The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-11-04
SAVE THE FORESTS.

the past summer to ashes. A stand OF
timber that cannot be replaced in less
than a century has gone up In smoke
during one summer. The beacon fires
| of the blazing forests have heralded to
the world the tragedy of the waste Of
this priceless timber asset Loss OF
life and destruction of homes have add
ed horror to the lamentable loss Of this
natural resource.
There have been devastating fires
throughout the country, but these fires
have not been everywhere. There has
been practically no loss OF timber from
fire on the Government Forest Re-
serves. The forest service Of the ma
tional government is exempt from the
general Indictment for the neglect OF
the country's forests.
The men of the Forest Service have
been true to their trust They have
protected from fire the timber put in
their care by the people. They have
shown that forest fires can be prevent
ed in every part of this country where
the national reserves are located. They
have shown that in properly managed
timber plot a fire can be checked and
put out after it has once started.
Timber is becoming every year more
scarce and more in demand.
The time has passed when the pub
lie can afford to tolerate devastation of
the forests.
Every tree that stands today must be
saved for use. When tree is cut
down for the market it must be replac-
ed by Seeding that will, within 40 to
100 years grow to fill the gap in the
ranks OF the sentinels Of the forests.
This countrys forests are being made
a gigantic funeral pyre to solemnize
the passing of our timber supply and
the decentralization of our water re-
sources.
Our hope of retrenchment lies with
the Forest Service. Its right to pub
lie confidence rests on two things: Re-
sponsibility, and the genius Of an Or
ganization of able young men, guided
in their work by scientific foresight,
trained for their duties and Injured to
the rigors of work in the field.
This service is recruited from the
flower of our young American man.
hood 1t is an army of peace engaged
in saving the nations forests They
are experimenting the scientific lum-
bering that shall insure the greatest re-
turn from the timber lands consistent
with tae perpetuation of the forests.
They are working diligently and some
times desperately to prevent and to
cope with fires within their jurisdiction.
The spirit that actuates the men of the
| Forest Service and the economic value
of their work to the country make
them body ofpublic servants OF whom
we may well be proud. To them we
may safely entrust the care of what re
mains of our precious and once extern
sive heritage of virgin forests.
Compare with the Forest Services
husbandry of its charge the careless
ness Of the private owners.
"What is everybody's business is no.
body's business especially in America.
At this critical hour, who thought Of
natural resources in peril2 Who looked
out for the forests2 The stricken inhab-
itants were fleeing for their lives and
the timber was left to elemental de-
struction.
Who will replant these torests9 They
will go implanted. Private owners OF
timber lands seem willing to run the
risk OF fire, pocket loss and saddle
the country with timber famine and in
creasing danger from floods.
1t is to the interest of the nation and
OF the owners of timber land as we'll,
that the Forest Service be given by
Congress at least fire supervision over
the private forests and timber lands of
the entire country. In the broad as
pect Of their influence on the regula-
ton Of river flow, the forests of this
country are inherently subject to over
sight by the central government. From
the viewpoint Of its relation to rainfall
and run off each individual tree from
Maine to California and from Canada
to the Gull becomes legitimate object
OF government supervision. Govern
mental authority, exercised in the in
terests OF posterity and acting on the
dictates of scientific foresight is the
only hope this country has OF preserv-
ing its magnificent but rapidly vanish
ing forests. Yet a few more summers
and our fine stand OF timber will be
gone. Then We will think of what
might have been.