direct leadership in the reforestation of that region. 



It is impossible for the public to acquire all of the 

 forest land in the United States. Four-fifths of our 

 forests are in private ownership ; and we must reckon 

 definitely that the major part of our forest-growing 

 lands will remain in private ownership. What is the 

 responsibility of the national government as to these 

 lands? Here as well the Federal government should 

 recognize its responsibility for doing everything in 

 its power to meet the national need for timber; but 

 we must recognize the practical limitations which de- 

 termine what it can do effectively. As I have said 

 before, we can not bring about general reforestation 

 without recognizing that forest lands have the char- 

 acter of public utilities. That means two things : 

 first, that the owner of the land must comply with 

 certain standards fixed by public agencies for keep- 

 ing his land in continuous production; and second, 

 that the public shall create the conditions surround- 

 ing forest ownership which will make the discharge 

 of its obligation to the public fair and equitable. The 

 two must go together. Regulation and equitable as- 

 sistance to forest owners must emanate from the same 

 authority. Else the risk will be incurred either of a 

 public gratuity to a certain class of land owners 

 without compensating return or of public confiscation 

 of their property. 



To produce an adequate crop of timber on the 

 average tract of forest land in the United States, 

 three things must be done. First, the owner must be 

 given an opportunity to obtain the benefit of a mod- 

 erate tax while his crop of timber is being grown. 



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