The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-06-09
fAiLRoAD PRESIDENTS CALLER
gIPoNS PRAc TlcE FOREST
CONSERVATION.

A5sglNSt@hA &
presidents Of the leading rail-
oads q the country have Just re-
ceiysd letter from Clifford Pinchot,
United States Forester, calling upon
them to practice forest conservation
and better timber utilization. In his
the Forester says:
am writing to call your attention
asAit to- some phases Of a subject to
Fhtcit know you must already have
EVEN much thought conservation
d our forests. The report Of the Ma
nal Conservation Commission shows
tnat we are cutting our forests three
times faster than they are growing;
much large timber and young
giowth are destroyed yearly By fire,
that IS q nation we have used wood
Wastefntly and extrdvagantiy; that
tie onlyeway we can get the timber
We shall need in the future is to keep
our forest land constantly grow
trees; and that the longer We de.
lag action tle greater will be the
pinch ofsa timber shortage later on.
fifth Of our remaining. timber
rs IN public forests, and on these for
the nation and the States are
practicing forestry. Fournfths of our
timber Is privately owned, ana it is
being cut almost exclusively fer pres
eii profit without regard to tue fu.
tnFe. The problem ofprovtding a tim.
her supply can not be solved by the
National Government alone, by the
Suites alone, nor by individuals alone;
an must work together,
Since the rstlroads are among the
largest consumers Of wood, they viii
suffer heaFily from the much higher
(. PRICES and the actual scarcity of tim
ber which ydll occur Il our5fogests are
MOT conserved. * Railroad companies
can most sdyantageously undertake
both the growing of timber ana the
economical utilization Of the product.
ha We a steady ,demand for tim
bel the extent of which can be,large-
anticipated, and they need mucl
small timber Of kinds which can be
4 grown in d relatively shoE time.
y Each RAILROAD has its own especial
timber problems which must be work.
ed out to meet the given conditions.
tne same tine there are certain
lines Of general policy which can be
Y pr9tlt ably adopted by many roads.
are:
The use OF chemically treated
ties wherever possible.
e. Theslse of so.called inferior
woods as, for example, black gum and
loBlolly pine, for ties, which will re-
5aee the drain on waite oak. and which
Il entirely practicable II, the ties ale
treated,
g. The purchase and management
\ Of land bearing mature timber which
can be used Immediately, and CT seq
ond.growtn timber which will meet this
needs Of the future. Such lands II
properly managed will insure a per,
bstaal supply OF ties and lumber at
the cost reproduction.
5i8e The planting Of trees upon non.
! agricultural land owned by tho com.
'3pany, wlich does not now contain SUI
ic!entyoung growth to produce a tim.
sber crop.
Cooperation with other roa1s
I'm the admtion of standard specifca.
tsons for ties and timber and for the
treatment otthem. Cooperation With
cumberland owners and the States in
& IRE prevention, and in bringing about
conditions which will make the prac-
tlce ot forestry profitable
nose are In substance the reconl-
~ snaa tions Of the subcommittee on
pfss Supplies of the American Rail.
Enetneeri 5g and Maintenance %
way Assoctaston. The adoption Of
thes recommendations and the ap-
pointment Of technical men to carry
them out willsit seems 10 me, be wise