The San Francisco call., 1908-04-09


National forestry in this country
began with Clevelands admins
istration. when that executive
under authority from congress, set
aside certain forests from the ma
uonal lands. The act was a wise
one, handicapped by an unfortu-
nate baptismal name. The new
creations We're termed "Forest Re-
serves; and on the word reserve"
the representatives of the grabbers
nave been building their opposition
ever since. Recently the official
title has been changed to Ma
tional Forests" a more accurately
descriptive term
For the national forests are not
reserves in the strict meaning of
that word. A true reserve is a
national park. We have 10 of the
latter, comprising about 100000
acres. The best known are of
course the Yosemite and Yellow
stone. In them no timber is cut,
no water power is utilized, no game
is killed. They are kept virgin,
as mighty play grounds for the
people.
But the national forests are ded-
icated to no such purely esthetic
purpose Rather are they national
farms Of wood, of water power, OF
grazing, all for the, public benefit.
Every stick of timber fit to cut is
there for cutting. every acre of
pasturage is there for grazing,
every natural advantage of any
kind whatsoever is there to be util-
ized. Absolutely the only restric-
tions are those to safeguard waste
and to prevent the permanent in
jury of the forest cover Nor
are these deferred benefits; for the
future only. They are for imme-
diate use-now-as soon as the
consumer, big or little, needs them
or their products. The sedulously
fostered belief that they are not
has done more to help the land
grabbers than any other one thing.
Any man living near a national
forest can obtain, scot free, all the
timber he needs for his private pur-
poses up to the value, in one year,
of $40, which amount will buy a
little timber on the stump; he can
get il OF a forest officer on the
spot without having to unwind an
inch of red tape. The trees are
marked, and he goes and cuts them.
If he wants more than $40 worth,
form. This privilege seems to me
to cover all legitimate free use of
forest by pioneer. He should
have what he needs for his home
use. There is no reason why he
should have more. Last year
over $4,000 such free use permits
were issued; and the senatorial rep
resentatives of the land grab
bers were unable to instance a
single case of legitimate application
being refused.
Over and above the demand for
free use, every stick OF timber in
a national forest is for sale and at
a reasonable price. The sole re-
strictions are that only ripe trees
are to be cut, and in such manner
as to protect the young growth
from destruction; that whenever
necessary the brush and tops must
be piled and burned; and that the
work must be undertaken within
six months and completed within a
specified time. The first two pro-
visions prevent the fearful desola-
ton that follows "skinning' a for
est and the fires that succeed the
piratical process. The last pro-
vision eliminates holding for future
more rapacious of the lumbermen
would have 1t believed that these
restrictions are prohibitive: that
they SO cut down profits that the
private manufacturer cannot af-
ford to buy and cut government
timber. It is certainly more ex-
pensive to buy than to steal. But
the margin of profit is still greater
than that which would satisfy al
most any other line of industry. In
California, for instance many lum-
ber companies, whose private hold
ings are far from exhausted, are at
the present time supplementing
each seasons cut by large pur-
chases of government timber. One
such 1 have in mind first tried to
grab. then to steal and finally.
frustrated in both these amiable
intentions, decided to buy, and has
been buying ever since. Another
firm was caught trespassing in the
He'll Gate forest. and was mulcted
some $4,000 in damages. 1t paid.
but Immediately bought 100000
worth more of the timber it had
been stealing.
The national forests are as yet