The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-22

vast quantities Of sand. Extremes OF
flood and drought mean less reliability
in water powers,
Protection on lumber which causes
cdenudiation of our forests. thus makes
our fertile bottom lands and our
MATER power less valuable ana less
effective toward the general welfare
Of the State. In 50 doing it hurts
farms. farmers and OF
farm products, owners OF water pow
ers. manufacturers, employees OF man
ufacturers and buyers OF he manu-
featured article. Do these people
who are hurt constitute the classes
manent hurt to bottom lands and to
water powers, two natural resources,
protection on lumber does harn1 to
all the people Of the State.
The timber lands Of North Carolina
are the third Of these inseparably
connected acknowledgements. Protec-
ton on lumber which aus de-
forestation, will quickly wipe out the
remaining supply of available timber.
The supply is now rapidly growing
smaller. A few more years of pro-
tected lumber will Wipe-Ou the avail
supply in this State. Centuries
will not repair this hurt to timber,
soil and water power.sr -.
The so-oalled+ advantage: to- be gain
ed from protection on lumbe is the
direct immediate result OF the money
paid, TO owners of the timber rights,
to nomadie labor used in operating
the property and for hauling, whether
by teams. or by lumber railroads.
This is the smaller part of the pro-
ceeds of the sale of the lumber This
immediate use of this money fosters
a mushroom growth of prOsperlty-a
temporary commercial uplift 8 When
the timber is gone, the cause: OF this
temporary boom is gone. The lum-
Der settlement dies with the industry.
Without the blasting hand Of pro-
lection there would not be a rapid
destruction of his natural resource.
There would be competition, eliml-
mating the enforced destruction OF
forests. There would be a saner de-
velopment of the lumber trade bring
ing in gradually the same noun OF
money without the element Of de-
structiOn. -
It is not even true that owners OF
the timber lands" are benefited by pro-
lection. They sell the timber rights
to the SPECTATOR, who pay a smalI
price for h standing timber The
speculator. is the expert, Who, by
reason of expert knowledge. benefits
by the tariff.
The owner of the land sells his
most valuable asset, which is soon
lost to him: When the lumber in
North Carolina is wiped out. this
State Will have to buy lumber from
ether States and pay higher price
than they received. At the presen,
rate Of deforestation, this time is not
far distant. Then the balance now
on the right side of the ledger will
soon change to a permanent drain on
our people.
Let us think next of the buyer OF
lumber What IS the buyer? Every
home builder. every merchant. every
manufactures, every man. Protection
increases the cost of the lumber tc
all Of the people. Protection pre-
vents the importation of foreign lum-
Der. h government, therefore,, gets
no revenue. Every man pays a taH
on lumber equal to this increased
cost, but he does not pay it for the
support of n government. He pays
the tax to the controllers of the lum-
Der industry. Is this Legislation fol
the good of every man or for the gOoC
of the special class, who control the
lumber industry?
Where does the tax paid by every
man n North Carolina go? Is it USED
in North Carolina? Does it help ir
her development? The timber or
lands IN North Carolina is now prin-
cipally controlled by capital from
outside the State. The bulk of the
profit goes outside the State.
By protecting lumber North Caro-
lima wipes out a great natural re
SOurce-her timber: She hurts
another natural resource-her most
fertile farming lands; she
ly deceaseS the value of one great ma
tufal which could be made
a permanent by Intelligent
cOnSerVatiOn-her water powers. Is
this common sense? Is this expe
dent? Is this s~elf-interest?
IOHN g I'd
Salisbury, N. c., June 10, 1903.