The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-03
UNCLE SAM A BIC
LUMBER DEALER
CONTINUED from First PaEeo

K d Is 4.
CONTINUED from First PaEe.)
timber IS desired, who executes smhil
sales on the ground In case OF large
sales the application Is forwarded 10
the Forest Service, from, which the ad-
verttsement OF the sale Is made. Appll-
cants for timber arc required to schu
scaled bids to the Forest Service. Small
bidders enjoy exactly equal opportunities
with large, and appropriation IS enec-
tunlly forcstallcd. The highest pa likes
the price. Should the ilrst app,l ! ~
desire to begin cutting Immediately nc
may Except in California; do So on
condition that he pay in advance at
price already fixed by the Forest service
and that he obligatc himself to pay the
fun amount named In the highest Dld.
Thus delay is avoided and Government
is protected. Speculation In reserve
timber Is made impossible by the pro-
vision that the timber must be removed
within Il specified Tins and that when q
contract extends over several years n
1ronortionate amount of timber must be
removed each year. Five years Is the
extreme limit OF q sales contract.
That these restrictions are not onerous
is shown by the numerous snlcs made
under them. A. single sale Of b0,OOO0O0
feet OF lodgepole pine for railroad ties is
pending on the Montana Division Of the
Yellowstone Forest Reserve. 1t Is esti--
mated that 65,000,000 feet B. NJ OF
lodgepole pine can be taken from one
watershed in the Medicine Bow Forest
Reserve still leaving large percentage
for future crops.
Much timber Is sold In small lots; fifty
applications for such sales arc made to
each single application for 100000 board
feet or more; the prompt, busincsslike
consideration accorded such applications
standing in marked contrast with the
slow methods once prevailing, when all
applications had to DO made through
Washington.
Forests AS Revenue.
During the year 1906 the sales of tim
Der from tho national reserves were as
follows:
The largest sales so far made are
II ,46G,537 board feet from South Dakota;
6s,255,s1G from Wyoming: and 5,s27,443
from Utah.
In sales of wood for fuel South Da-
followed with 1860; and Colorado with
o.7051-2. The total number OF cords
sold was 74,120. 49,
In sales Of posts and poles Montana
led with 11b,50o, followed by wyoming
with 3o75o, ana Colorado with 1888.
The total number sold was 1sS.74O.
The largest timber sales were made In
Wyoming, where they reached SAB, S94.S1.
South Dnkotu's sales ranked second in
value. amounting to s7S,95824, and Ceo-
RADIOS to s23,937,07. The total sales for
1905 reached s273.s5s.s2.
Nor are the receipts from these sales
swallowed up by tho cost of administra-
ton. The entire property Of the forest
reserves, worth s25o,ooo,000 in cash. Is
now being administered at cost Of less
than one-third OF per. cent. OF Its value,
while Increase in that value OF not less
than 10 per cent. year Is taking place.
AS the use OF the reserves increases, the
cost Of administration must OF course
increase also, but receipts will certainly
increase much more rapidly. The time
Is not far distant when the forest re-
serves VIII become sclf-sustaining. Later
they may confidently be expected to be-
come n source OF public revenue.