The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-09-13

1.-THE United States standing second among the
countries of the world in forest area and produc-
ing more than half of the sawed lumber should
play more important part in the export trade
of the world than it does With proper safe
guards in the way of maintaining the raw ma
terias, strong export trade should be encour-
aged. But the gains which we may make in the
markets of the world can be kept only in so far
as they are based on permanent supply OF tim
Der. If they are to be based merely on cut
which, as in the case of old-growth southern pine
will not supply even our domestic needs for more
than the next ten or fifteen years, we shall soon
be crowded out of the foreign markets by coun-
tries which base their export trade on continu-
Gus self-perpetuating resource"
Europe's emergency need for lumber above Its
consumption in normal times is put at about
1000 10000 feet of lumber year for the near
future, conservative estimate; and her own for
ests have been depleted by the war.
Europe however needs cheap lumber above all,
and our product will not be attractive for the
principal needs of reconstruction, according to
Colonel Graves Nevertheless. the world situa-
ton in lumber he says, offers IAN undOubted op-
portunity for permanent export trade from TINS
country of proportions that would seem to De
limited only by our own powers to sustain the
production of material
Senator Sherman presented to the senate the
other day memorial 1rOHl the AinHoIS 'cSi"o
ture which In part as follows:
"Whereas the wOOd-using industries not de-
nendinc upon uncertain local forest supplies have
become conferred to very large extent in the
tbicl1ly populated districts east of the MISSISSIPPI
river and are drawing their supplies from the
remaining forests in the eastern states, the Sulr
states and the states adjacent to the Great Lakes
A large number of such industries are located IN
the state of Illinois, with the city of Chicago the
capo has for many years been the chief lumber
d,str;hution point of the United States and the
Greatest roint of lumber distribution in the world.
Those important industries, including the manu-
facture of railway cars boxes, sashes anu doors,
farm machinery furniture. pianos, vehicles, ana
many other articles are now threatened Dv the
exhaustion of the forests from which their sup
niles have been drawn. They now face the neces-
s,tv Of bringing timber from the Pacific coast
with heavy freight charges added to the cost. TO
the same Pacific coast supply the country must
look for lumber for general construction purposes
Tho TRANSFORMATION system Of the country must
odd to its present burdens the transconunental
sbinment of very large quantities OF lumber,
huIrv nroduct upon which a high freight rate
greatly increases the cost to the consumer
aResolved That the Fifty-frst general assembly
Of the state Of Illinois urges the attention OF the
president and the congress of the United States
N
TINT without delay, there be formulated such a
national program Of forestry as will insure the
future timber supplies required by, the industries
Of the country As an example OF what should De
aone This general assembly points to the wise
,our.o of the republic Of France In so managing
re forests for more than century that they con-
t-,huted substantially to the winning Of the great
war.
f1u n
With the states Inaugurate action looking toward
s,,ch measure of public control of the remaining
bodies of original timber as Will make sure that
their supplies will be available as needed by the
industries.
at is furthermore urged that comprehensive
n,ons no mt into effect for restoring the forest
On cut-over lands which are nonagricultural in
character in the eastern states IN the states
,aou,rr tho Great Lakes, and in the South. In
order that timber supplies from these regions
nav he available to the established industries OF
the central and eastern states