168 OUR VANISHING FORESTS 



and we would hardly be willing to reverse the 

 principle of the Sherman anti-trust law merely for 

 the expectation of a future timber supply. The 

 great god Competition is perhaps too zealously 

 worshipped, but we Americans believe in that prin- 

 ciple, and a sudden change from one extreme to the 

 other is out of the question. 



Only twenty-five years ago Sweden was con- 

 fronted with a similar forest problem. Perhaps it 

 was easier for a smaller country which had never 

 suffered from the constitutional struggle between 

 the rights of individual states or communities and 

 the national authority, but she found a solution. 

 The law there enacted approached the question 

 from the community viewpoint, provided for teach- 

 ing the people the essential importance of the forest 

 industries, and managed to appeal to local pride in 

 such a way that the necessary regulations and the 

 rather bitter pill of increased cost appeared self- 

 administered. Competition was not abolished but 

 a coincident spirit of cooperation was inspired. We 

 would do well to seek this as our own model. 



During 1921 when over-production sharpened 

 the edge of competition, hardly any two lumbermen 

 on the Pacific Coast sold their product at the same 

 price, yet, for the purpose of mutual fire protection, 

 they cooperated, not only among themselves but 



