The Elbert County tribune., 1909-11-04
DzzHG. AR4AQH- Doc AoWoW on ZHE R4NoES

to keep with expenditures but to return to the
government the entire cost of maintaining
service. Private of grazing lands in the same
regions'ask and receive very higher return per
head of stock for their lands than does the
forest service The national forests
fifth of the standing merchanabe timber in the coun-
try furnished last about 1S cent of it's lumber
cut resulting in the removal from
oneeighth of cent of the stand. OF this
paratively insignificant cut onefourth sold
was given to homebuiders and communities; yet
sales brought in nearly 100000. object
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 natural from five
to ten times the amount of timber being
With adequate force forest officers available
much of this waste might be prevented. Timber sales
involve for marking scaling supervising the work.
cost to the government of about 30 cents per thousand
feet, and the sold be increased
without increased appropriation There is also the
waste of the productive of the forest which
be brought into full play until the have
been removed to make room for a growing
Most of the forest timber is beyond reach unless
heavy outays made to obtain means of ransporta
tion. Such timber be sold only to those who
mand large of capital and then only at
relatively low price. On the other hand. where the
for the timber is good and competition for its
purchase fairly brisk. it is generally to
slowly the certainty future requirements.
In short the question of the timber 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
For the sales of national forest timber
carefully guarded The amount of national forest
sold during the slightly 3S600000O
much one-th1rd the amount SCd the
previous year The falling off directly due to the
refusals to large Under such sales the
tual cutting allowed extend several The
amount paid for during the how
ever doubled the cut of the previous
total of not quite 393000o00 feet The receipts
from timber sales about sS50000. against
quite $3.50 the previous In addition there
was cut 130.00o,O00 feet of timber.
valued at about $4,000
timber lands of the west, outside of the national
forests are mainly in strong hands We're the national
forest timber the market to purchaser,
the main scene western numbering would be quickly
shifted to public holdings 1t is sometimes asserted
that the creation the national forests has played into
the hands of monoposts of timber lands 1t was on
the contrary elevenhhour hating OF the process
which would made the hold obtanable by such
monopoly complete. To permit the owners of standing
timber to preserve their intact while supply
ing their through purchase from the gov
ernment would simply invite the boarding OF private
timber for high prices, while the public supply
would be disposed of without adequate return
Under the tmbersale policy now in force both the
present and interests of the consumer are
borne in mind The needs of those dependent on the
forests are supplied up the limit set by the power OF
the region to maintain steady yield 1t is recognized
also that the removal of mature timber to make room
for new and growing is the only way by which
the forests be put to work Small sales are now