48 



The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



"Cut-Over 

 Lands Could 

 Feed the 

 Nation" 



Combining a 

 Patriotic 

 Duty and 

 Profitable In- 

 vestment 



lumbermen of the future are greater even than those that pre- 

 sented themselves in the past. 



The lumbermen of the Southland are the owners of enough 

 land at present barren to build a new world. They have in their 

 possession the potential makings of a veritable empire, it is their 

 privilege, if they will grasp it, to carry out a great work for the 

 development and upbuildings of the entire South. There is 

 enough cut-over timber land in the hands of the lumbermen of 

 the South today to feed this entire nation, if properly cleared, 

 fertilized, cultivated and farmed. The possibilities of this land 

 for farming and growing purposes has no reasonable limit. It 

 is the most fruitful soil within the limits of the continent. It 

 will raise anything and everything, within reasonable limits. 



The lumbermen have the ability to handle the problem of 

 handling and developing the cut-over lands of the South. They 

 can do so with commercial success, because properly handled, 

 there is money to be made in the work. The argument that has 

 long been advanced against the lumber manufacturer doing any- 

 ing specific with his cut-over lands was that no decent return 

 could be made on the investment and he was not in position to 

 develop this land out of charity. 



The demand for better soil and newer farming districts has 

 gradually increased the values of the Southern land that once 

 grew forests, and today it is a possibility for men to take this 

 cut-over land and make a success of developing and selling it 

 for farming purposes. This is a proposition in itself that re- 

 quires specific handling, and the great trouble with the mill man 

 has always been that he was so busy running his mill that he 

 could not and would not divide his attention. 



He can, however, in the future co-operate in the work that 

 is proposed for developing these lands, and raay do much with- 

 out actually giving all his personal attention to the matter. I 

 believe that he will not be slow in manifesting his willingness 

 and ability to co-operate in the great work that means at one 

 and the same time an excellent investment financially and a great 

 work for the future. There are, therefore, both financial and 

 sentimental reasons why the lumber manufacturers should start 

 now to develop this great heritage of potential wealth that Prov- 

 idence has bestowed upon them. 



There have been times, I admit, when many of us have 

 seriously questioned whether this Providential bestowal was in 



