 

 that period of acquisition believed that its only salvation was to acquire 

 large timber holdings. I feel that the lumber industry can, and should 

 be expected to, share in the leadership which is necessary in order to 

 get the forest production of this country on a different basis, and I also 

 feel that the lumber industry will support any reasonable plan whicli 

 may be worked out. It is wholly a question of who pays the freight. 

 Certainly any plan for the public good cannot be saddled upon the 

 lumber industry directly. It must be paid for by the consumers. In 

 my opinion the lumber industry is ready to help solve the problem. 



