THE GOVERNMENT LEADS 115 



available for purchase at prices considerably below 

 the established average. Although many of our 

 national forest officials believe that It would be 

 better to strain the public purse now, rather than to 

 be obliged to pay double the price at a later date, 

 Congress still hesitates. It Is very interesting to 

 note that a comprehensive forest growing policy 

 adopted by England in 1919 almost ran on the 

 rocks because of a similar desire to economize. In 

 that particular case, however, the demand of the 

 unemployed that the government should undertake 

 public works resulted In an ultimate reversal of the 

 decision, and a large part of a special appropriation 

 was then devoted to forest growing. It all depends 

 upon this one point; are we sufficiently anxious to 

 ensure a future wood supply, to be willing to 

 demand and pay for it? 



When Congress does decide to continue its sup- 

 port of the Weeks Law policy and the money is 

 forthcoming, two things should be done. First, the 

 eastern program should be completed, and then the 

 middle west and south certainly should receive 

 attention. Some of our central states such as Iowa 

 fortunately or unfortunately possess almost no 

 poor land, and the yield from agricultural products 

 is much higher than could be obtained from timber 

 growing. Iowa, however, could get wood from 



