Conservation of Lumber Supply 355 



other than a resolution asking the States to take a certain 

 supervision of the methods of cutting timber, but which, when 

 appHed to the best that the State can do, will not be sufficient 

 means for conservation to provide for a future supply of 

 lumber. 



The time is becoming shorter when any feasible con- 

 servation plan can be developed and installed in time to save 

 enough of the forests to make anything of a reasonable supply 

 for the future at reasonable costs or prices. The message 

 of the Governor of Washington to the Legislature just now 

 handed in says that conservation must be entered upon im- 

 mediately. That in ten years from now it may be too late. 

 And I will say that it is a matter more particularly for the 

 general interests of the Commonwealth than tt is for the tim- 

 ber land owners. 



But the timberland owners are willing to adjust them- 

 selves to a reasonable method of handling the forests on 

 that basis that will bring about the best results for the future 

 welfare of the whole nation along any lines that will not be 

 unjust, unfair and destructive to the interests of the present 

 owners who came into possession through the voluntj.ry 

 established laws and public policy of the nation. 



The timber land owners do, or should, recognize the fact 

 that the timber is the heritage of the people; Providence pro- 

 vided it for the benefit and use of the people generally. 



The soil was made fertile and to serve the essential pur- 

 pose of furnishing the food supply of all the people, and r- 3t 

 for the exclusive benefit of those engaged in agriculture; but 

 the distribution of the farming lands was made upon the 

 same general policy of so distributing the earth's surface 

 among those who chose to enter upon that occupation that 

 it would, to best advantage, supply the whole Common- 

 wealth with food the same as the distribution of timber would 

 furnish the lumber supply. 



There is complaint of the agricultural methods as there 

 is of lum.ber, and the agricultural lands are brought in as 

 one of the essential measures where conservation is consid- 

 ered necessary to protect the general interests of all, the 

 same as with the timber. 



