Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-03
THE WORLDS TIMBER SUPPLY.
Measures Necessary to Protect MAN
From a Lumber Famine.

Measures Necessary to Protect Man
From a Lumber Famine.
From the London Times.
At the Society of Arts DIR. w. Schlch
read a paper on THE Outlook for the
Worlds Timber Supply.
The first part of the paper was occupied
with statistical details on the export and
import of timber in the various countries
of the world AS regards Europe, Dr.
Schlich reached the conclusion that the
present deficiency of 100000 tons was
sure to increase, because the European
sources of supply were not likely to meet
the additional 100000 required annually
personally he would not be surprised If ten
years hence the deficiency amounted TO
three or four times the present quantity.
OF the importing non-European countries,
taken altogether, there was no DOUBT the
net imports would increase as time went
on OF the exporting countries the regions
around the Caribbean sea exported mahog-
any and other furniture woods, but they
also imported so much lumber that their
net exports were only 1900 tons year
The west coast of Africa exported various
hardwoods, but they were so expensive
that they hardly affected the question.
British India could not do more than send
some teak and furniture woods In Asiatic
Russia, even supposing there was a sur
plus of production for export, the cost of
transportation would practically be prohibit
tive. The timberS of Central Africa were
not of the sort required in Europe in large
quantities, apart from cost of transport,
and in South America matters were in a
similar position. 1t would not be possible,
he felt sure, for the United States to meet,
for any length of time, the increased de-
mand which they had supplied for the last
few years. Their present annual produc-
ton, estimated at I5000,000 tons, was ex-
ceeded by the present annual consumption
by SO per cent. and this meant that they
consumed annually not only the legitimate
growth or increment, but also a portion of
their capital Fortunately the seriousness
of the position had been recognized and
efforts were being made to introduce more
conservative numbering and to protect the
forests against ravages by fire and graz
Ing. As to Canada, 1t had not responded
to the extra requirements of Europe, and
he doubted whether 1t would be able to do
SO IN the future unless decided steps were
taken at once to start thorough protec-
ton and systematic management on select
ed areas, or, as they might be called, re-
served state forests.
There should be difficulty in perma-
nently reserving 1O0.O00.00O acres, and if
half the annual reyenues-f7O0OO O-derived
from Canadian forests was devoted to that
purpose substantial progress could at once
be made to secure not only the present
out an increased output for any length of
time, leading ultimately to revenue ten
1old or more the present amount, and Sc
curing permanent supply of coniferous
and other timber Tor the world In the
IT.
attention to a few lessons that might be
learned as regards the British empire as a
whole and these islands in particular With
all the forest wealth of the colonies we
imported into the empire timber valued at
nearly tls,Go,oOO every year, and the sum
hsid lately risen at the rate of FIJI 900 an
nually Surely, the time had come for
more vigorous forest policy on sensible
lines throughout he empire. Systematic
forest management should be introduced
more particularly into Canada and Austria
Ha, and above all let the self-goyerning
colonies consider little more seriously
thdn hitherto the magnificent example set
by India. But We should begin by putting
our own house in order. The imports of
timber into the united kingdom in 1899 were
valued at f25.0o1,O00, and of late wears
they had increased at the rate of $50 600
tons, t91S,Oco annually. Eighty-seven per
cent OF the total consisted of pine and fir
the sources of which were especially ex-
posed to exhaustion, and where were we
TO obtain the 100000 or 10 600 600 of conf
erous timber we required when the coun-
tries around the Baltic, and perhaps Can
aaa. had begun to fail us? Yet we had
sufnc1ent, and more. surplus land at home
TO produce all this timber without putting
single acre out of cultivation. There
were l2.oooOO acres of waste land and
!5,eo'eo acres of mountain and heath land
from which to choose the necessary g.
oo'eo or 100000, and surely f25 600 900
gong out OF the country every year was
money enough to take some trouble about