The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-05

toward the solution of the forest pro-
blem-a problem, which can not be set
tied until it is settled right. And it
can not be settled right until the forces
which bring that settlement about
come not from the government, not
even from the newspapers public SEN
timent IN general, but from the active,
intelligent and effective interest of the
men to whom the forest is important
from the business point of view, be-
cause they use it and its products; and
whose interest is therefore concrete. in
stead of general and diffuse. I do not
in the least underrate the power of the
awakened public opinion; but in the
final test it will be the attitude Of the
industries OF the country which more
than anything else will determine
whether or not our forests are to be
preserved This is true because by far
the greater part of all our forests must
pass into the hands of forest users,
whether directly or through the govern
ment which will continue to hold some
Of them, but only as trustee. The for
est is for use, and it's users will decide
Comes From Within.
1.-The great significance of this con-
gress comes from the fact that hence
forth the movement for the conserva-
tive use OF the forest is to come mainly
from within, not from without; from
the men who are actively interested in
the use OF the forest in one way or an
other, even more than from those
whose interest is philanthropic and
general. The difference means to
large extent the difference between
mere agitation and actual execution,
between the hope of accomplishment
and the thing DONE We believe that
at last forces have been sent in motion
which will convert the only distant
prospect of the conversion of the forest
by wise use into the practical accom-
pliShment of that great end; and of this
most hopeful and significant fact the
coming together of this congress is the
sufficient proof.
1.-THE place of the forest in the life of
any nation is far too large to be des-
cribed in the time at my command.
This is particularly true of its place in
the United States The great indus
mining, grazing and, of course, lumber
ing are each one of them vitality and
Immediately dependent upon wood, wa
ter or grass from the forest. The man
ufacturing industries whether or not
wood enters directly into their finished
product, are scarcely, if at all, less de-
pendent upon the forest than those
whose connection with it is obvious
and direct.
Wood Is indispensable.
Wood is an indispensable part of the
material structure upon which civiliz-
alton rests and civilized life makes con-
tinually greater demands upon the for
est. We use not less wood, but more.
For example although we consume
relatively less wood and relatively
more steel or brick or cement in GER
tain industries than was once the case,
vet in every instance which recall,
while the relative proportion is less the
actual increase in the amount of wood
used is very great Thus, the consunp-
ton of wood in shipbuilding is far
larger than it was before the dis
covery of the art of building iron ships,
because vastly more ships are built.
Larger supplies of building lumber are
required directly or indirectly, for use
in the construction of the brick and
steel structures of great modern cities
than were consumed by the compare
lively few and comparatively small
wooden buildings in the earlier stages
of these same cities Whatever ma
terials may be substituted for wood in
certain uses, we may confidently ex-
pect that the total demand for wood
will not diminish but steadily increase.
1T is a fair question, then whether
the vast demands of the future upon
our forests are likely to be met. No
man is a true lover of his country
whose confidence in its progress and
greatness is limited to the period of
his own life and we can not afford for
one instant to forget that our country
is only at the beginning of its growth
Unless the forests of the United
States can be made ready to meet the
vast demands which this growth will
inevitably bring, commercial disaster
is inevitable. The railroads must have
ties and the best opinion of the ex-
perts is that no substitute has vet been
discovered, which will satisfa ctorily
replace the wooden tie. This is largely
due to the great and continually in
creasing speeds at which our trains
are run. The miner must have tim
Der or he can not operate his mine
and in very many cases the profit
which mining yields is directly pro-
portionate to the cost of timber sup
ply. The farmer, east and west, must
his farm and he must be protected by
forest cover upon the head waters of
the streams he uses, against floods in
the eastern land of water for irriga-
ton in the west. The stockman must
have fence posts, and very often he
must have summer range for his stock
in the national forest ranges In a
word both the production of the great
staples upon which our prosperity de-
ponds and their movement in COM
merce throughout the United States
are inseparably dependent upon the
existence of permanent and suitable
supplies from the forest at a reason
Bile cost.
Danger of Timber Famine
"If the present rate of forest de-
structfon is allowed to continue a tim
Der famine is obviously inevita BILE.
Fire, Wasteful and destructive eorms
of numbering and legitimate use are
together destroying our forest re-
sources far more rapidly than they
are being replaced. What such a
famine would mean to each of the in
dustries of the United States it is
scarcely possible to imagine and the
period of recovery from the injuries
which a timber famine would entail
would be measured by the slow growth
of the trees, themselves.
fortunately the remedy is a simple
one and your presence here is proof
that it is being applied. 1t is the great
merit OF the department of agriculture
in its forest work that its effarfs have
been directed to enlist the sympathy
and cooperation of the users of wood,
water and grass, and to show that for
estry will pay and does pay, rather
than to exhaust itself in the futile at
tempt to introduce conservative meth
DDS from any nttor r,aotix-as The de-