Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-03
Destroy Annually $40,
oOe,oooti Tinibsr Land.
Pacific Coast. stslss Contain
I Malt Of '. S. Timber.



per cent. of the understandable timber
IN the United States today. destroy
annually, on an average, a resource
u which, IL used, would bring revenue
Of SAC, 600 900 to their inhabitants. OF
y every piece of timber burned or vast
ed the pOple bear more than 80 per
cent. OF the loss"
f. r. Allen, forester of the Western
Forestry and Coascrvation Associa-
ton, of which - f.. FiewelIing of
Spokane is president says this is an
oficial statelnenE ofsning with these
words: ssf
, IF riot or invasion should sweep
our Pacific coastaastates plundering
their banks and e4suries OF $4,000
900 of the pe4t9y savings and bust
ness capitsls destroying the
producing ~ commercial en-
/ terprises r9, Az community's in
come BY 3a(S1& kmore, the catas-
{ mophe would s<artIosAhe world.
IF this ss(n6e s1ds disaster should
threaten to- S6r3h following year
SinId every year hereafter Indefinitely,
aa5prally taktnk xb7.0OO 900 from the
Earnings OF the people, diminishing
ttieir invested weaftf1 and paralyzing
t1heir Industries the situation would
lie unbearable. 1t would dominate
the minds of men,, women and chill
.sdren. I All else would be forgotten in
their preparation for defense. "A
"But the preparation would be made
and the peril successfully averted.
SENSATIONAL threats leap swiftly into
the public mind and inspire defensive
action. There is far graver menace
tqsthes commonwealth in attacks which
compel no attention until the damage
Is done. 1t is the destruction of our
forest wealth, a resource truly and
realisabIy belonging to the people.
7 while much OF the nominal owner
ship has passed from community to
private jf1ands. the pnblic's interest is
almost as big AS though it remained.
All the owner gets out of it is the
stunpagc. The peeple get every
thing else. These fofests earn MOTH
Ing unless they are cut and shipped to
the markets OF the world. Almost all
the money received from them is paid
for labor and supplies in the states in
which they grew. The value of TIM
Der to the community is the income
procured by it's manufacture. OF
this rarely more than one fifth,
usually much less, is nctted by the
owner.
Even now, when the western lum-
Der industry Is insignificant. compared
to what ii will be soon, 1t brings more
than $125.000,000 u year into these
five states. This immense revenue
flows through every artery of labor.
commerce and agriculture: in the
open farming counties as well as in
the tlmbered districts. 1t is shared
alike by laborer. farmer, merchant.
artisan and professional man. 1t is
their greatest source of income, for
humber is the chief product which, be-
ing sola elsewhere, actually brings in
outside money. 1t has been the main
contributor to civilization and de-
eylopfnent in these states. Upon its
!, perpetuation their continued prosper
ity largely depends. --...-
x"But 1t Is not being perpetuated.
Some years more, some years less, on
afi average $4o,OO0,0O0 OF revenue is
stolen from the people annually by
forest fires. The great area thus de-
ruded uselessly. with that which pro-
/, manufacture, together having been
capable of affording a community re-
source of $165. 100000, are abandoned
to lie idle and a menace to remain
ing timber 1t is exactly as though
the. owner of Il 16o-acre orchard
, should destroy 40 acres wantonly and
also abandon the rest, mfenced, I'M
cultivated and uncared for.
1.-THE Pacific coast forests owe their
unparalleled productiveness to pc
culiarily fortunate combination OF
Climate and rapid growing species.
unknown elsewhere. Nowhere else
Is Forest reproduction SO swift and
certain. Nowhere can 1t be Sc
cured with so little effort and ex-
pense. A little forethought in cut
ting methods and protection of the
eut-over area from recurring fires and
an early second crop Is assured. Say
timber can be grown in from 40 to 10
years; ties. mine timber and piles in
less. s...-- .
1T is reasonable to suppose that al
though the quality may be inferior to
that Of the old forest removed now.
timber scarcity will make a. second
cat in SO years equally profitable per
acre. Therefore, if the area de-
Z aiidea annually at present were en-
eoui1eed to retorest and protected. II
should at the end of the period again
Yield $165 100000 to the community.
Each years growth at present would
: De worth q sixtieth of that sum. or
*21s5.o00. II given any. chance to do
so. the area deforested in only 10
years, although it would be logical to
90 back still further. would actually
earn the people of our five western
forest states s27.550.000 a year.
Almost nothing is being done to
make 1t do so AS the result of the
same popular neglect. this annual
loss of s2S,00O.00O is added to that of
A0,o0o.0o0 caused by destruction of
understandable timber. Nor is this by
any means all. Injury to the forests
directly affects the stream flow which
makes agriculture possible and more
and more furnishes the power for our
industries. BY diminishing taxable
resource. it increases the burden upon
other property.
BY reducing forest material il