The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-01-22

nous scale Most Of the more impor.
tant food species are propa2ated. and
several species are maintained In that
way. Fish from forest waters furnish
$21, OOO, 600 worth Of food yearly, a
supply dependent on the preservation
OF the forests.
Our Wild game and fur bearing ami
mails have been largely exterminated
To prevent their complete extinction
the states and the United States have
taken in hand their protection, and
their numbers are now increasing. For.
est game yields over $4,000, 600 worth
of food each year. With game birds
the story is much the same.
Each citizen Of the United States
owns an equal undivided interest in
about 375 100000 acres of public lands,
possessions Besides this. there are
about go, coo. GOO acres of national for
ests, national parks and other lands
devoted to public use.
Good business sense demands that a
definite land policy be formulated.
The national conservation commission
believes that the following will serve
as basis therefor:
First-Every part of the public lands
should be devoted to the use which
will best subserve the interests of the
whole people.
Second.-The classification of all
public lands is necessary for their add
ministration in the interests Of the
people.
Third.-The timber. the minerals and
the surface Of the public lands should
be disposed Of separately.
Fourth.-Public lands more valuable
for conserving water supply. timber
and natural beauties or wonders than
for agriculture should be held for the
use OF the people from all except min
eral entry.
Fifth.-Title to the surface Of the
remaining nonmineral public lands
should be granted only to actual home
makers.
Sixth.-Pending the transfer Of title
to the remaining public lands they
should be administered by the govern
ment, and their use should be allowed
in way to prevent or control waste
and monopoly.
The present public land laws as a
whole do not subserve the best inter-
ests Of the nation.
Forests.
Next to our need Of food and water
comes our need OF timber.
Our industries which ssubsist wholly
or mainly upon wood pay the wages
of more than 100000 men and wo-
men,
Forests not only grow timber. but
they hold the soil and they conserve
the streams. They abate the wind
and give protection from excessive
heat and cold. Woodlands make for
the fiber, health and happiness of the
citizen and the nation.
Our. forests now cover 55o,O0O,000
acres. or about one-fourth Of the Unit
ed States. The original forests cover
ed not less than s5o,ooo.OoO acres.
Forests publicly owned cover one
fourth Of the total forest area and con-
tain one-fifth Of all our standing tim
Der. Forests privately owned cover
three-fourths OF the area and contain
four-fifths of the standing timber. The
timber privately owned is not only
four times that publicly owned, but is
generally more valuable.
Forestry is now practiced on 20 per
cent Of the forests publicly owned and
on less than 1 per cent Of the forests
privately owned, or on only Is per cent
of the total area Of forests.
The yearly growth of wood in our
forests does not average more than
twelve cubic feet per acre. This gives
total yearly growth of less than
1000. 100000 cubic feet.
We have 100000. 900 acres of mature
forests, in which yearly growth is bal
anced by decay; $50, GOO, 600 acres part
ly cut over or burned over, but re-
stocking naturally with enough young
growth to produce merchantablec crop,
and 100.0000OO acres cut over and
burned over upon which young growth
is lacking or too scanty to make mer-
charitable timber.
We take from our forests yearly, In
GLIDING waste in logging and in manu-
facture, $4,000, 100000 cubic feet of
wood.
Since 1870 forest fires have destroyed
a yearly average of fifty lives and $780,
600. 600 worth Of timber. Not less than
100000 acres OF forest is burned
over yearly. The young growth de-
stroyed by fire is worth far more than
the merchantable timber burned.
One-fourth Of the standing timber is
lost in logging. The boxing Of long
leaf pine for turpenttne has destroyed
one-fifth Of the forests worked. The
loss in the mill is from one third to
two-thirds OF the timber sawed. The
loss of mill product In seasoning and
fitting for use is from one-seventh to
one-fourth.
We take from our forests each year,
not counting the loss by fire, three and
q half times their yearly growth; we
take forty cubic feet per acre for each
twelve cubic feet grown; we take go
cubic feet per capita. while Germany
uses thirty-seven and France twenty
Eve cubic feet.
We tax our forests under the general
property tax, a method abandoned long
ago by every other great nation. Pres
emit tax laws prevent reforestatfon Of
cut over land and the perpetuation Of
existing forests nv uSe