New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-29
FORESTRY DISPUTE
PRICE Us. MHARG.
Reply to Accusation of Concealing
Timber Supply Facts.

Washington. Aug 2s-ormsby NcHarg. Assistant
Secretary of the Department OF Commerce and
Labor in speaking OF the development Of the West
said to-day:
There is enough timber standing in the state OF
Washington alone TO supply this country for fifty
years Vast supplies remain in other states. suf-
Client to maintain supply for much longer
period which could not and need not be estimated
The abundance of the forests such that the
alarmist statements 70 the approaching exhaus-
ton of supply utterly unfounded.
Furthermore" said Mr.. McHarg. 1.-THE forest
service has put in possession of facts and fig
ures proving the truth of what / say and 1t has
failed to make them public.
Methods dreamke being pursued in our
forest administration. 1t is attempted TO designate
what the logger may cut down and that which
he may not No knowledge of logging is applied
Men who are doing the practical developing of the
West hindered and thwarted. and you hear
nothing but crrsing from them for the present
methods of forest conservation
"Out near Cheyenne recently a woman settler
went a forest reserve and cut rails for small
corral The Forest Service officials have had her
indicted for this heinous crime. What do you
think the attitude OF every man in that community
is toward the forest service? That's the feeling
you encounter throughout the West
Leave the West alone. Let it go ahead and
develop. Let the red blooded men out there do
the work II won't be long then till the East will
be the back door Of the nation"
Mr. McHarg said there much complaint IN
the West against the reclamation service II has
been conducted Extravaganza and incompetency
are the charges that have been made" he ex-
planned, land these being investigated.
am Informed. in the present tour OF the West by
Secretary Of the Interior Ballnger and the SEN
ate Committee"
Mr. McHarg said he knew that in engineering
projects Of the reclamation service in the state
OF Washington il had assured settlers that the cost
would be no more than S95 The cost
is already SIS acre. said the Assistant Secre-
tary. and the end is not yet"
THE FORESTRY BUREAU SIDE.
Untrue in all its parts. both to the existence
OF such facts and also to their concealment"
Such was the response Of Associate Forester Price
TO the charge made by Assistant Secretary Nc
Harg of the Department of Commerce and Labor.
that the forestry bureau is conceang facts regard
ing the American timber supply.
This Characterization OF Mr.. McHaTg's assertions
formed part OF a general statement In reply by Mr.
Price That this baseess charge should be made
by a public servant in high Office is" said Mr..
Price against the public interest and demoraliz-
ing 10 the public service. II Mr. McHarg's state
ment is he will. I'm his own interest and in
the public interest establish its truth conclusvey
and at ! shall gladly cooperate with him in
lending all aid possible in investigation OF the
records OF this service. The records OF the Bureau
OF the Census and OF the Bureau Of Corporations hs
can command without my cooperation II Mr. Nc
Harg's statement IS un~ue through error he WILL
in his own interest and in the public interest.
state. and at once"
Declaring it 20 be "deplorable and significant.
that the Assistant Secretary OF Commerce and
La Dor he be quoted correctly should select this
time OF all others 10 make a statement which
impugns the integrity Of the forest service" Mr..
Price declared that 1T is against the OF
human experience and is dsproved merely by
records here. but by those Of two bureaus Of the
department which Mr.. McHarg presides'
Continuing. he said:
we take from our forests each year not count
ing the loss BY FIRE. three and half times their
yearly growth We taken forty cubic feet
acre for each twelve cubic feet grown: We take
two hundred and sixty cubic feet per capita, while
Germany uses thrty-seveu cubic feet and France
twenty-five cubic feet. Since 1870 forest fires have
each year destroyed average OF 100000 worth
Of tmbr. The young growth destroyed by fire is
worth far more than the merchantabe timber
burned An average OF only three hundred and
twenty feet OF lumber is used for each thou
sand feet that stood In the forest And year by
year, through careless cutting and fires. lower
the capacity OF existing forests 10 produce their
like again. totally destroy them. The condition
OF the world supply Of timber makes US dependent
upon what produce. We send out Of our coun-
try and a half times much timber as We
bring in. Except for finishing woods, relatively
fsguihcant in quantity We just grow our own
supply go without"
Contrary 10 Mr.. McFIarg's assertion that logging
Is impossible unde- the forestry regulations Mr.
Price said:
The forest sertce is selling yearly from the
national forests about 100000 worth OF mature
timber. This timber is purchased by lumbermen
market price and IS logged under regulations
OF the Forest Service. which prescribe that only
designated trees be cut. that brush be disposed OF
as a safeguard against forest fires and that young
growth be protected I'm logging Within the last
month applications 10 purchase over 100000 feet
board measure have been received from lumber /
men. many OF whom already purchasers OF ma
tonal forest timber. and all of whom are thorough
ly familiar with the method under which II may /
be cut
Mr. Price also referred TO Mr.. McHargs ridcule |
the charge that there exist combinations To con
troll water power SITES. saying:
The Forest Service is deeply concerned in the |
growing concentrations OF water power. since with
in national forests are power sites in part utilized |
and I'm part not yet utilized. with the regulation OF |
whose in the public interest the Forest Service
is charged. Mr. McHarg'a statement in this con- |
nection is directly variance with the message OF |
President Roosevelt OF January Is. 1909. 10 the !
House Of Representatives. vetoing a bill for the |
construction of a dam across the James River. in |
Stone County Mo"
MID DUNAKTp To nEhTu