The Washington times., 1907-12-03

| with it today means that our descend
1 ants will feel the exhaustion a genera
ton or two before they otherwise would.
| But there arc certain other forms OF
waste which could be entirely stopped
the waste OF soil by washing, for
instance, which is among the most
dangerous Of all wastes now in
progress in the United States. is cas-
| ily preventable, 80 that this present
enormous loss Of fertility is entirely
unnecessary.
| The preservation or replacement OF
the forests as one OF the most import
| tant means Of preventing this loss. We
/ have made d beginning IN forest pres
eryatiOn. but IL is only a beginning. At
present numbering IS the fourth greatest
! Industry In the United States, and yet,
so rapid ha5 been the rate Of exhaustion
OF timber n the United States in the
past, and &c ,apidly is the remainder
being eXhaus ed, that the country Is un-
questionably on the verge Of a timber
famine which will be felt in every
| household In the land. There has already
been rise in the price Of lumber. but
there is certain TO be a more rapid and
heavier rise in the future.
Ihe present annual consumption Of
| lumber is Ger ainly three tlmes as great
as the annual growth; and If the con-
| sumption and growth continue un-
changed. practically all our lumber Will
| be exhausted IN another generation
Wnlle long before the limit 10 complete
I exhaustion Is reached the growing scar
city VIII make Itself felt in many blight
| ING ways upon our national welfare
About 20 per cent Of our fOTested ter
r,tory Is now reserved In national for
/ ests' but these do not include the most
valuable timber lands. and IN any
! event the proportion is too small 70
expect that the reserves can accomplish
more than mitigation Of the trouble
which IS ahead for the nation
Far more drastic action is needed
Forests can be numbered 50 as TO give
to the public the full use OF their mer-
camille timber without the slightest
detrtmeEt to the forest any more than
II Is detriment TO a farm 70 furnish. a
harvest; so that there is no parallel be
tween forests and mines, which can
only be completely used by exhaustion
But forests. If 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
| eifectlvo use can be made OF them
again.
Wrong View of Forests.
All these facts are so obvious that It
essary to repeat them Every bust
ness man I'm the land, every writer IN
the newspapers, every man or wom-
an Of an ordinary school education
ought 10 be able 10 see that immense
quantities Of timber are used In the
country that the forests which supply
this timber are rapidly being exhaust
ed. and that II no change ulkes place.
exhaustion viii come comparatively
soon, and that the effects Of IL will be
our people. Surely, when these facts
are so obvious, there should be no de-
lay in taking preventive measures. Yet
we seem as n nation TO be willing 10
proceed I'm this matter with happy-gO-
lucky indifference even 70 the immc-
diate future.
1t is tins attitude which permits
the sClf-interest of a very few persons
10 weigh for more than the ultimate
interest of all our people. There are
pecuniary benefit 10 destroy the forests
by numbering. They are to be 1Ialued
for thus sacrificing the future Of ghe
nation as \ whole to their own self
hlaUe attaches TO the people at large
for permitting such action, whether Ia
the White Mountains. In the Southern
Alleghenies. or IN the Rockies, and
Slerras.
4 big numbering company. impatient
for immediate returns and not caring to
look far enough ahead, Will often de-
liberately destroy all the good timber
in region, hoping afterwards to move
on to some new country. The shift
less man OF small means who does not
care 20 become an actual hOme-maker
but would like immediate profit, Will
find IL TO his advantage TO take up
timber land simply to turn II over to
such n big company. and leave it value
less for future settlers.
A big mine owner. anxious only to
develop his nine at the moment. viii
care only to cut ali the timber that
lie wishes without regard to the fu-
ture-prObably not looking ahead TO
the condition Of The country when the
forests are exhausted. any more than
he does to the condition when the mine
men nearly as much as I blame the
supine public opinion, the Indifferent
public opinion. which permits their ac-
ton TO 90 unchecked or course. 20
check the waste OF timber means
that there must be on the part OF the
public the acceptance Of d temporary
restriction IN the lavish use Of the
timber. in order 10 prevent the total
loss of this use n the future.
All May See End of Forests.
There are plenty Of men IN public and
private life who actually advocate the
continuance OF the present system of
unchecked and wasteful extravaganza.
using as an argument the fact that 10
check It will, Of course, mean inter
ference with the ease and comfort OF
certain people who now get lumber at
less cost than they ought TO pay. al
the expense OF the future generations.
Some OF these persons actually demand
that the present forest reserves be
thrown open to destruction, because.
forsooth, they think that thereby the
price OF lumber could be put down
again for two or three more years
Their attitude is precisely like that OF
an agitatOr protesting against the out
lay Of money by farmers on manure
and in taking care Of their faBms gem
orally.
Undoubtedly, II the average farmer
were content absolutely to ruin his
farm. he could for two OF three years
avoid spending any money on it. and
yet make a good deal OF money out OF
II. But only a savage would, in his prl-
vate affairs, show such reckless disre-
gard Of the future; yet Il is precisely
this reckless disregard Of the future
which the opponents OF the forestry svs-
tenn are now endeavOring TO get the
people OF the United States to show.
The only trouble with the movement
for the preservation of our forests Is
that n has mot crorfa nc4rI,-