The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-12-27
Christmas Tree Slaughter.
Rutland Herald

| If. as reported, Clifford Pinchot, Unit
ed States forester defend, the indiscrm-
mate cutting of Christmas trees from our
northern hllsides as practlced annually
at this time, he does himself and his de
pattment which, at large public expense
| is maintained supposedly to aid in the
1 preservation OF our forest areas, no credit
According TO what appears to be good
authority. he argues that the trees are
| for Use" and that there is no other use
! to which these trees could be put which
would contribute SO much to the happl
ness and good OF mankind as their use Tor
the children and families on Christmas
dav."
Ie is further reported as saying that
so far as endangering the future life OF
our forests is concerned the effect Is
infnitesimal compared with the destruc,,
ton caused by forest fires and wastelni
mmbering' lie estimates that four mil
lions of Christmas trees are used IN TINS
country each year, one in every fourth
family. and that these, I'll planted four
feet apart, would be grown on less than a
thousand and four hundred acres.
so, YOU see" continues Mr.. Plnchot,
"the amount is utterly insignificant when
compared to the other great drains on the
forests"
Such fallacious argument, we submit Is
unworthy man fitted to be charged with
the great responsibilities of chief forester
of the United States. >.
Because forsooth, these four millions OF
baby spruce trees will give an hours or
a days idle pleasure to our children, we
should prodigally slaughter what, at the
maturity Of our children, would give them
roofs for shelter and savings in the banks.
Because forest fires and wasteful lumber
=. lngEng lpGgNT
loss should not be checked. Because the
slaughter of these millions of young trees
for festal purposes denudes but trivial
fourteen thousand acres annually, IT Is
of no moment. Has the Rooseveltlan
spirit permeated every artery of govern
mental life at Washington with its reck-
lessness?
The total area of the whole country be-
ing something like three million seven
hundred thousand square miles, couple
of thousand acres of woodland, more or
less, DESTROYED for an evenings pleasure
is not so startling proposition when said
quickly and without thought. But when
one comes to contemplate that those four
millions of little trees, that would be big |
trees soon, are taken, not off of the whole |
vast area of the United States in equal
allotment or spoliation, but chiefly and |
principally off of the soil of Vermont, |
with its restricted area OF but little over
nine and half thousand of square miles,
New Hampshire, with its even less acre,
age; Maine, northern New York, and
western Massachusetts, it is seen that Mr.; |
Pinchot's ready mathematics are based |
upon a principle which takes but seant |
cognizance of the interests of this little |
but still nightly vital-let it still be
at Washington, d. C.--section
of the country.
From his easy chair in the city of Mag
nihcent Distances. fourteen thousand acres
denuded of their young stock OF
pines and spruces, even when multiplied
by increasing number of years, may not
look an ominous matter to Mr.. Pinchot,
national forester, with the whole vast area
of the country within his vision. But to
us of these (oncel pine clad hills, watch
ing daily, as we have of late, long train
load after train.load of Christmas trees
90 rolling southwark to their day OF
tawdry glory and then shameful oblitera-
ton on dump or pyre, the facts are sadly,
,loquently portentious of day OF reckon,
ing, when, for all this idle merriment and
waste our state will pay
Woeful cost,