Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-03-21

&FNA% &NAh@Nh -
characterization OF "a Government
monopoly In Rubber and Gutta
Percha Recommended.
The Immense riches of the Philippine
forests, ule great varieties of species
ana spleipG.d size and quality Of the
fine cabinet woods that o there,
continue to astonish the foresters
whom the government has sent to the
islands. says the New York Times.
The task OF preserving these rich and
extensive forests from permanent harm
is engaging the attention of the govern
ment, and n large proportion OF Ire
forestry students graduated from the
American forest s~chools-those at Yale.
Cornell and Biitmore-will be sent TO
the Philippines this year TO enter h
forestry bureau. Practically all u
valuable forests of the islands are
owned by the government, which lets
the cutting privileges. Thus 1T is able
to dictate how much shall be cut, what
trees shall be cut and the conditions
under which the cutting shall be done.
Provided the government cal secure
enough well trained foresters to super.
wise all numbering there Is no danger
that serious and permanent harm can
come to the Philippine forests. At pres
ent it has the forest situation well In
hand.
The lack of enough well trained for
esters and the difficulties of transpor-
Az4i~,x ..~ %hn fcIondG nrnunnt a
thorough supervision of numbering OPP
erations, and much destructive cutting
Is going on. Besides, there has not
been time for the American foresters
sent TO the islands to gain sufficient
knowledge of Philippine s~ylviculture to
know just what sort of treatment the
timber should receive. 1t was to report
on the forest preserves of the Philip
pines and to devise an effective forest
organization that Clifford Pinchot CHIEF
of the bureau of forestry, United States
department of agriculture, was sent to
the islands last fall.
Mr.. Pinchot in his preliminary report
to Governor Taft has made some m
portant recommendations. Perhaps the
most important is that a government
school for native forest rangers be es-
tablished in one of the experimental
forests as soon as suitable instructors
can be found. He suggests that the
school should be situated near Cobco-
ban, In the province of Bataan, o
twenty miles from Manila, that 1t
should be a secondary or ranger school,
with accommodations for three instruc-
tors, thirty students, a nurseryman
and six to eight servants and assist
ants and that the course of study
should for the present be completed in
one year. Students for the school should
be selected by local competitive exami-
nation, one student from each province.
Each student should receive pay at the
rate of $15 (gold) per month during
term time and should be required to
pay his own expenses.
Mr.. Pinchot believes that a regular
series of grades should be established
for Filipino and American forest offi-
GERS, with fixed yearly pay and allow
ances. He recommends the following
organization:
A controlling staff, consisting of a
chief of bureau at $1,000, an assistant
chief at $500, a director of forest
school at $1,000 with two instructors
at $1,000 and $1,000, five foresters at
$500, $1,000. $1,000. $3.50 and $1,000;
three assistant foresters at $1,40O, ST.
200 and $500: five inspectors at from
S2.40O to $1,000. three assistant inspec-
tors at from S1,400 to 5000, an execu-
tive staff consisting of seven rangers
at from 5000 to $500, students in forest
school, clerks, accountants, a transla-
tor. etc, at from $1,SO0 to $500 and a
protective staff consisting of guards at
from S240 to $3.50.
Technically trained foresters now in
the service, Mr.. Pinchot believes, should
give up for the present making esti-
mates of standing timber and should
devote their entire attention to the
marking of timber for cutting, the in
spection of numbering in the field and
the study of forest reproduction.
Communication between the islands
is slow and difficult. Thorough inspec-
ton of numbering operations is now I'M
possible. and the marking of trees to be
cut, the control of local forest officers
and all s~ylvicultural work suffers great
ly on this account. A request has been
made, therefore, that the forest service
be furnished with a small steamer for
its exclusive use, which shall make pc
riodic trips among the islands.
More money and more trained men
are badly needed. The forest laws and
rules should have immediate revision.
Licenses to cut timber should be limit
ed so far as practicable until cutting
can be done without forest destruction.
The government charge for timber on
the stump should be at the average rate
of 6 per cent of the market value of
the log at Manila. But in places where
even the seed trees of valuable species
are being cut the charge for such tim
Der on the stump should be raised so as
to divert the lumber business into 9th
er regions or induce lumbermen to cut