394 REPORT OF THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



crops should not, of course, be held for trees, because the income from a few 

 annual farm crops is as much as would be realized from the sale of timber after 

 many years' growth. Many timber owners are very much discouraged over the 

 attitude of the public toward the taxation problem. They do not believe that the 

 American people will ever be willing to concede changes in present methods of 

 taxation until the present timber supply is so nearly exhausted as to make prices 

 of forest products very high. 



They are looking to the forester to educate the public to the correct view of 

 this important matter. Their motives have so often been questioned when urging 

 some relief from taxation, that as a class, the lumbermen generally are unwilling 

 to agitate the matter. It is a very hopeful sign that the States of Pennsylvania 

 and Massachusetts have recognized the necessity of encouraging timber owners 

 to hold trees for future growth by changing the methods of taxing could afford 

 to carry these immense areas of timber land, and that they would be compelled 

 to dispose of large parts of them. Lumbermen much prefer, however, to see the 

 timber of the National Forests managed as it is at present, because they are abso- 

 lutely certain that it will result in the utmost advantage to the greatest number of 

 people in the long run. 



I hope it will be seen from what I have said that the lumbermen are abso- 

 lutely dependent upon the foresters and upon organizations like the National 

 Conservation Congress to show the public that they cannot adopt those methods 

 which will make it possible to perpetuate growing timber until there are radical 

 changes in existing economic conditions. 



Because of the confidence which I have in the intelligence and patriotism of 

 the American people, of which those citizens engaged in the production and 

 handling of forest products constitute a very large and important element, I am 

 entirely certain that conditions which will make possible the practice of forestry 

 in its best sense, will be conceded, and will be developed, and that the supremacy 

 of the United States among the nations of the earth will not be threatened be- 

 cause of a famine of her timber supply. 



