294 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



adding the statement, however, that detailed consideration which he 

 has given makes a more favorable showing for his argument on this 

 older figure/ ^^XJOObillionJeet ^ ^qq^ ^-^^-^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ,^^^,^^^^ 



growing stock necessary to continue our present cut, according to the 

 above method of calculation. It is not overlooked that the Department 

 of Commerce and Labor estimates of 2,800 billion feet do not include 

 the portion of the standing timber unfit for saw-timber, but it must 

 be remembered that this will mostly go for woods and mill waste. 

 Since, however, the latter have been excluded from consideration in 

 the annual drain, they should be also excluded from the estimates of 

 the stand. It is further conceded that there is a large volume 

 of young growth, especially in the farm woodlots, which helps to make 

 up part of our necessary growing stock, but this added to the best 

 estimates of our commercial stands cannot pile up a total greatly in 

 excess of our permanent needs for growing stock volume if our forest 

 resources are to be handled on the basis of a going concern, instead of 

 taking from them only the wrecking value. On the basis of saw timber 

 estimates the writer concedes that we have a 50 to 70 year supply at 

 the present rate of cutting, so the "we should worry" attitude may be 

 entirely justified for those individuals whose patriotism is of that 

 order which cares for the conservation of national resources only 

 during their life time. The fact is, however, that neglect of these re- 

 sources will lead to scarcity, and therefore high price, which will affect 

 many of the individuals sooner than they expect. It should be re- 

 iterated here that these arguments are not addressed to those who 

 feel concerned only over their individual fortunes, but to those who 

 wish to see preserved the material basis for continued national existence, 

 because without the material basis there will be no opportunity for 

 working out our national genius to its full fruition. In my judgment, 

 . the American people are turning quite definitely from the laissez faire 

 system of handling industry to control in the interest of the whole com- 

 munity. Let me quote on this subject Theodore N. Vail, a man who 

 may be an idealist, perhaps, but not so one will suggest that he is an 

 impractical one. His words are : "There is too much indift'erence to, 

 and toleration of, the selfishness of individuals, which allows them by 

 encroachments, small and large, upon common rights to make impos- 

 sible the enjoyment of other individuals, or by the public as a whole, 

 of their rights. It is time we stopped talking about the independence 



