The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-03
UNCLE SAM A BIG
LUMBER DEALER
Total Sales in the Past
Year Ran Over a Quar-
ter Million.
RESERVE WORK OF
THE FOREST SERVICE
The Government Bureau Made
to Subserve the Interest
Of Users How Its
! Work is Done
and What
It Means.
especial to Tho rimes-Dispatch.)

especial to Tho -Dispatch.)
WASHINGTON, D. c., June "a
natural feeling among lumbermen toward
| tho forest work of the Government IS
| that the Government Is not In the lum-
| Der business, and cannot. therefore, take
| the lumberman's business point OF view.
| Yet q greater misconception could
scarcely exist. AS a dealer in stumpage'
the Government Is the largest Jumper
| dealer In the country. Further. 1t applies
| TO its sales the practice OF scientific for-
| cstry, requiring the removal OF the timber
under the Same sort INSTRUCTIONS which
lis adyiccs for private operators. rhus
| the Forest Service. In Its reserve work, IS
| giving an object lesson on huge scale
to enforce Its teachings that conserva tive
| management and profit may go hand IN
hand. 4 In the year so5 the total sales
reached value Of s2I3,659.S2.
BY the act OF March BE- 1885, the Presi-
dent OF the United States was authorized
to proclaim forest reserves; a power first
exercised by President Harrison, Who
on March Goth Of that year, created the
Yellowstone Park Timber Land Reserve
Authority over these reserves; was given
| to the Secretary Of the Interior, the al
| ministrative work to be conducted by
the General Land Office.
| The mere creation OF forest reserves
however without provision for their adj
n1inistration, was both Intellectual and
annoying to local interests dependent
upon their resources. Consequently the
| Secretary Of the Interior, in 1896, re-
| ouestcd the National Academy OF Sell
| ences to recommend a national forest
| policy This resulted in the passage Of
[ the act OF June 4 1897, under which,
with several subsequently amendments.
lforest reserves are now administers
Change Of Administration.
still, the result was not satisfactory.
Scientific knowledge and technically
trained force were necessary The Bu-
reau OF Forestry had frequently to be
consulted. II Finally, the act Of February
III, 1905, was passed, transferring the en-
tire Jurisdiction. except In matters Of
surveys and passing of title. to the Sec
rotary of Agriculture. The actual work
| Of administration was thereupon given to
| the Bureau OF Forestry since July l.,
1905, styled the Forest Service.
The policy upon which these reserves
were to be administered is Indicated by
1.-the following extracts from the letter
written February /, 1905. by the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture to the Forester:
TN the administration of the forest
reserves 1t must be clearly borne In mind
| that all land Is to be devoted toGits most.
productive use for the permanent good!
OF the whole people, and not for the tenn
porary benefit OF individuals or COM
panies. All the resources OF forest re-
rserves are for use, and this must be
brought about In a thoroughly prompt
and businesslike manner, under such re-
strctlons only as Will insure the perma-.
nence OF these resources.
you will see to 1t that the water.
wood and forage OF the reserves are con-
served and wisely used for the benefit
of the home builder first Of all.
In the management of each reserve lscal.
questions will be decided upon local
grounds; where conflicting In
terests must be reconciled, the question
will always be decided upon the stand
point of the greatest good to the greatest
number In the long run.
The principal object OF the forest re-
serves is use. The policy governing these
grca storehouses OF natural wealth is
not one OF locking up and rendering In
accessible their resources but of con-
serving and multiplying them and maxi
| Ing them available to consumers.
Effective Organization.
That Government bureau can ac-
tually thus subserve the interests OF
users Is at first matter OF some skep-
| ticism with practical lumbermen. Their
!
from a remote Government office by men
unfamiliar with local needs
It has remained for the Forest Service
| prac tically to demonstrate the ground
| lessness OF these fears TO this end It
has rapidly developed an organiza ton.
On July l, 1925, the Division OF Forestry
employed eleven persons. of whom six
| filed clerical or other subordinate posi-
tons. and FIVE belonged to the scientific
l. al fE1,n r,ara f1-
slonai foresters The division possessed
no field equipment; practically all OF Its
! work was office work. AT the opening
OF tho present fiscal year the employees
Of the Forest Service numbered sci, OF
whom 1853 were professional trained for
esters. The field force OF the Forest
Service contains the grades OF Forest In
spoctor, Forest Supervisor, Forest AS
sistant, and Forest Ranger. In so far
as possible the administration OF the re-
serves takes place on the ground, and
with the promptness that Is supposed to
cha racterize private business.
Ono Of the most important aspects OF
forest administration is the sale OF TIM
her, All timber on forest reserves which
can be cut safely and for which there
is actual need is for sale, Application
to purchase are invited Green timber
may be sold, except where Its removal
makes second crop doubtful reduces
the timber supply below the point OF
safety, or Injuries the streams, All dead
timber Is for sale. The cutting of this
timber is done under the local super
vision OF the Forest Service. and In ac-
cordance with certain clearly defined and
practical rules.
Speculation Prevented.
The restrictions governing the timber
sales, while effective. are simple. Appli-
cation is made to the local officer In
charge OF the reserve from which the