The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-12-26
GOVERNMENT ! VI \ I. !.
!. OWNERSHIP
I. IS JUSTIFIED
National Forests Conserve
Timber Resources and Wat
err Power of the Country

q WASHINGTON, Dec. 25.--The an
nual report of the forester OF the de-
partment OF agriculture made public
today comments on the government
ownership OF water power sites and
timber as exemplifed By. the national
forest system. The financial burdens
resting on private owners OF uncut
timber are held to have forced the
manufacture of lumber without re-
gard to market demands. and with
consequent decentralization Of the luui-
Der industry and wasteful use OF tim
Der resources: while facts and figures
regarding the water. power situation
are given to prove that more rapid
development Of water power in the
West is mainly prevented by the lack
of consumers, rather than by the alb
sence of suitable legislation. n, g I
Water power permits taken out for
national forest projects, says the re-
,port, involve q total OF 1 ,261 500 horse
power. Free permits cover 20 ,e2s
horsepower and tho plants actually
constructed or operating June 80 had
an output capacity OF 341, 276 horse
power, the rentals paying $4,000 dur
ing the year. The report comments
on the water power situation as fol-
lows: :, g IA n Z "a q q 81
Needed Legislation.
+ New legislation permitting the gov
ernment to grant a more secure ten
ure for the lands used, through the ia
suance OF fifty year leases, would,
without doubt, make the financing Of
power Developments on the public
lands both easier and cheaper, and r.
very desirablejS but the main obstacle
to more rapid development than that
which is now taking place is not lack
OF new law. but lack Of ia broader
market for power. II Is at least doubt
full II either an amended law or pri-
vate ownership of the public power
sites would result In any general or
material increase in power develop
ment in the western states in the i'm
mediate future. With rare and minor
exceptions, existing power develop
ments in these states are far in ex-
cess OF market demands. The forest
service rs being constantly importuned
TO extend periods OF construction on
power permits on the plea that there
would be no market available for the
power II the project were developed.
The per capita use OF water power in
electrical development In the three
Pacific and the eight mountain states
is far in excess OF that In any other
section OF the United States, and more
than FIVE times the average for the
United States as a whole. The devel-
opmept Of the Pacific states is about
1870 horsepower, per thousand OF pop
.ulation, and in the mountain states
120 horsepower. With balanced aver
age Of 100 horsepower. New Eng
land. which Is next In order, has less
than forty horsepower per thousand
OF population, and the whole United
States about thirty horsepower" So
The drop Of thirty per cent in the
demands for national forest stump
age the report goes on to say, .as
indicated by the falling of IN new
sales. is a significant index of the un-
stable market for lumber and the SER
ious conditions now obtaining in the
forest using industries These con-
ditions which are now the subject OF
special study conducted by the depart
ment OF agriculture In cooperation
with the federal trade commission and
the bureau OF foreign and domestic
commerce. "are related primarily to
the carrying OF enormous quantities
OF raw material. oxploitable only dur
ing long period Of time. In private
ownership. This load OF uncut tim
Der, with its for reaching financial
burdens hampers or prevents the prl-