1052 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



for by economic conditions and the cutting conducted so 

 as to leave the land in favorable condition for the next 

 timber crop, nevertheless there is need even from the 

 standpoint of the handling of the public forests of a corre- 

 lated public or national policy. This is true because "the 

 manner in which the public timber is handled may vital- 

 ly affect the lumber industry" and because "the problems 

 of the lumber industry may affect the interest of the Gov- 

 ernment in the administration of its own forests." The 

 question of cut-over non-agricultural lands and to what 

 extent they should be taken over by the public, especially 

 those on critical watersheds and on steep slopes, these 

 and various other problems must be considered in connec- 

 tion with the forest situation as a whole. 



"The problems which I have set forth," says Col. 

 Graves, "touch many interests, both public and private. 

 Their solution involves Federal and State legislation ; and 

 also involves co-operation between public agencies and 

 the lumber industry. The different problems are closely 

 interrelated with one another. Moreover, action in one 

 section of the country concerns the interests of other 

 regions. These circumstances make it clear that for 

 a final solution there must be a far-reaching program 

 that will enable the Federal Government, the States, 

 communities and the industrial forces to unite in a 

 common effort. Many efforts have been made to find 

 a solution for some industrial features or some public 

 features of the forest and lumber problems, and have 

 failed because they have left out of account some out- 

 standing question that must be solved at the same time." 



Remedies hitherto proposed have had serious defects 

 and have proved inadequate, in the opinion of Col. 

 Graves; and he cites as an instance, the proposal made 

 when the Clayton Act was under discussion that agree- 

 ments be permitted which would allow curtailment of 

 production when justified by industrial conditions. 

 This and a similar proposal put forth in a referendum 

 by the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, had 

 two serious defects : "The vital object of the public 

 to secure a continuance of the forests is wholly left out 

 of account, and it would not, in my opinion, be really 

 effective in bringing about a condition of permanent 

 stability." 



A second suggestion which he mentions, namely, that 

 the public co-operate in the conservative financing of 

 timber holdings through long-term loans at low rates of 

 interest, is "only a half-way measure," in Col. Graves 

 opinion, and "does not make any provision for the per- 

 manence of the forest." As to "tax reform" he declares 

 that this would not accomplish the desired results. The 

 various forms proposed "have made little headway, be- 

 cause for the most part they have not provided for meet- 

 ing certain economic difficulties." 



"In approaching the question of a national lumber and 

 forest policy," says Col. Graves, "involving perhaps 

 some radical departures from the present principles of 

 relations between the public and industry, we shall find, 

 I believe, that the most important and fundamental ques- 

 tions relate to the speculative character of forest owner- 



ship. Such ownership means cutting as fast as possi- 

 ble and without reference to how the land is left after 

 lumbering. What is needed is some strengthening influ- 

 ence that would make possible the husbanding ot the re- 

 source and its conservative use, as the public would use it 

 if it had retained control over it and at the same time 

 provide for the continued productiveness of the land. 



"I am ready to advocate a policy more far-reaching 

 in all respects than has generally been offered. I would 

 afford whatever public assistance is needed to make pos- 

 sible the conservative handling of our forests, and I 

 would then make fire protection, conservative produc- 

 tion of lumber, and right methods of removal a matter 

 of requirement, with such public direction and control as 

 is necessary to realize the aims desired by the public." 



The action required "may vary in different regions," 

 according to Col. Graves. It may be a combination of 

 several methods of public co-operation; in some local- 

 ities the tariff or local taxation may play a large part 

 in the situation; again the adjustment of international 

 relations, the reform of taxes and other public measures 

 must be considered; or where public and private lands 

 are intermingled a plan that would co-ordinate all forest 

 lands within economic groups these are some of the fac- 

 tors which, it was said, would have to be considered. 



"In all regions there is needed a broad policy of forest 

 development, a policy which makes for permanent mills 

 and all that means to the employment question, which 

 places timber on the market only as it is needed, which 

 protects the present resource a difficult matter now even 

 under the most earnest efforts to co-operate and which 

 classifies the land, encourages agriculture, puts to its 

 best use every acre, and secures tree growth on non-agri- 

 cultural lands." 



The Chief Forester declared that he is in favor of "a 

 greatly enlarged program of acquisition" of cut-over 

 non-agricultural land, second-growth forest and pro- 

 tective forest which should be well distributed through 

 all the forest regions and as they are acquired should be 

 organized as municipal, state or national forests. 



1V/TINNESOTA will have a forestry appropriation of 

 - 1 -"-*- $85,000 this year, due to a change of heart toward 

 the state forestry department in the closing hours of the 

 State Legislature, which resulted in saving that depart- 

 ment and the aforesaid appropriation of $85,000 a year. 

 This is $35,000 a year more than was allowed two years 

 ago. It is specified that not more than $10,000 be spent 

 for reforestation, and not more than $12,000 for admin- 

 istration. The balance, $63,000 a year, is to be spent 

 for forest fire prevention and protection. 



'T'HE tallest trees of the United States, says the Canad- 

 * ian Forestry Journal, are the California redwoods or 

 the Douglas fir. Both claim the distinction of being the 

 tallest, and it is an even match between them. A maxi- 

 mum of about 350 feet is the greatest, though a little 

 more than that has been claimed. There is no question 

 that in trunk diameter the redwood, that species known 

 as sequoia, is the champion. 



