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cially would this be the case if the lumber manufacturers were permitted 

 to assess the cost of the undertaking against the consumer of lumber, where 

 it should properly be distributed. Thus the consumer of lumber as such 

 would be called upon to provide a sinking fund for the amortization of his 

 debt to future generations for his use of timber resources which belong 

 to succeeding generations just as truly as to the present. 



I do not feel that a plan of reforestation which the lumber manufac- 

 turers would regard as compulsory and unfair will ever be a success. Such 

 organized opposition as they are in a position to give coercive reforestation 

 programs, would result merely in lavish expenditures for court procedure. 

 And in the national forestry project becoming a political issue, we can 

 readily see how impossible, how absolutely disastrous it would be to have 

 the problem bandied about between contending political parties with one 

 party carefully nullifying all that their predecessors in office had accomp- 

 lished. 



But I do not feel that the lumber manufactures would regard as coercive 

 the requirements that they turn over to their association a certain number 

 of pennies for every thousand feet of lumber they sell to be used in re- 

 forestation. 



Such an arrangement would give the associations a certain property 

 nucleus which would do a great deal to insure their permanent func- 

 tioning. Such a plan would also call forth the competitive impulse as 

 between the associations representing the different species. 



And such a plan would avoid the tendency toward state socialism which 

 lies in the direction of the entire forest resources of the future, being the 

 creation and property of the government rather than the creation of private 

 enterprise. 



It may be objected that these organizations are only indirectly or 

 vaguely of a public character, and that they might not therefore be respon- 

 sible custodians of such a trust, but is it not true that we have neglected 

 too much in the past the opportunity of utilizing organizations of a quasi- 

 public character in the administration of public and patrotic work? 



The war taught us what these organizations might accomplish in the 

 tasks incident to community or national welfare. 



It is true that the commercial organizations to which I refer are created 

 for a selfish commercial purpose, but I am sure that they would welcome 

 the opportunity to broaden the scope of their activities and undertake a 

 work such as I gather it is the purpose of this conference to launch. 



During the war some statesman asserted that no institution would sur^ 

 vive long after the world war, which could not demonstrate that it con- 

 tributed or ministered in some essential degree to human welfare. 



Applying that standard, I am somewhat inclined to question whether or 

 not a commercial organization which has no reason for existence other 

 than the selfish aggrandizement of its members is justifiable. 



The day is here when the serious and thoughtful organization executive 

 recognizes that his organization must be made an implement for the 

 advancement of civic and patriotic interests ; for the promotion of public 

 and community welfare, as" well as for the advancement of the interests of 

 the organization members. 



