Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-11-04

to keep pace with the expenditures to return to the
government the entire cost of maintaining the forest
service. Private owners of grazing lands in the
regions ask and receive much higher per
mead OF stock for the of their does the
forest service The national forests which contain
fifth of the standing mechantable timber in the coun
try, furnished last about g its lumber
cut resulting in the removal from about
oneelghth OF one per cent of the stand OF this
paratvely insignificant onefourh was not Sold but
was given to homebulders and communities; yet the
sales brought in nearly 100000 If object of
the forests were to produce immediate income, the
amount received could be multiplied several times
There is actually going to waste in the woods each
year through decay and other causes FIVE
to ten times the amount of timber now being cut
With an adequate force of forest officers available
much of this waste might be prevented Timber sales
involve for marking scaling and supervising the work
a cost TO the about per thousand
feet and the amount sold cannot be much increased
without increased appropriation There the
waste of the productive Of the forest which
not be brought into full play until the
been removed to make room for a growing crop
Most Of the forest timber is beyond reach unless
heavy OUTLAWS made obtain of transporta-
ton. Such timber be sold only those who com
mand large resources of capital and then only at
relatively low price. On the other hand where the
demand for the timber is good and competition for its
purchase fairly brisk it is generally necessary go
slowly because of the certainty Of future requirements
In short the question of the timber that safely
wisely be sold is local The fact that timber is
rotting in the woods in distant regions will not help
communities which find their home supply exhausted
are carefully guarded The amount of national forest
climber sold during the year slightly 1856 100000
feet or not much one-thrd the amount sold the
previous year The falling off directly due to the
refusas to large sales. Under such sales the
tua cutting allowed to extend several years The
amount timber and paid for during the how
ever more than doubled the cut of the previous
with total of quite 393000,O00 feet The receipts
from timber sales about $850,000, against not
quite $3.50 600 for previous year In addition there
was cut under free use 1300000O0 feet of timber
valued at about $4,000.
The timber lands of the west, outside of the national
forests are mainly in strong hands. Were the national
forest timber offered the market to purchaser
the main scene of western numbering would be quickly
shifted to the public holdings. 1t is sometimes asserted
hat of the national forests has played into
the hands of monopolists of timber lands 1t was on
the contrary an eleventhhour hating of the process
which would have made the hold obtainabe by such
monopoly complete To permit the owners of standing
timber preserve their stumpage intact while supply
ing their business needs through purchase from the
eminent would simply invite the boarding of private
timber for further high prices while the public supply
would be disposed of without adequate return.
Under the timber-sale policy in force both the
present and future interests of the are
borne in mind. The needs of those dependent the
forests supplied to the limit set by the power
the region maintain steady yield 1t is recognized
also that the removal of mature timber to make room
for a and growing crop is the only way by which
the forests be put to work Small sales are how