FOREST ROADS 



497 



the future be forced by the fearful consequences of eco- 

 nomic folly to repurchase these very lands, as we are now 

 doing in the Appalachians? A ruined forest can be re- 

 stored to natural condition wherein the valuable timber 

 trees predominate only by excessive cost, and often not at 

 all. Worthless weeds and brush, persistent and vigorous, 

 exclude the desired pines and hardwoods. On the other 

 hand, the forest in its natural state can be so handled that 

 the per cent of the better timber trees is greatly increased 

 in the new crop. But to accomplish this the logging must 

 be done under regulations and supervision of an extremely 

 intelligent type, based on close scientific study of soil, 

 light, seeding and other factors, whose control means 

 success, and whose neglect spells failure. Once deter- 

 mined, the rules are simply applied and the increased cost 

 of logging is neither impractical nor unreasonable. 



American intelligence gave but one answer to this prob- 

 lem. The public timber lands must be retained, and their 

 wealth of timber made available only under expert super- 

 vision. This idea is diametrically opposed to the primitive 

 plan of reckless disposal, yet falls far short of state 

 socialism. It is, in effect, the application of the same 

 business principles between the public and the private 

 corporation or individual as are made the foundation of 

 all transactions between two persons. An owner of tim- 

 ber lands has, by right of his possession, the power to fix 

 the terms under which a logging contractor may cut and 

 remove the standing timber. He will, if he is wise, draw 

 a contract in such form that the minimum of damage will 

 be done to his forest. This "revolutionary" principle, 

 adopted in 1891, and under which 160,000,000 acres of 

 public timber lands are now being managed, consists in 

 applying the same idea to public property. Thus, the 

 use of the timber, through timber sales, is encouraged, 

 logging contractors do business as usual, and there is no 

 change in the economic situation, except that public con- 

 sciousness has awakened to the point of guarding its 

 future interests effectively upon those lands which it still 

 owns and controls. Private corporations can still obtain 

 the timber, but they can no longer get it on their own 

 terms and completely ignore the rights of the original 



owner; no longer cut indiscriminately and abandon the 

 land or attempt to sell it to farmers as agricultural or fruit 

 land, for which it is wholly unfit. 



In adopting this simple but effective change in our 

 public land policy, we have made a distinct step towards 

 modifying and curbing the dangerously destructive 

 tendency of individualism as applied to forest lands. The 

 same tendency is manifested in the prolonged struggle 

 over water-power legislation, involving technical questions 

 so deep that the general public despairs of understanding 

 on which side lies the right. The control or retention of 

 coal lands, oil lands and other minerals brings on the same 

 point. What we must determine as Americans is this: 

 Does our present and future welfare depend more closely 

 upon unchecked and unregulated private acquisition of 

 public resources, or upon their retention under public 

 ownership, and development under contracts or leases, by 

 which private capital is regulated in the interests of the 

 public good ? This is an economic question which we must 

 master and decide now. Once these lands have passed 

 into private hands, we have made our choice and the cost 

 of reacquisition may be prohibitive. 



The champions of unbridled private acquisition, by ap- 

 pealing to popular tradition, equity between states, Ameri- 

 canism, distrust of government, and opposition to 

 bureaucracy, and by urging the primal reason of develop- 

 ment and prosperity, seek to throw dust in the eyes of the 

 public, and profit as of old, by obtaining from complacent 

 congresses and officials the right to do as they please 

 through actual possession of title. Are we to permit 

 ourselves to be deluded by these arguments, or shall we 

 awaken as a people to the full measure of our national 

 responsibility, and hold with a firm hand the control of our 

 great but dwindling national timber lands and other re- 

 sources ? "Without a vision the people perish." Let our 

 vision be the strong blending of private enterprise with 

 public regulation, that we may show to the world an 

 efficiency equal to that displayed by our neighbors across 

 the seas, and a preparedness sufficient to cope with 

 any crisis. 



$10,000,000 FOR 



ONE of the provisions of the Federal aid road bill, 

 which was signed by the President on July 11, 

 appropriates $1,000,000 a year for ten years to be 

 spent by the Secretary of Agriculture for the construction 

 and maintenance of roads and trails within or partly within 

 the National Forests. 



The bill provides that, upon request of the proper 

 officers of the states or counties, the money shall be used 

 for building roads and trails which are necessary for the 

 use and development of resources upon which communi- 

 ties within or near the National Forests are dependent. 

 The work is to be done in cooperation with the various 

 states and counties. Not more than 10 per cent of the 

 value of the timber and forage resources of the National 

 Forests within the respective county or counties in which 



FOREST ROADS 



the roads or trails will be constructed may be spent. Pro- 

 vision is made for the return of the money to the Treasury 

 by applying 10 per cent of the annual receipts of the 

 National Forests in the state or county until the amount 

 advanced is covered. 



Officers in charge say that the bill will make possible 

 the construction of many roads which are greatly needed. 

 Since 1913 ten per cent of the receipts of the National 

 Forests have been used in road and trail building, but 

 the funds have been inadequate to meet the needs. 

 Many isolated communities within the National Forests 

 are entirely dependent on the Government roads and 

 trails. The money now made available will permit the 

 construction of many roads necessary to open up inac- 

 cessible territory. 



