The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-09-03
NATIONAL FORESTS
And the Lumber Supply, Considered
From the Standpoint Of Whs.
Government Is Doing.

A point in the Industrial progress Of
the United States has now been
reached where development Of the
country is made, not in the face Of the
forest but with its essential aid. The
old process of exhausting the supply
of timber in a region and then seek
ing new fields is practically over. Al
ready the lumber industry is turning
back on its tracks. A quality OF tim
ber is eagerly sought in the Lake
States which few years ago was ig-
nored as utterly worthless, and in the
South the whole pine region is being
gone over in close search for the old
field pine, tree once despised but
now bought up at prices much higher
than those formerly paid for the mag
niflcent timber Of the virgin forests.
A publication just issued by the De-
partment of Agriculture, entitled Ma
tIonal Forests and the Lumber Sup
ply" defines the important part
which the national forests are de-
stined to play in the economic devel-
opment of the country. Abuses have
grown up under the laws which pro-
vide for the disposition of public
land, notably the segregation OF large
holdings of timber land for specula-
tive purposes. Timber from the ma
tional forests is now being purchased
by the thousand board feet, and pay
ment is made upon the actual scale OF
the logs when cut. Two dollars and
q half per thousand feet is compare
tiYely low as present charges go, but
since the cut ranges from 5000 to 20,-
900 square feet per acre, the govern.
ment receives from five to twenty
times as much for the timber as It did
under the timber and stone act.
Public opinion now demands, not
that the government should dispose
OF its remaining timber lands as rap
idly as possible and leave II to private
enterprise TO exploit the forest has
tily, but that what remains of the ma
tional forests should be more con-
servatively used. The government
has been forced into the lumber bust.
ness solely In order that a supply Of
forest products may be guaranteed to
future generations.
Probably 65 per cent Of the total
stand OF merchantable timber within
the forests is located on the Pacific
Coast, where for long time the enor-
nous supply OF privately owned tim
Der will satisfy most OF the demand.
This more accessible private timber
surrounded the forests as the meat OF
an apple surrounds the core. II has
been entirely eaten away In many
places, while In others IL Is locked up
by spectators. The thing to remem-
Der, then, is that this immense body
OF public timber Is threre as great
reserve against the'time when private
timberlands will be depleted, and for
use as a weapon against monopoly.
The first effect OF national forests
upon prices, particularly where there
is still great deal OF available tim
ber. is to raise the price OF outside
stumpage toward Its actual value by.
Withdrawing the excess supply OF low
priced timber from the market. But
later, as the supply of timber dwin-
dies and values are forced upward by
speculative holdings, the effect OF the
forests will be to check the advance OF
prices.
In the virgin forest, growth is
Just about balanced by decay. In the
western forests, however, natural de-
terioration is greatly augmented by
forest fires. The fires usually do most
harm by damaging merchantable tim
ber, but, great as this injury Is, vastly
more actual loss In forest wealth re-
suits from the yearly burning over or
the grass and underground OF the for
est. Ground fires do not consume the
large trees, but they destroy seedlings
outright and injure growing trees so
that they quickly decay. Finally, the
foret floor, composed OF a mold of
needles. twigs, and MOSES, is burned
away.
Far beyond the present influence OF
the national forests upon the lumber
supply will be their importance in the
future. The United States is now fac
ing a shortage in the stock OF avail
able timber. The yield from the ma
tional forests will aid greatly 20
bridge over the period in which
mature timber will be lacking, a per-
iod which will last from the time the |
old trees are gone until the young |
trees are large enough to take their
places.
The definite results. therefore. of
the sale Of timber from the forests
will be TO sustain the lumber business,
to maintain steady range of timber
values and so discourage speculation,
and far more important still, steadily
to further the uninterrupted develop.
ment of the great industries depen-
dent unnn wood