New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-21

asmuch M what Ii everyb0dy's business IL no.
body's business, the only policy thus tar formu-
lated il that which the purely selfish Interest OF
the lumbermcn inspires. All this Ia no doubt
true and it is n serious matter. But since the
reality of the evil admits of no dispute, the
practical need of tho hour is a remedy, ana
here unfortunately the Forestry Congress APP
pears to have failed in suggestive capacity. IL
can think of little else than the appeal to Gov
ernmental protection and prohibition. and eX-
pcricnce proves that that appeal must be futl le.
The fact has been patent for many years to
all who chose to observe for themselves, that
the Government timber lands are everywhere
the worst cared for and protected. In the more
sparsely populated States those lands have been
often and largely cut over by squatters. The
erection of lumber mills upon public lands
without any formalitics has been common, and
scores of enterprising people have made fort
uncs by quietly stealing public property in this
wav. clearing off section after section, and NOV
ing their mills around as the timber in their i'm
mediate ncighborhood gave ont. Efforts have
been made in some of the Western States to put
n stop to this wholesale timber stealing, but
without much success. What the lumbermen
do not take the shinglc-mallcrs sweep away,
and these latter are the most mischevOus and
wastcful of vandals, destroying splendid sugar
pines for half n dozen bundles Of shingles. All
this destruction ard waste occurs on Govern
mcnt lands, and Congress has never been able
or willing To stop it. The truth is that the
methods adopted in France, Germany, Norway
and Sweden for the protection Of forests are not
applicable in the United States, where the
Government is only the agent for the people.
In the countries named most minute and clabo-
rate forestry laws are in operation, such laws a.
it would be impossible to enforce here which
would require nm immense force of special
police or forcstcrs, and other machinery such as
no American Legislature. state or National,
could I've induced 10 create.
II appears probable that the most effective
way of preserving such forest growth rs is
sought for commercial purposes would be by
cnisting the interest of those who at present
are most active in destroying it, for its repro
dpction. There are many ways in which this
might be- done. IA regards those forest
growths which are commercially less valuable.
though the importance of preserving them as
scrconS for springs and riycS and filters Tor
winter rains is great, their chief enemy is not
thc lumbcrmln. bat the hunter aud camper.
Every year hundreds of square miles of timber
are burned oil 10y fires set IN this way, aud there
seems to be- mo- way of checking the evil, since
the kind of people who arc responsible for ,hoso
fires are deaf ~ rcupu sttancc and indifferent to
the results of their rccldc-+nc-s. How to deal
with them t. therefore ~ present nm nsoluhlr
problem. and II Is not worth white tu spoud time
over IT, What is wanted frat Is somo molns of
Guarding the valuable timber and the hill tim
Der. Local measures Hto moro lbolN to Ice pioc.
tiwlly wir,rs.lul than Congressional ones. If we
wu, Judge from thc p9ei and IT aot very little
uar a. trN upon the Theory that Tia HoN'lns
mont can effect u thia uuutr What II ho7 nr''r
vet hcon able to du IN regard To- the protection
n, the public lnnda.