Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-03
.FORESTERs CONVENE
Many Allied Industries Rep
resented at Congress.
ADDRESSES TODAY
SECRETARY WILSON PRESIDED
AND WELCOMED DELEGATES.
Committee Appointed to Draft Resolu-
tions Favoring Passage Of Fed
era1 Forest Laws.

Prominent men and women directly inter-
ested in forestry, or in one or more of the
great Industries dependent upon the forests,
crowded National Rifles armory nearly to
the doors today during the first sessions
of the American Forest Congress. About
eight hundred persons were present at the
opening meeting, which was presided over
by Secretary James Wilson of the Depart
ment of Agriculture and addressed by rep
resentative men from various parts of this
country and Canada.
The congress is being held under the
auspices of the American Forest Associa-
ton and is the first of it's kind in this
country. Il will continue its sessions
through the week. Both on account of its
distinguished personnel and the probable
results of its deliberations it is regarded as
the greatest movement in the interest of
forestry made thus far in the United States,
and is commanding widespread interest
among many classes of people.
Secretary Wilson of the Department of
Agriculture. president of the congress, call
ed the delegates to order promptly at 10
o'clock this morning. Seated on the stage
were William L. Hall, secretary of the con-
gress, and those who are scheduled to de-
liver addresSeS-ten in number.
Secretary Wilson's Address.
Secretary Wilson. in an Introductory ad-
dress. made the delegates welcome to the
federal seat of government. to consider the
state of our forests, and of our lands that
cry aloud for want of trees and the Pc
culiar forest conditions that cannot exist
without their presence" He said the ques-
ton was not a local one, but as wide as
American jurisdictions; nor a class Ques-
ton, but one that affects everybody.
Steel" he continued, "has taken the
place OF wood for fencing to a large ex
tent. 1t has taken the place Of wood
ships to some extent, 1t is being introduced
In house building, and is replacing wood
extensively in the making Of machinery
taking the place of wood as fuel, and ce-
! ment Is taking it's place for building The
use OF wood, notwithstanding these SUBJ
stitutes, increases every year and our for
ests steadily vanish before the axman.
Railway Extension.
'"The extension of railroads, the settle
ment of the public domain, the building of
cities, towns and villages, the use of wood
in paper making and the opening of mines,
call for more wood every year. and the
forests respond to the demand. There are
only few large reserves left from which
to draw supplies. The extreme east, the
extreme west, and the gulf coast are now
our sources of commercial supply. The
Industries of our country will be carried on
at greater expense as wood becomes
scarcer and it's substitutes become dearer.
Agriculture, commerce and mining will
greatly miss the cheap supply of wood to
which they have been accustomed.
THE nation is awakened to the necessity
of planting trees and making the most of
those that are nature. Our institutions of
learning taking up the study of for
estry. State societies are inquiring The
experiment stations of the several states
and territories are making research. The
Department of Agriculture is training
bureau of forest experts in woodcraft to
serve the nation, the states, companies and
individuals along forestry lines.
I'VE are beginning meeting which Is
national in its significance. Never before
in this country, nor so far as I know in
any other country, has a body of men
representing such great and varied interests
come together to discuss temporarily and
foresghtedly the policy and the methods
under which the highest permanent USE
fulness of the forest can be maintained.
That we, men as varied In our occupations
as are the industries and interests we rep
resent, are drawn together by this common
cause, may we'll mark the beginning of
new era IN our treatment of the forest.
Your presence here is in itself the best
possible proof that forestry is rapidly TAX
ing it's appropriate place an active and
indispensable factor in the national econ
omy. The era of forest agitation alone has
entirely passed. We are talking less and
doing more. The forest problem, as Presi-
dent Roosevelt has described 1t, is recog-
nized as the most vital internal problem
in the United States, and we are at work
upon it,
Invested Capital and Product
'In the value of it's invested capital and
its product numbering ranks fourth among
our great industries. But in Its relation
to the forest it stands first. The vast area
of the timberlands of the United States is
mainly in the hands Of the lumbermen.
You have it in your power, by putting
forestry into effect upon the lands you
own and control, to make the lumber in
dustry permanent, and you will lose nothing
by it,
Secretary Wilson spoke briefly of the i'm
portance of forest preservation to grazing,
irrigation, railroads, mining and other in
dustrial interests. In closing he said:
THE time is ripe for useful work because
Of the existence of strong sentiment for
the best one of the forest. The forest
problem in different states cannot all be
solved in exactly the same way. The
methods in each case will have to be work.
ed out on the ground where they will be
used. But we have before us here the
same opportunity in state forest matters
as in other phases of the forest problem,
for full discussion of methods and results.
Above all we must find the most effective
means of working together toward the
same great ends.
At the conclusion of his address Mr.. Will
son appointed the following committee on
rGSOlutlOnS. +. y. I1dsSilDdItu, pItSiUeut
National Live Stock Association; N. w. Nc
Leod, president National Lumber Idanufac-
turers' Association; Clifford Pinchot, United
State forester; T. ]. Grier, superintendent
Homestake Mining Company, Lead, s. D.;
Thomas Cooper, land commissioner, North
ern Pacific railroad; T. H. Newell, chief en-
gineer, United States reclamation service;
j. T. Rothrock, commissioner of forestry,
Pennsylvania.
Report of Directors.
The annual report of the board of direct
ors of the American Forest Association was
next read by Edward A. Bowers, a member
of the board. The report explained how the
association has grown from few hundred
enthusiastic members in the eighties to the
present membership of between 1900 and
5000 Incessant efforts are to be made,
said Mr. Bowers, to increase the size of the
organization and the scope and benefit of
its work This was stated to be especially
true in regard to legislation for the estab-
lishment of forest@reseryes. The practical
side of the growth and industry of the bu-
reau of forestry of the Department of Agri-
culture was dwelt upon at length and high
ly commended. Numerous phases of forest
activity were also described in detail The
value of this work to railroads. mine con-
struction and various other industries was
likewise referred to in the report.