The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-06
Section Seems Indifferent to
Loss of Trees.
THE FACT IS MUCH DEPLORED
John H. FiRney Declares that This
Attitude of Southern Men VIII Cost
the Next Generation DearIy-He
Urges the States to Give the For
ests Protection Now.
BY JOHN II. FINNEY.


has grave ones involved in the race
question; in child and other labor prob
lens; in educational problems; in com
batting the boil weevil; in eradcating the
so-caIled "hookworm;" in overturning
many gross misconceptions concerning
the South and it's rightful place in the
Nation: in work for placing it on sure
foundation for coming greatness and
wealth and power, and 1t is facing all
these things, and many more, bravely
and with determination 10 solve them
rightly.
The largest economic question Of them
all, the one bearing the most OF menace
and danger to the whole South-to the
South of to-day as well as 10 the glorious
South that VIII be the forest question
it ignores!
south Seems Indifferent.
The South's indifference to forest con-
servation IS, therefore, a matter Of grave
concern TO those who know forest con-
ditions. and we may with propriety
sharply set forth some of the serious facts
bearing on this vital question.
The South contains over 200, 10000 acres
OF forest area with a stand Of perhaps
coco O0,0O0 feet. nearly two-ffths of the
total timber area OF the nation and over
one-fOurth OF the standing timber.
II contains the most valuable species
found On the continent-aII the lOng-leaf
pine, all the cypress, all the naval stores
industry, nearly all the hardwood; more
significant, the Appalachian region is the
natural home of the hardwoOds and is
practically the only remaining virgin
source Of supply Of this indispensable
forest product.
Apart from the area owned and held
as woodlots which. though large in acre
age Is relatively unimportant as source
of timber supply, tho great majority,
perhaps 20 per cent Of the South's timber
wealth, IS owned by "aliens" mot used
as a term Of TeprOach). whose only mo-
tive is 10 cut It and convert it into
wealth at the earliest possible moment.
Has 40 Per Cent of sayvmiIIs.
With 14000 sawmills or 10 per cent OF
those in the entire nation, located in the
South. turning out lumber valued at $780,
600, 900 yearly. this conversion" Is going
on so rapidly that the entire exhaustion
Of our timber wealth is in sight! In
fifteen or twenty years. at the present
rate of cutting, the timber industry of
the South comes TO an end-if nothing
be done to prevent It,
These are facts so serious that no
right-minded man who loves the South
should complacently contemplate them;
so full Of dangers that it should mean
the complete awakening OF the South TO
them; so difficult that their solution re-
quires the utmost OF patriotism and IN
seIfshness and forethought. Look into
the matter briefly.
These lands are private property,
whether owned by original citizens Of the
state or by alien citizens or corporations.
and such ownership by aliens has been
encouraged and gladly aided in all the
States. These owners, therefore, are
welcome citizens; their cooperation and
capital have been of vast value in the
upbuilding of the commerce Of The States;
they have paid their taxes; they are large
employers Of labor; their product goes
20 all parts OF the world they have GER
tain vested and inalienable rights.
This is the owners side and his Just
contention, and must be clearly reeog-
nized.
This Concerns the State.
There is another side to the question
which deeply concerns the State, and It
merits deep thought. 1t may be stated
thus: Suppose all the forests worth cut
ting IN Georgia to be owned by one man
or one corporation engaged In their COM
plete cutting; suppose these operations
are wanton and wasteful and to the high
est degree harmful 10 the continued ma
terial prosperity Of Georgia: suppose that
a continuance OF these methods meant |
the total destruction in fifteen years Of |
this great Georgia natural resource, with
It's inevitable desolation OF vast areas of |
forest lands that are Of value only when |
fOrested; suppose these operations mean |
not only diminished tax returns yearly. |
but a complete cessation Of taxes al the /
end Of fifteen years-has Georgia no voice |
IN methods being pursued to these inevi- !
table ends?
Has Georgia no concern In a matter Of |
her very life as fair and prosperous !
State? Has Georgia no duty 70 her citi- |
gems to prevent her total desolation?
Substitute for Georgia the South" and |
for the supposed owner Of ali the land" !
several hundred owners OF the same land. |
all imbued with the single and same idea
OF exploitation" and the same viewpoint
applies. because in the entire South there I.
is hardly yet I'm evidence a single agency |
at work or In contemplation that is NOV
ing to remedy these conditions!
There exists some obvious State duties
I'm forest conservation" which we wmI
try TO make plain in our next letter. for
with the cooperation of the State and
the owners there can be brought to pass
the perpetuation of the South's timber
wealth.