The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-22
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HASKIN, Director.
BACK TO THE WOOD.
Washington, D. C.


| Washington, D. c., March 19.-Mu-
nicipal forests in America may be one
result of the movement for the use
of wood as fuel, which has been sue
| cessfully launched by the forest serv-
ice, and has already saved thousands
| of tons of coal.
| The cut-a-cord propaganda has
| been taken up by state fuel admins
| traitors, state foresters, directors of ag-
| ricultura1 stations, county agents and
schools of forestry. State, city and
county committees have been formed
to promote the cutting of wood for use
as fuel. Whole towns have literally
| gone back to the woods. Near Will
| Jamestown. Mass, recently a great
wood cutting bee was held, at which
business men. college professors and
students shouldered axes and plunged
| thru deep snowdgifts to cut firewood-
In North Carolina society folk have
| fund a new sport in Telling trees and
| cutting them up into stove lengths.
Some towns in North Carolina have
municipal wood piles of enormous size.
School children are gathering fire
wood in Rock Creek park near Wash
ington. At Charlotte, N. c., soldiers
are chopping wood and military trucks
are hauling it to town. The Yankee
is again an axeman; the generous
woodpile of pioneer America has
achieved sudden recrudescence.
This does not mean that valuable
timber or shade trees are being sac
rificed as fuel. Every bit of timber
land contains dead and down wood,
inferior species and stunted trees, the
| removal of which will benefit the for
est
Neither is it claimed that the use
OF wood as fuel is a complete solution
of the fuel problem. Factories can
not profitably use wood altho several
| large establishments in Massachusetts,
doors. Large cities, generally speak
ing, cannot make extensive use of
wood as fuel, because its bulk con-
gests transportation; altho Washing
ton, Atlanta and other sizeable places
have used much wood this winter
The important place of wood as
fuel is found in the small towns and
rural communities. There is scarcely
one of these east of the Mississippi
according to Mr.. Halves of the forest
service, which could not supply all or
most of its fuel for household use
from the surrounding woods. In the
northeastern states there is a rural
population of 20,000,000 persons who
annually consume about $4,000, 900
tons of coal. This is the coal that the
cut-a-cord movement might save and
Fit is saving much of it. Opposition is
not well founded. There will be a
/ market next winter for every ton of
coal mined in America, land a crying
need for more.
This return to wood as fuel is the
natural result of coal scarcity, and
scientists say that in the future we
must turn more and more to the
woods for heat. For wood will con-
stantly replace itself if ihtelligently
used. 1t is said the quick-growing
tropical forests alone could supply the
world with fuel. The end of the coal
supply on the other hand, is in
/ oil f1f mo ri ion CT
land more upon her forests in the
future.
t. Professional foresters and conserva-
tionists are hoping that this lesson
will be driven home by the present
emergency, that the American people
will arrive at an appreciation of the
value of their forests. The logical
outcome of such an appreciation
would be the establishment of mu-
nicipal forests in America, similar to
those maintained in Europe, and it is
hoped that some enterprising city will
make sure its fuel supply for the pc
Rod of the war by establishing such
a forest forthwith.
Many Swiss and German towns own
forest lands. The city of Zurich,
Switzerland. for example, has had a
municipal forest for four hundred
years. These European municipal
| forests are profita BILE. In some of the
towns they pay all the expenses OF
| local government, so that the inhab b.
5 itants are tax free. In addition to
this, they furnish Fairgrounds for the
people, assure them of a fuel sup
ply, and often protect the source OF
: the city's water.
The development of municipal for
ests in the United States would snot
, be at all difficult. Many cities already
own areas of WILD land purchased for
the protection of water supply, which
t would need only the services of an ex.
, pert forester to develop them into
paying forests. Rock Creek park and
adjacent lands near Washington
: would make an excellent municipal
{ forest. Plans for their conversion tc
that use have been drawn by Mr.. Ben
ton Mackaye of the forest service
l. Such use would not interfere with the
park as a pleasure ground, but would
2 merely conserve and utilize its timber
resources.
During next winter, the forest serv.
ice expects that ten million tons OF
coal will be saved by the use of WOOD
: as fuel. 1t is now working to keeI
together the various organiza ton.
= which have done such good work il
Wood-cutting this winter, and is en-
j | coura ging the cutting of firewood dur.
s ing the summer. The banks in Tai
g bot county, Maryland, have adopted
; an excellent plan to this end. The,
are lending the farmers money anf
n accepting cut wood as security. at tn,
= rate of one dollar per cord, which Il
1 about the cost of cutting. These loan,
are made to reliable persons on tn,
signed order of the local fuel com
L mittee when it is known that tn,
e wood has been cut. In this way tn,
e farmer can get Immediately the none,
for his labor, and is assured of :
market for the wood next winter
Il while the community is building up ;
t large fuel reserve. This county NOR
mally burns $4,000 tons of cal i
. expects to cut $4,000 cords of WOO,
It to take the place of this
e Lebanon, Ohio, seems to hay,
broken all records for a speedy mobi
= nf