LAISSEZ FAIRE VS. FORESIGHT IN FOREST MANAGEMENT 299 



used in the future as in the past, because of Gary's frequent impHca- 

 tion that we shall not in future be in such need of wood as in the past 

 and therefore our forest resources can be allowed to be idle. The 

 faith of the lumberman and the foresters in their product will yet 

 result in increasing wood consumption. This is desirable, because here 

 is a resource which can by use be continually improved and its prod- 

 uct increased. It can be said of the waterfall that its use can be accom- 

 plished without diminishing- waterpower resources, and a similar state- 

 ment is true of few resources. The position of the forest, is, how- 

 ever, superior to this for its use coupled with proper care not only 

 will constantly improve the composition of the stand and increase the 

 output, but the soil itself can be constantly increased in productiveness 

 without the aid of artificial fertilizers. 



It may be pointed out further that stumpage prices on the better 

 species (the ones that will be raised under management) are already 

 amply sufficient to justify production under management all over 

 the northern States from the Mississippi valley eastward even if 

 artificial regeneration had to be resorted to. They are already equal, 

 as Roth has shown, to stumpage prices in Germany. Yet lumber at 

 prices sufficient to allow these stumpage rates still enters freely into 

 building construction. The fact is tJtat modern industrial methods can 

 raise forests under management, log and saw the timber at far less 

 expenditure of human energy than the latter tivo functions could be 

 performed a century ago. The conclusion is that since the same im- 

 provements have taken place in other industries we shall be able to 

 continue to use wood at a high per capita rate even though it must 

 be produced under management. Continual improvement in methods 

 of production and distribution and our economic arrangements in 

 general can unquestionably (if we have the intelligence Gary credits 

 us with) result in raising the per capita consumption of timber in 

 this country to an amount equal to the full capabilities of our forest 

 lands to produce it, a point which we have not yet reached. How 

 many of us are provided with as good houses, even of wood, as we 

 would like? Yet at many times we have large numbers of men unem- 

 ployed, though wanting work, and all times still larger numbers 

 employed at such low wages as to possess a very limited purchasing 

 power for houses or anything else. Until these conditions are changed 

 we cannot realize our full per capita consumption of lumber or any- 

 thing else. I share Gary's admiration for the intelligence of the 



