164 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



now before it, of the protection of its navigable streams by means of 

 the forests. In doing this it will at the same time accomplish other 

 results of great importance. It will meliorate the climate of the coun- 

 try, renderiug it more salubrious to man and beasts and more favorable 

 to agricultural pursuits. The streams, made thus more equable in their 

 flow, will be greatly improved as the channels of commerce and as a 

 source of steady power for the various mechanical and manufacturing 

 industries of the country. 



PROTECTION OF GOVERNMENT FORESTS. 



The fact that the timber lands in possession of private persons are 

 being rapidly destroyed, so that the visible supply of lumber is reduced 

 to very scanty dimensions, while scarcely any provision is made for its 

 restoration by planting or by measures calculated to secure its repro- 

 duction by natural means, renders it the more imperative that the Gov- 

 ernment should at least protect and make the most of its own forests. 

 It seems a vain hope that private proprietors will treat their woodland 

 property in a conservative way or have in its management any regard 

 for the general welfare or any other consideration than that of personal 

 pecuniary profit. The prevailing disposition is to convert the trees 

 into lumber in the speediest manner. The result is that more lumber 

 is thrown upon the market than the country wants, consequently prices 

 go down in the competition of sellers with each other until in cases, not 

 a few, lumber is sold for less than the cost of its production. Recently 

 a meeting of the lumber manufacturers of the Northwest was held at 

 Chicago for the purpose of consultation on the depressed condition of 

 the lumber trade. The meeting was a large and influential one, con- 

 sisting of mill-owners and forest-owners from all parts of the great pine 

 timber territory of the Northwest. It was said to represent a capital 

 of 8500,000,000. The endeavor was made to establish an agreement 

 among the mill-owners to suspend the operation of their saw-mills at a 

 given date, a few weeks earlier than the usual time of suspension, and 

 thus to lessen the oversupply of lumber. It was admitted by all that 

 the production of lumber in the Northwest at present is in excess of the 

 demand by 1,500,000,000 feet, and that if this amount could be withheld 

 from market the amount left would sell for as much as would be realized 

 from the whole stock offered for sale or likely to be, and the amount so 

 withheld would represent so much timber preserved and so much pecu- 

 niary profit. But no agreement to restrict the manufacture could be 

 effected. The most that could be attained was the passage of a resolu- 

 tion recommending restriction, but leaving it to each one's sense of self- 

 interest to comply with the recommendation or not. It was confessed 

 by this company of men that any restraint upon individual action other 

 than individual personal interest was impossible; that the trees would be 

 felled, converted into lumber, and put upon the market so long as a pine 

 tree was left of the forests. 



The appeal, therefore, to individual action for the conservation of the 

 forests seems hopeless and makes the action of the Government the 

 more important and urgent. And if the Government is to act in this 

 matter, it is wise policy for it to act promptly and with all possible effi- 

 ciency. Dilatory action and inefficient measures allow the evils to be 

 remedied to reach larger proportions than they have now, and neeessi- 

 tate greater and more costly efforts on the part of the Government 

 hereafter. In taking such action as has been indicated we shall be but 

 adopting the course recommended by common sense and the course 



