Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-01-22
Points out
How Timber
Is GObbled
MEN OWN II PER CENT OF
ALL TIMBER IN UNITED STATES,
80 OWN TWO-FIFTHS AND 1876
OWN MORE THAN HALF OF IT.
Department of Labor and Commerce,
Bureau of Corporations,

department Ol LdDOr anu COLllueTCei
Bureau of Corporations, ,
Washington, January 20, 1913 |
Sir: I have the honor to submit |
herewith the full text of part / of the
report OF the bureau Of corporations
on the lumber industry
The essential facts contained in this
report set forth in letter Of submit
tai and summary by the former com
Hon. Herbert Knox Smith,
on February 10, 1911, The report
shows a marked degree Of concentra
tion in the ownership of standing TIM
ber in the United States. The area
covered by the bureaus investigation
contains about so per cent Of the pri-
vatcly owned timber of the country. In
this area three holders have IA per
cent Of the privately owned timber 90
have two-fifths and 1886 have nearly
half. Marked concentration in the
area outside Of the bureaus detailed
investigation also is indicated Since
the amount of standing timber is
steadily diminishing and its value
rapidly increasing this concentration
involves problems Of far-reaching pub.
lie importance.
Tr view of the facts already pub
lished, no extended comment appears
necessary at this time 1t seems prop
er, however, to emphasize that the
present conditions of timber owner,
ship are largely due, as set forth in
this report, to the land policy Of the
federal government, especially the
great federal land grants to railroads
and faulty operation Of some Of the
general land laws. Instead OF seCur-
ing a wide distribution Of the public
domain in the hands OF a vast number
Of Independent owners, as apparently
contemplated, the practical result Of
this legislation, at least so far as tim
berlands are concerned has been
high degree of concentration of owner
ship. The report shows that the great
land grants have directly resulted in
enormous single holdings, while other
great tracts of standing timber, trans
ferred from the public domain in
small parcels to private interests, and
usually with no important return to
the public treasury, have been gath
cred into large holdings by timber
spectators. Concentration in the
ownership Of this timber, moreover,
tends constantly to increase.
The national forest policy inaugur-
ated in the nineties, and now in sue
cessful operation, marked a funda-
mental change in the ideas which had
formerly prevailed as to the handling
of public timber lands. The basic
principle Of this policy is the reduction
Of the fee title to the land and the sale
from time to time of the timber only,
with a view to the wlsest use Of the
supply and to its proper conservation.
by this policy the government is able
to secure for the public the full mar
ket value of this timber at the time Of
cutting and at the same time to re-
tain the land itself for reforestation,
or for such other use or disposition as
may later seem advisable.
Attempts, however are still made to
secure the transfer of public timber
lands to private owners under the
same pleas of settlement which In the
past often proved wholly specious and
insincere Much of the tlmberland
still remaining in public ownership is
adapted only for timber purposes. All
that could be properly asked by n
bona flde settler is the surface Of ar
able land, after the timber has been
removed, but too frequently back Of
the argument made in the name Of the
"scttler' is the desire to acquire the
/ timber or other natural resources
rather than the soil itself It seems
desirable, therefore to direct public
attention to the fundamental differ
ence between disposing Of agricultural
lands TO actual settlers whose indus
try contributes directly to the mate
rial and social upbullding OF the com
munity and the alienation Of virgin
timberlands, which do not require,
and indeed hardly permit Of improve
mont by private owners, and the value
Of which Is rapidly rising because of
reduction in the supply and the in
crease in population, This public SER
vice involved In the mere speculative
holding of this timber for an advance