Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1910-02-10

~S' ~ q ShSuHCdl lIedJiHeIlI, JneSS
ties are made to last twenty years
instead Of seven-a saving of eight
billion feet of timber in twenty years
in this one item alone.
Again, it should be a penal offeuse
to burn off woodland, whether on
the culprit's own land or not. 1t
should be penal offense to build a
rail fence. 1t should be penal of
tense. by all means, to use the old
fashioned circular saw. The use of
the band saw on account of its thin
ner cut, saves in a years cut half
billion feet of lumber. Think Of ten
millions of dollars worth of saw dust,
per year. The band saw is already
largely used in our largest mills.
Pass state laws granting absolute
d immunity from taxes to all lands
that are being reforested-that is,
cut over and turned out to grow up
again, and modify the taxes on all
acreage of virgin timber land, and
thus encourage the second growth of
timber in the former case, and re.
, move the incitement to deforesting
, in the latter, to avoid taxation.
Let the United States Government
foster forestry and if need be, en-
G ploy a standing army to protect and
Il develop government timber lands,
n even to the sthding of the United
5 States SeaaI ors, like Burton, to Sing
e Sing Pant the tree, spare the tree
e in every way, SPARE THE TREE.
IS For ten long years, I've been in
" despair over the situation of our for
le ests, but our country has been awak.
e ened at last to a realizing sense of
e its neglect. No stronger proof of
IS this could be asked for than the i'm
), portance that now attaches to the
I. head Of the Bureau of Forestry. No
u department of the government so
d holds the public eye, and the recent
'e deposing of a true and tried man,
Clifford Pinchot, created more COM
ut motion than the threatened war with
n, Nicarauga. The movement toward
in a Standardization of state laws
10 would, if carried out, help greatly
" in conservation.
IL 1t appears to me that the lumber
o, dealers of the U. S. must realize the
n vast Importance Of this matter, from
standpoint of national economics
Sc More so, because of their calling
d, What lumber dealer but loves tree,
re a wood, forest, and more, realizes
ID their utmost essentially to the pro
of gress and perpetuity of his country
ID And he knows where the leaks anC
E. extravagancies are. None better
ID Then let us wake up, gentlemen, or
ganize and use our power.
is The lumber dealers of this coun
s. try, thoroughly organized into one
e, harmonious body, would prove re-
lr sistless force for good or evil. They
: could elect governors, congressman
senators and presidents. and contro
~ legislation itself. They could stoI
the digging of the Panama ditch. OF
dig network of deep water canals
from ocean to ocean and from
the lakes to the gulf, dam W
Ballinger and reinstate Pinchot, and
build plank walk from every lum'
Der dealers door to the White House
steps, bridges and all. Then lei
them lend their powerful aid to the
conservation Of our forests, the
sources of the lumberman's wealth,
the granary from which comes his
daily bread. His calling and his ma
Z ture alike seem to fit him for this
grand work. Pass the word along
the line to the sister associations,
get busy-get busy now, and let the
battle. cry be, This wanton defor-
esting must cease. this Crime of the
Age be punished. Forestry be con-
G served and encouraged, and this
great nation of ours maintain its
@ proud supremacy as the timberland
: of the world"
These are my views of subject
that has long beeni matter Of deer
interest to me. Take them for what
they are worth, and il ] have enlist.
ed one single earnest member Of thi'
} Association in the great cause Oi
timber protection, am well paid foi
: the brief time ] have been able tC
devote to this paper.