Amador ledger., 1908-01-10

regarding this most important work
of national protection. For six years
or more he has had charge OF this
committee work, and has materially
aided in pushing through congress
the bills which have given us the
very complete system of harbor pro-
lection which we now have.
In the house, congressman Know
land is a member of the most import
ant committee at the present time.
Only when tariff bill or tariff
measures are under consideration, is
the ways and means committee con
sidered more important The most
vital legislation of the present time
comes5 before the committee on in
terstate and foreign commerce,
among which are railroad legislation,
all rate measures, ocean or rail; pure
food bills, Panama canal measures,
child labor and other subjects which
includes labor engaged in the pro-
duction of articles that go into inter
state commerce.
Congressman McLachlan will see
that our rivers and harbors and
public buildings are not neglected,
for which he is especially qualified
by long congressional experience.
Congressman Needham is on the
committe where he can look after
CALIFORNIA; interests when there is
revision of the tariff. Congressman
Smith will have to do with the public
ands, with which subject he is
eminently qualified to deal, and
congressman Engelbright will have
in charge California; mining and
irrigation interests, which are of
vital interest to the state. Congress
man Mckinley will deal with Califor-
MAS relations with Hawaii and the
Philippines and contested election
cases. Congressman Hayes will have
his hands full of Japanese and Chin
ese immigrants, but it is not probable
that any very important financial leg
islation will emanate from the COM
mlttee on banks and banking, as there
are about as many ideas on these sub
jects as there are men to hold them.
Congressman Kahn will have so much
of his time occupied in hearing dele
cations of District of Columhia's citi-
zens who are for OF against the liquor
traffic and matters relating to the dis
trict of Columbia that he will find it
hard to get time to devote to the mill
tary affairs OF the nation, in which he
is much interested.
The bureau of forestry has just made
some interesting reports on the lum-
Der interests of the country. The
showing as to cutting and the future
supply is very startling. Assuming
that there are at the utmost 2000 bill
lion feet of meIchantable lumber now
standing, it is shown that, disregard
ing growth, it will be exhausted in
twenty years. Assuming an annual
maximum growth of 40 billion feet,
the supply will last thirty-three years.
This is based on an estimated consum-
ption of 100 billion feet a year. With
consumption of $50 billion feet the
forests would be exhausted in eigh-
teen years. OF particular interest ON
the Pacific coast is the data on Doug
las fir and yellow pine. The report
says:
''The two leading kinds of lumber
on the market now are southern yell
low pine and Douglas Fir. The cut of
yellow pine is nearly on9-third OF the
total lumber cut, and is nearly, if not
quite, at it's maximum. Our minimum
and maximum estimates of yellow
pine stumpage are 100 and 300 billion
feet. The present rate of cutting will
exhaust the supply in about ten years
in the first case and in twenty-five
years in the second case, neglceting
annual growth, which is rapid with
ldheld pine and slow with long
pine. The largest estimate of the
stand of Douglas fir is $50 billion
feet. This means seventy years sup
ply at the present rate of cutting,
neglecting annual growth. AS it is
probable, however, that the cut Will
more than double within few years,
the outlook is that there will be COM
paratively little Douglas fir left in
from twenty-five to thirty years. The
case of Douglas fir now is closely par
allel to that of white pine in the Lake
states thirty years ago, and there is