The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-08-11
BLESS YOU MY CHILDREN

Manila, p. .I-According TO Govern
ment estimates, the forest area In the
Philippine Islands is S2,0o0,000 acres
and the standing timber is worth
SO, 500, 600, 900. This means that II the
forests are suitably protected ana
rightly exploited the development OF
railroad and water transportation IN
the islands will make Manila one OF
the important lumber ports OF the
world, and give the islands large
perpetual source of revenue Inc
question is whether or not the Bureau
of Forestry will be granted sufficient
''sinews of war" to render the scope
of its work as large as 1t should be.
At present the department is strug-
Cling along under an insufficient ap-
Precipitation, although Its usefulness Is
beyond question.
There are nine white foresters and
twenty-five Filipino rangers and
guards Japan has. in about an equal
area, S25 foresters and 1,434 rangers
and guards. In Java the Dutch az.
minister 100000 acres of forest lana
with thirty foresters and 1000 rangers
and guards. In India, where there
are S8,000,000 acres of forest, there
are 1872 foresters and 9,203 rangers and
guards. Germany, pioneer In fores-
try and a demonstration of Its economic
usefulness, maintains, to look aIter
Z. 900, 900 acres of forest 3o6 foresters
and 3,739 rangers and guards.
That forestry is an exact science Is
plain from the fact that the net reve-
nue. in the various countries bears
about the same relation to the expendi-
ture. 1t is only necessary to In
crease the size of the Philippine for
est service in order to increase the net
revenue. OF greater Importance than
the question of net revenue, however
Is the duty of the present generation
to make plans to SO protect the Tor
ests now standing that ruthless ex-
ploitation will not follow upon the
heels of railroad development, and de-
stroy timber which in itself is the
second natural resource of the Islands.
| and which, because of Its influence
upon agriculture is really the nrst
resource.
Manila is the natural lumber center
| of the Far East. Hong Kong, Shang-
hal, Nagasaki. Singapore and Sydhey'
all demanding large supplies of forest
products Ii various forms. are within
easier reach of Manila than are the
ports from which their markets are
supplied The Philippines are not only
/ competing in these markets, but are
| importing lumber from the united
states while vast areas OF excellent
hard and soft wood lie untouched In
the island forests. The Pacific coast
sends Manila about 100000 worth
OF lumber and building mSterial every
year.
Except for the fast vanishing areas
in the Appalachian region, the Philip
| mines contain the only considerable
quantity of hardwood now under the
United States flag. Some Of the hnest
cabinet woods in the world are found
there. without ebony, and several
| other hard woods which have no coun-
| terpart in the States. the Philippine
forests could replace every furniture
wood now in the home markets. This
does not, of course, mean that II NO
effort is made to protect the Ameri-
can hardwood supply, the PHILIPPINES
could fill the demand perpetually and
meet the Far Eastern demand as Well
Soft wood is even more abundant
Lauan, which Is considered the equal
of oregon pine or California REDWOOD
ia much handsomer In fgure' and Apl-
tong is harder. heavier and stronger
There are in all, 1000 known Narle-
ties of trees in the archipelago OF
three times as many varieties as are
hoasted by the entire United States
Foresters say that there are approx
mately 1000 kinds now unclasslned
OF course, many of these are not mer-
charitable, but about $50 kinds are In
the market now. As numbering ope'
rations have moved in America IRON
pennsylyania to the Lake region, ahc
thence 70 the Pacific Coast, and as tine
"maximun. cut has been reached II
the furthest American west. the Old
time slogan of the lumber kings
westward no" should In time brlne
them to the Philippine forests
will he necessary when that time ar
rives. to so administer the forests al
To provide for their exploitation with
out destruction. In the meantime
much valuable timber, after having
reached maturity. is going to waste fol
want of cutting.
Nomadic agriculture has been one o
the worst enemies of the forests II
the Philippines. Eut for the tact una
the forests are large and the popuia
ton small, serious threads upon TN
timber supply would have been mao
long ago AS matters stand, the oe
mutation of watersheds has increase'
aood damage and millions of dollars
worth OF magnificent timber has beei
DESTROYED to make room for ric
patches whose product might be count
ed in thousands of dollars. The es
tablished custom in parts of the Isl
ands is for farmer to burn dow
$4,000 or $4,000 worth of timber t
grow 500 worth of paddy. Tn
, f'Principale," who claims wide area
> of land, although his ownership is OF
; ten backed by no title. gives tao
sack OF seed rice and authority to &
! into the forest, deaden trees, bur