The Elbert County tribune., 1919-08-08


countries of the world in forest 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 now. With proper safe
guards in the way of maintaining the raw ma
terials, strong export trade should be encour-
aged. But the gains which may make in the
markets of the world be kept only In so far
as they are based permanent supply of tim
ber If they are to be based merely on a cut
which, as in the case of old-growth southern pine.
Will not supply domestic needs for more
than the next ten fifteen years, shall soon
be crowded out of the foreign markets by coun-
tries which base their export trade continu-g
Gus selfperpetuatng resource"
Europe's emergency need for lumber, above its
consumption In normal times Is put at about
7,OOO,OOO0O0 feet of lumber year for the nenr
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-
tion in lumber, he says, offers ian undoubted op-
portunity for permanent export trade from this
country Of proportions that would seem to be
limited only by our own powers to sustain the
production of saw MATERIAL
Senator Sherman presented to the senate the
other day memorial from the Illinois legisla-
ture, which was in part as follows:
"Whereas the wood-usng industries not de
pending upon uncertain local forest supplies have
become centereQ 10 very large extent III tne
thicky populated districts east of the Mississippi
river and are drawing their supplies from the
remaining forests In the eastern states. the gulf
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
center of n very large and important group. Chi
cago has for many years been the chief lumber
distribution point of the United States and the
greatest point of lumber distribution in the world
These important Industries, including the manu-
hDync OShnc and
farm machinery, furniture. pianos, vehicles and
many other articles. threatened by the
exhaustion of the forests from which their sup
plies have been drawn They now face the neces-
sity 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.
The transportation system of the country must
add to Its present burdens the transcontfnental
shipment of very large quantities of lumber,
bulky product upon which high freight rate
greatly increases the cost TO the consumer.
"Resolved That the Fifty first general assembly
of the of Illinois urges the attention of the
president and the congress of the United States
to the present timber situation and recommends
that without delay, there be formulated such a
national program of forestry will insure the
future timber supplies required by the industries
of the country. AS example Of what should be
DONE this general assembly points to the wise
course Of the republic of France In so managing
its forests for more than century that they con-
tributed substantially to the winning of the great
war.
..It is further urged that the federal govern
ment acting Independently In cooperation
with the states. inaugurate action looking toward
such measure of public control of the remaining
bodies of original timber will make sure that
their supplies will be available needed by the
industries.
at is furthermore urged that comprehensive
plans be put into effect for restoring the forest
on cut-over lands which nonagrIcutural in
character in the eastern states In the states
bordering the Great Lakes. and in the South, in
order that timber supplies from these regions
may be available to the established industries of
the central and eastern states"