188 OUR VANISHING FORESTS 



merce of the United States appointed a committee 

 to consider the whole forest problem. That com- 

 mittee spent many weeks investigating various con- 

 ditions throughout the United States; it held public 

 hearings from New York to California, and lum- 

 bermen, wood-users, lawyers, tax experts and 

 economists gave testimony. No greater opportunity 

 ever existed to acquaint the business men of the 

 country with the true state of our forest affairs. 



You read these articles. You feel that you 

 would like to see something done, that you would 

 like to know more about the forest problem, but you 

 are too busy to pursue that knowledge. Suppose 

 that when you were in school you had been taught, 

 the way European children are, the importance of 

 the forest, and the fundamental theory of growing 

 wood for commercial purposes. There would be no 

 forest problem today. Does your state now require 

 in the public schools a compulsory course on the 

 value of trees and how to protect them? Are you 

 an active backer of such a law? 



Federal legislation to co-ordinate the efforts of 

 states, towns and individuals will come when the 

 whole country is ready for it, when the public knows 

 what it wants and unitedly demands it. Books and 

 newspapers must continue to preach forest preserva- 

 tion and extension; industries and advertisers must 



