Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-06-12
NOT EXHAUST|NC
S. WOOD SUPPLY
Great Increase in Sales of Ma
tiOnal Timber Explained by
Chief Forester.

1@tI|Nt NA' DNhi , n
wood supply is the declaration OF Chief
Henry S. Graves.
There is no danger of cutting off tho
national forests too rapidly" said Mr..
Graves. nor will our sales strengthen the
control of the numbering industry BY a.
few powerful companies. In every indl-
vidual sale specific provisions are made
to safeguard the public interest in both
these particulars.
Not long ago the policy of oonserva-
tion. as applied to the national forests,
was supposed to mean that the govern
nents imber resources were indefinitely
tied up. Now the fear is expressed that
we are cutting too much timber, the other
extreme. Because the forest service is
advertising widely by commercial meth
DDS It's more extensive sales and occurring
the utmost possible competition, some
people have apparently jumped to the con-
clision that the forest service aims 70
cut off all the national forest timber with
In a few years. Or It Is assumed that we
are making sales chiefly to the larger
lumber companies, and thereby playing
into the hands OF h!a lumber interests.
The function OF the forest service Is
primarily to avoid just those dangers: the
evils Of unscientiac numbering and the
fostering OF monopoly. How these evils
are guarded against is illustrated n our
recent snies.
me forest service recently advertised
about 26 million feet of timber on tbs
hanfksu national forest in the north west
corner OF Idaho. the first large sales in
this locality. The Kaniksu forest con-
tains, as a matter OF fact. nearly o7a0-
Wo.0D feet of m~erchantable stumpage.
Ten years will be required to cut the
amount advertised, which is only one
tenth of the total stand on the forest.
In other words, about one per cent. Of
the timber on this forest will be cut of
annually. no more than is being pro-
duced every year by growth. The timber
advertised has been awarded to two
relatively small local lumber companies.
which have M affiliations with largo
timber corporations and own but very
small quantities of timber themselves.
SALES TO LOCAL COMPANIES.
"A umbe Of recent sales have been
made on the Whitman national forest in
the blue mountains of northeastern
Oregon. Within the last three yearg
nearly 1852, 900. 600 feet have been con-
tracted for on this forest. From seven
to 10 years will be required to cut this
timber, which is less than ~ per cent.
of the amount on the whole forest. The
Whitman timber which has been sold is split
up into four separate contracts, Of from
6 million to 70 million feet each. to four
separate and independent local COM
panies. This can hardly be called
promoting a monopoly.
"A number of smaller sales nave been
made in the same general region to differ
ent local lumber companies. Fol example,
we have made one sale of SO million feet
on the L.olo national forest in western
Montana. out of a total stand OF over two
billion feet. Another sale of So million
feet has been made on the Columbia ma
tional forest in Washington. where we
have altogether nearly seven billion foot
of merchantable timber.
ITO utilize the annual growth of WOO
on the national forests the service is en-
d~eavoring to increase the amount of its
sales and hopes to soon reach an annual
business of three billion feet, which Is
about half of the estimated annual growth
on the forests. Small sales are always
made wherever possible, and in making
large sales the amount disposed of to a
single purchaser is no greater than will
justify the investment necessary for log
ging improvements. Sales to companies
which have large holdings Of their own
are not made II there is n other de-
mand for the timber or If a monopoly
would result"
TO ASSURE PURE WATER.
Secretary Houston has Just approved
an agreement between the department
80 -ruta,lr1 o,a tLa +o,-- - $685.
Arizona, by which the forest service and
the town will cooperate to conserve
Safford's water supply. which comes
principally from the Crook national for
est.
This is the latest one OF many such
agreements. According to the figures OF
the forest service there are nearly l.aC
cities and towns in the West which
derive their water supply from lands
within the national forests, Where Theses
cities desire it the government joins
hands with the citizens for the purpose
of maintaining a permanent and pure
water supply.
Stock raising. Tor example, or any
other ~upa of the land. which or
dinarily would be encouraged, would be
iradvisable on a watershed which forms
q source of drinking water. The forest
service recognizes that water is as
necessary a commodity for wooded hill
sides 10 supply as are saw-logs or mine
props. \ watershed area may offer ar
opportunity to furnish the greatest
benefit to tho largest number through
supplying an unpolluted source OF water
for domestic purposes,
Contracts like that Just made with SAT-
ford are now in force with Cascade. Colo
RADIO Springs, Durango and Manitou in
lColorado; Salt Lake in Utah, and Baker
City and The Dalles, Oregon. The famous
Bull Run watershed. which supplies Port
land, Ore. is on the oregon national for
est.
The cooperative agreement in each case
provides that the land may not be used
without approval by the town, except
for the protection and care of the forests.
THE government agrees to extend anG i'm
prove the forests by seeding, planting. and
forest management, so far as the funds
for that purpose are available. The city,
for its part, assists by paying the salaries
of the additional guards necessary to
carry out the agreement. and contracts
to bear the greater part of the cost of any
Improvement work which it considers
Immediately desirable.
No person need hesitate to take Foley
Kidney Pills on the ground that they
know not what is in them. Foley & Co,
medicine, specially prepared for kidney