The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-24

! that which produced wealth through lum-
Der manufacture, together having been
! capable of affording a community re-
source of s165 0O0, 600, are abandoned to
lie idle and menace to remaining timber.
165-acre orchard should destroy 40 acres
165-acre orchard shoul destroy 40 acres
wantonly and also abandon the rest, I'M
fenced, uncutivated and uncared for
| THE Pacific coast forests owe their
unparalleled productiveness to pecu-
liarly fortunate combination of climate
and rapid growing species, unknown else
where. Nowhere else is forest reproduce
ton SO swift and certain. Nowhere can
| 1t be secured with so little effort and
expense. A little forethought in cutting
methods and protection of the cut-over
area from recurring fires and an early
second crop is assured Saw timber can
be grown in from 40 to IS years; ties,
mine timber and piles in less.
TT is reasonable to suppose that al
though the quality may be inferior to
that of the old forest removed now, tim
Der scarcity will make second cut in go
years equally profitable per acre. There
fore, if the area denuded annually at pres
ent were encouraged to reforest and pro-
tected IL should at the end of that period
again yield s165 100000 to the community.
Each years growth at present would be
worth a sixtieth Of that sum, or 81, 755, GOO.
If given any chance to do so, the area de-
forested in only 10 years. although it
would be logical to go back still further,
would actually earn the people of our
FIVE western forest states 27,550,0Oo year.
Streams Are Affected
Almost nothing is being done to make
il do so. AS the result of the same pop
ular neglest this annual loss OF nearly
SIS 100000 is added to that of s40ooo,ooo
caused by destruction of merchantable
timber. Nor is this by any means all.
Injury to the forests directly affects the
stream flow which makes agriculture pos
sible and more and more furnishes the
! power for our industries. BY diminishing
a taxable resource Ii increases the bur-
den upon other property.
by reducing forest material it raises
the cost of forest products without rails
ing any profit to be distributed, hence
increases the expense of every one who
uses wood to build his home fence his
farm, timber his mine, box his goods or
burn for fuel. BY reducing the lumber
traffic which helps support the railroads
and increasing their expense for poles
ties and car material, 1t adds to the cost
of every commodity transported.
These are dangers as real and immed-
late as riot or invasion, equally meas
urable in losses to US today and more far
rerity. Although less sensational, they
demand no less prompt action.
Another dry season will soon be here.
Millions upon millions of dollars which
the people should share will vanish, leav-
ing nothing more enduring than pail of
smoke from Canada to the Mexican line
Almost daily the newspapers will chron-
icle fire losses which would endow hos
pital or university or pay taxes for a
life TINA M qti Of he
direct consequence to the water supply, to
the young growth upon which the future
forest depends and to countless dependent
industries.
Only Stay to Destruction
"The only stay to this destruction will
be a few hundred rangers paid by the ma
tional government to do for us in limited
localities what we will not do ourselves,
a state fire warden or two without money
or support, and a few bands of associated
timber owners struggling single-handed
to save their comparatively small share
Of this resource of the whole west Not
even they will try to save the young
growth, not quite merchantable, but
equally valuable to us, for as long as 1t is
lubject to our discouraging system of tax
ing non-productive burned or cut-over
land, it does not warrant the added ex-
pense of protection.
THE people are responsible for this sit
uation and its remedy. Merely to agree
| that 1t Is unfortunate, and virtuously con-
| denim firebugs, careless lumbermen and
Indifferent legislators. does not relieve
| nnyone of the responsibility. Nor will
| 1t protect anyone from the consequence
| The firebug will not fire IL he has any
| evidence that it will not be tolerated. The
| lumberman can adopt protective methods
only il he is encouraged. The legislator
1 I~oI- T.