972 JOURNAL OF FORi;STRY 



knowledge of timber values to protect the honest investor from the 

 promoter of fraudulent, speculative schemes, and in general should be 

 able to give stability to the entire lumber industry within the State. 

 The technical knowledge of the various State forest administrations 

 may sooner or later be called upon to assist in reaching fair solutions 

 of problems relating to combinations for marketing forest products 

 which may possibly contravene the wording, if not the spirit, of exist- 

 ing anti-trust laws. The State may sometime indeed assume direct 

 charge of the marketing, advantageously to all concerned. In the South 

 the lack of stability in the lumber market is probably a greater handi- 

 cap to the lumberman than the lack of fire protection for the relatively 

 fire resistant forests of that region. In many States technical infor- 

 mation concerning forest conditions is still very deficient. The State 

 administrations have not had the funds even to determine what the 

 forest resources of the States are or how fast they are being exhausted. 

 Finally, the private owner is not going to be persuaded, and ought 

 not to be persuaded, to undertake any measures which involve financial 

 sacrifice, unless he can be assured that the results of his investment will 

 not be destroyed by fire before he can realize upon them. A State that 

 spends money to demonstrate forestry and yet fails to protect its for- 

 ests is putting the cart before the horse. Where the danger of destruc- 

 tion by fires is serious, the private owner must feel an absolute confi- 

 dence in the fire-protection service of the State, a confidence equal to 

 his confidence in the soundest business concerns, before he can be ex- 

 pected to invest enough money to be worth mentioning in reforestation 

 or in the conservative treatment of his growing stands. The need of 

 protecting forests against the ravages of insects and fungi, also, is not 

 infrequently as important as the need of protection against fire, and it 

 generally demands even greater technical skill to discern the difference 

 between effective expenditure and extravagance. A legislature which 

 diverts funds from fire-protective work before adequate protection has 

 been established, in order to purchase lands for forest reserves, ought 

 at least to show the special need of such diversion. 



SUMMARY 



Improper legislation and appropriation are inexcusable, since legis- 

 latures can always secure the technical advice necessary for sound leg- 

 islation from those who are thoroughly equipped by training and ex- 

 perience to supply it. Justice to private owners frequently requires 

 that the forest policy of the State be frankly announced. If the policy 



