160 North American Forests and Forestry 



years from now, a supply of soft-wood lumber 

 anywhere, able to compete with home-grown lumber 

 in sufficient quantity to disturb the market. But 

 assuming that such competition will be possible, we 

 may consider it as the settled policy of the country, 

 in cases of this kind, to protect itself by tariffs on 

 importation, and in the supposed contingency such 

 measures would undoubtedly be resorted to. 



After all this has been said, the fact remains that 

 our lumbermen do not provide for a future supply 

 of timber. We must repeat the question : Why 

 do they not ? 



The true answer can be summed up in two 

 words : Fire and taxes. But before we discuss 

 further these important factors in the forestry 

 problem, we ought to devote a chapter to consider- 

 ing the interest which the State and federal govern- 

 ments have in the matter. After we have done so 

 we may be in a better condition to understand the 

 part played by the government in the question of 

 fire protection and taxation of forest property. 



