354 Conservation of Lumber Supply 



leaving a sufficient re-foresting stock to make for the third 

 century perhaps as large a supply. 



The lumbermen generally are willing- to do their full 

 part in any practical scheme or measure that will enable them 

 to handle the timber in the most conservative method prac- 

 ticable for them to devise if the conditions are made so 

 that they can do it. But if free trade, designed to cheapen 

 lumber, excessive taxation and prejudice against large tim- 

 ber holdings, shall prevail, it cannot be accompHshed. 



To organize companies to handle the timber in such a 

 conservative method as herein outlined, it would seem to be 

 necessary for Congress to enact laws under which might be 

 organized companies of that nature and kind that would meet 

 the approval of all parties concerned, including capitalists, 

 timber owners, counties, states and the general government 

 and public. Such act of Congress should provide for the 

 method of organizing the companies, the issuance of stocks 

 and bonds and stockholders' liability, and for a sufficient 

 supervision and control by the government through the 

 Commission and Forestry Departments so as to protect 

 from fire, and conservation methods of cutting and manu- 

 racturing, and in reforesting, and against excessive prices 

 on lumber which might result from controlling a large part of 

 the supply of lumber, but provide and authorize a sufficient 

 price to make it practicable and reasonably profitable to so 

 handle and conserve the timber. 



There may be same other methods of doing it. I do not 

 know what way would be practicable, excepting in this gen- 

 eral way. ■ It is certain that small holdings cannot do any 

 more than cut the timber into lumber as rapidly as possible, 

 as they have in the past, and cut and handle the timber in the 

 cheapest way of producing the lumber, and produce only the 

 kind and quality of lumber that will bring a price large 

 enough to make it profitable. In other words, the contin- 

 uance in large part of that system which has prevailed in 

 the past and has wasted the forests, and wiH continue to do 

 so without doubt or question if present conditions are con- 

 tinued. 



The Conservation Commission has made no suggestions 



