Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-03
by permitting thefts Of the public land
in whatever form.
Drastic Action Is Needed
to Save Country's Forests

Optimism is good characteristic. but
II carried to an excess it becomes fool
ishness. We are prone to speak OF the
resources of this country as inexhauskf-
BILE; this IL not 50. The mineral wealth
Of the country. the coal, iron. oil. gas
and the like. does not reproduce itself.
and therefore is certain to be exhausted
ultimately; and wastefulness In dealing
with It today means that our descendants
will feel the exhaustion a generation or
two before they otherwise would. But
there are certain other forms Of waste
which could be entirely stopped-the
waste OF soil by washing. for Instance.
which 10 among the most dangerous Of all
wastes now In progress in the United
States, Is easily preventable. SO that this
present enormous loss Of fertility is en-
tirely unnecessary. The preservation or
replacement Of the forests 10 one Of the
loss. We have made q beginning in for
est preservation, but II II only Begin
ming
At present numbering is the fourth
greatest industry In the United States.
and yet. so rapid has been the rate of
exhaustion Of timber In the United States
in the past, and SO rapidly Is the re-
mainder being exhausted, that the couf-
try Ia Internationally on the verge OF
timber famine which will be felt In every
been a rise in the price OF lumber. but
there Is certain to be a more rapid and
heavier rise in the future.
The present annual consumption Of ium-
the annual growth. and II the consump-
ton and growth continue unchanged,
practically all our lumber will be ex-
hausted in another generation. while long
before the limit to complete exhaustion
Is reached the growing scarcity viii make
itself felt In many blighting ways upon
our national welfare. About 20 per cent
of our forested territory is now reserved
In national forests, but these do not IN
clude the most valuable timber lands and
to expect that tho reserves can accom-
plish more than q mitigation Of the trou-
BILE which Is ahead for the nation. Far
moro drastic action is needed
Forests can be numbered so as to give
to the public the full use Of their mer-
camille timber without the slightest detrf-
ment to the forest any more than 1t is
detrfment to farm to furnish harvest;
50 that there Is no parallel between for
ests and mines. which can only be COM
II used as all our forests have been used
in the past and as most Of them are still
used, will be either wholly destroyed or
SO damaged that many decades have to
pass before effective use can be made OF
them again. All these facts ara 80 obvi-
be necessary to repeat them. Every
business man in the land. every writer In
the newspapers, every man or woman OF
an ordinary school education, ought to be
able to see that immense quantities OF
timber are used in the country, that the
forests which supply this timber are rap
Idly being exhausted, and that. IL no
change takes place. exhaustion will come
comparatively soon. and that the effects
of it win be felt severely In the every
day life Of our people.
Attitude Of Indifference.
Surely, when these facts are 80 obvious.
there should be no delay in taking pre-
ventive measures. Yet we seem as a ma
ton to be- willing to proceed in this mat
ter with happy-go-lucky indifference even
to the immediate future. 1t Is this attf--
tude which permits the self-interest OF q
very few persons to weigh for more than
the ultimate interest Of all our people.
There are persons who find 1t to their inn
mense peeuniary benefit to destroy the
forests by numbering. They are to be
blamed for thus sacrificing the future Of
Interest Of the moment; but heavier
blame attaches to the people at large for
permit ing such action. whether In the
White IIl,G;itaifls. IL the southern ALLIE
ghenies or In the Rockies and Sierras.
A big numbering &C mpany. impatient for
immediate n. turns and not caring to look.
far enough abe Id. will often deliberately
destroy all the good timber In region.
hoping afterward to move on to some new
country Tho shiftiess man Of small
means who does not care to become an
to take up timber land simply to turn It
actual homemak,F but would Ike tmme-
date profit. will find It to his advantage
over to such a big company. ana ieave u
valueless for future settlers.
A big mine owner. anxious only 10 ae-
yelop hts mine at the moment. Will care
only to cut all the timber that he wishes
without regard to- the futufe-probebiy
not foo3x.px ahead to the condition of the
country when the forests are exhausted.
any more than he does to the condition
Whe, the mine u worked out ] do, not
blame these men nearly AZ much as
blaane the suDtne public opinion. the In
different public opinion. which permits
their action to 20 unchecked OF course
to check the waste OF timber means that
there must be on the part Of the public
the acceptance OF q temporary restriction
In the lavish use of the timber In order
to prevent the total loss Of this use In
the future.
There are plenty OF men in public and
private life who actually advocate the
continuance Of the present system Of I'M
checked and wasteful extravaganza. us
Ing an an argument the fact that to check
It will OF course mean Interference with
who now get lumber at less cost than
they ought to Day. at the expense OF the
future generations. Some OF these per-