Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-03-27
FOREST PRESERVATION
A NATIONAL DUTY

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In support of President Roose-
velt's proposed conference In May at
the White House to which he has i'm
vited the governors of the various
states to discuss the question of for
est preservation, the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers makes the
following resolutions:
Whereas, An adequate supply of
wood and timber is necessary to the
permanence and prosperity of many
of our most important industries,
and
Whereas, The country as a whole
consumes every year between three
and four times more wood than all
the forests of the United States grow
in the meantime, and It is estimated
that the entire commercial supply of
wood and timber in this generation
will not last over % years unless
Systematically conserved and replen-
ished, and
Whereas, Deforestation menaces
the river valleys with increasing
danger from destructing floods, and
steadily lessons and renders more
irregular the flow of streams used
for irrigation and water power, and
Whereas, The repeal of the Tim
her and Stone act has been repeated
ly urged upon congress by the Presi-
dent I'm his messages TO congress and
by the secretary of the interior, as
we'll as in the report of the public
lands commission; therefore be IL
Resolved, 1. That the Timber and
Stone act shall be repealed and that
all public lands shall be included in
permanent forest reserves, the title
to the land to be forever retained
by the national government, stump
age only OF matured timber to be
sold, and young timber to be pre-
served for future cutting, so that the
forests will be perpetuated by right
use: and that the national govern
ment shall. by the reservation Of
purchase OF existing forest lands,
ana the planting of new forests
create in every state national forest
plantations from which, through all
the years to come, sufficient supply
OF wood and timber can be annually
harvested to supply the needs of the
people OF each state from the forest
plantations In that state, and that
the necessary legislation should be
Immediately enacted by congress TO
create the national forest reserves
known as the White mountain and
the Appalachian reserves.
2. That the census department
and the forestry service OF the agri-
cultural department should be au-
thorized to take a census OF the
standing timber In the United Stntes
in 1910 when the next national cen
sus Is taken.
In passing these resolutions the
National Association of Manufaetur-
ers puts itself on record definitely as
favoring the Presidents policy OF
creating national forests in all parts
OF the country. The recent reports
from the forest service OF the depart
ment OF agriculture indicate that
drastic action must be taken In the
very near future TO protect the man
ufacturing interests which are In
volved in the threatened famine In
wood for manufacturing purposes.
It's members include representatives
OF such interests as the Builders
association. the agricultural and We
hiele makers, furniture and cooper
age interests, who's ebusiness is seri-
ously threatened. These industries,
which use hard wood primarily. are
warned that the supply OF this ma
terial will be exhausted within is
years. The water-power interests
represented by the association are
confronted by losses of millions of
dollars due to the non-regulation Of
rivers and streams on account OF i'm
proper forestry methods The cot
ton mill men of the south and east
and factory in all parts OF the eoun-
try suffered last year damages
amounting 10 more than 100000
900 on account of foods due to the
same eause. The great irrigation
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