The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-01-04
N57R'eDy1nG Rn4hTlE- DOG A0Y0W on TIE RqN0xJ

to keep pace with the expenditures but to return to the
government the entire cost Of maintaining the forest
service. Private owners OF grazing lands in the
regions ask and receive very much higher return per
head OF stock for the OF their lands than does the
forest service. The national forests which contain one
min OF the standing merchantabe timber coun
try furnished last about 3 per cent its lumber
cut resulting in the removal from the forests OF about
one-eighth of cent of the stand. OF this COM
paratvey insignificant cut onefourth not sold but
was given to homebuilders and communities yet the
sales brought In nearly 100000 II the chief 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 causes from FIVE
to ten times the amount Of timber being cut.
With an adequate force of forest officers available
much Of this waste might be prevented Timber sales
Involve for marking scaling and supervising the work.
cost TO the government of about 80 cents thousand
feet and the amount sold cannot be much increased
without an increased appropriation. There is also the
waste Of the productive power of the forest which
not be brought into full play until the mature have
been removed to make room for n growing crop.
Most of the forest timber is beyond reach unless
heavy OUTLAWS made to obtain OF transporta-
ton Such timber be sold only to those who com.
mand large of capital and then only at
a relatively low price. On the other land where the
demand for the timber is good and competition for its
purchase fairly brisk. 1t is generally necessary to
slowly because Of the certainty of future requirements
In short. the question OF the timber that safely or
wisely be sold is a local The fact that timber is
rotting In the woods In distant regions will not help
For these the sales of national forest timber
carefully guarded. The of national forest
timber sold during the slightly 1000
feet, not much one-hird the sold the
previous year The falling of directly due to the
refusals to make large sales Under such sales the
tual cutting is allowed to extend several years The
amount OF timber and paid for during the year. how.
ever than doubled the cut Of the previous year,
with total OF not quite 1893 100000 feet The receipts
from timber sales about sS50000 as against not
quite 100000 for the previous year In addition there
was cut under free 130.O00000 feet of timber
valued at about $4,000
The timber lands of the west outside of the national
forests. mainly in strong hands Were the national
forest timber offered the market every purchaser,
the main of western numbering would be quickly
shifted to the public holdings II is sometimes asserted
that creation of the national forests played
the hands OF monopoliss OF timber lands. II was,
the contrary eleyenth.hour haltng OF the process
which would have made the hold obainable by such
monopoly complete To permit the owners of standing
timber to preserve their stumpage intact while supply
ing their business needs through purchase from the gov
eminent would simply invite the boarding of private
timber for further high prices while the public supply
would be disposed Of without adequate return.
Under the timber.sae policy In force both the
present and the future interests of the
borne in mind. The needs of those dependent the
forests supplied up to the limit set by the power OF
the region to maintain steady yield 1t is recognized,
also that the removal OF mature timber make room
for a new and growing crop Is the only way by which
the forests be put to work. Small sales are. how