The Conservation Conference. 57 



lumber, and, above all, the need of protecting their forests from 

 fire, of protecting the yoting growth and of replanting denuded 

 areas of absolute forest soil. Upon the states was imposed the 

 necessity of immediately passing tax laws which would enable 

 private owners ''to protect and keep productive under forest 

 those lands suited only for forest growth." He did not believe 

 that such a policy would have the effect of enabling great 

 monopolies to sectire more land and hold it where the timber 

 would not be taxed. His study of the question in foreign lands, 

 particularly in Germany and Switzerland, showed him that the 

 result had been rather the opposite. 



The speaker was strongly in favor of a "produce tax." 

 "Taxes on the forest land should be levied on the crop when 

 cut, not on the basis of a general property tax." Another task 

 binding on the states was the passage and actual enforcement 

 of adequate fire laws, a matter which entailed the employment 

 of a trained force whose first duty was fire patrol. Upon the 

 Federal Government lay the task of adequately protecting and 

 conservatively using the whole of the public forest lands. 

 Touching on the question of the Appalachian Forest Reserve. 

 Senator Smoot spoke strongly of the urgent necessity of speedy 

 action in carr^dng out that scheme. In regard to the country's 

 timber supply, he believed that if action were taken at once, 

 they had still forest enough to supply, under right management, 

 the timber the nation needed. 



After short addresses by Messrs. Page, of Virginia, and 

 Howell, of Wyoming, Senator Edwards was called on for a short 

 address. After giving .expression to the feelings of good-will 

 which existed between the United States and Canada, he con- 

 A-eyed special messages from His Excellency the Governor- 

 General and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the former one of cordial agree- 

 ment with Mr. Pinchot's policies, the latter suggesting more 

 stringent laws in regard to the prevention of forest fires originat- 

 ing from the railways. In regard to the conservation of their 

 forest resoixrces, the situations of the United States and Canada 

 were very similar. The most essential measure for forest preser- 

 vation was the prevention of forest fires, Canada, he believed, 

 if she acted promptly, could always supply her own timber 

 needs. He had been especially impressed through the con- 

 ference in learning of the part water would take in conserving 

 the supplies of coal and iron, in the one case through the use of 

 water for power, in the other by the use of the water courses for 

 transportation. He believed the use of cement would also have 

 its part in conserving the iron supply. He concluded by speak- 

 ing of the import of lumber into Canada from the United States 

 and hoped it would continue, for it would conserve Canadian 

 timber. 



Mr. Andrew Carnegie also made a vev}' brief address, 



