New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1916-07-29
MEET A CRISIS BEFORE IT
BECOMES ONE.

fronts the people Of the State.
of Louisiana and Mississippi
when the timber supply Of these
two states is exhausted, gives ex.
preston in a recent editorial
upon the subject, to the follow
ing comments:
There are times when the
people of every region must con
slider intently some larger prob
lem IN order to maintain perm
anent and increasing prosperity.
LOuisianians and Mississlp-
plans will do well if they take TN
der graver and closer considera-
tion now one great problem that
will soon confront them:
"The end of the timber cut in
this part Of the world is in sight
Cypress has been source of
great wealth to Louisiana. Mil
lions of dollars worth of it has
been cut annually and turned into
cash. A number of cypress ope-
rators have already cut OFT. In
five years the cypress fills will
no longer be great source of
employment to our people. It
takes hundreds Of years to grow
a new cypress crop. Some sub
stitute for the wealth produced
by cypress must be provided, or
we shall suffer grieviously. In
ten years there will be only a
very few cypress mills left.
The end of the pine cut is
likewise visible. Five years will
see great many small mills cut
out. Ten years more and near
ly half Of the large mills in our
ection will have no standing tim
ber left. With the enormous de-
mand for timber in the rebuild
ing of Europe this cut will be
speeded up. In twenty years the
timber industry of Louisiana and
Mississippi will be no longer a
source Of large employment to our
people, or of wealth to timber
owners and mill operators.
1--WE are simply repeating the
history of eastern and western
states that. have cut away their
tinhDn Elis<yearsthe timber
crop Of Louisiana and Mississippi
will probably bring in 10000, 900 |
Of dollars. That much money |
means a livelihood to 100000 of
our people. This is a very large
proportion of our total popula-
lion.
"What is to be done about it?
vou may ask.
"The question presents itself,
irst, to mill owners-particularly !
he substantial classes who own
he land, as we'll as the timber.
hen it vitality concerns the peo-
lie who make a living out of the
Mills; then the merchants and
thers who do business with the
aill folk. Finally, it presents a
to the state Of Louisiana
nd Mississippi-to the city of
lew Orleans, which draws its {
usiness and prosperity from /
hese people.
"The railroads have an enorm- :
us stake in this problem-for | q
1mber is q source of revenue 7
Indispensable at present to the !
Of number of the i
Dads centering in this city. These e
of miles Of railroads in .
ouisiana and Mississippi will
ave to be abandoned if the cut
YER lands along their routes are p
Dt settled by farmers. II
"Where are the farmers to II
'me FRONT It is foolish to sug- q q,
,st that our own farmers can ~
tile these lands. Most of them y
e now blessed or cursed with a .
r great acreage than they can =
farm. The profitable y.
rm in the future is a farm in =,
nsely cultivated. Only about :!
n per cent of the lands of LOU =
ana and Mississippi are under h
ltivation. We could easily
ke care of nine times as many
rmers as we have in this Sec
IN.
Something is doing, of course.
It these efforts are not conduct
as they should be The news
pers, the banks, the business
N, the lawyers. doctors, teach
>. preachers, the public author
es and even the farmers them
ives do not understand this
oblem as they should They
not realize how it touches
am i'll