Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

total of S,250.000 acres. and also add
to the available supply by increasing
the crop of growing trees. Trees of
every class. even those too small for
faster than they are being reproduced
Prevent needless loss and grow more
timber sums up in a few words the
| policy which the proponents of for
, estry legislation hope to carry out.
Great Mathematical Problem.
1t is a great mathematical problem
which presents itself. and the desire
IS to reduce the difference which now
exists between the $4,000. 000O 600 cubic
feet being consumed annually and the
t.oOO.O0O.000 cubic feet being grown
annually in the United States. 1t is
intended to reduce this great gap by
increasing the smaller figure, not by
reducing the larger figure Ana this
can be done, it is claimed. if the mil
lions of idle acres now denuded are
put to work growing trees. AS Secre-
tary Meredith points out:
This situation, with it's serious
consequences. is unnecessary. We have
81 .0OO, 900 acres of forest land-more
than all the forests of continental
Europs. except Russia, combined
which is now idle as far as the pro-
duction of economic timber crops is
concerned. There is enough forest
land in the United States not required
for other purposes to provide an am
pie supply of wood for all our in
dustries, farms and homes if this
land is kept productive. The prob
lem is national in it's scope because
it has to do with one of the most
essential and widely used raw ma
terials. The situation. however. can
be met by constructive plan of fed
eral cooperation with the states. in
GLIDING financial aid, in determining
upon and putting into effect under
authority of the states such measures
of fire protection and timber cutting
as will perpetuate rather than de-
stroy our forests"
Large Quantities Of Timber.
There are still large quantities of
timber in the United States. says Col
Greeley, in his annual report, "but
they are not in the right place." He
points out that 81 per cent of what
is left lies west of the great plains,
far from the bulk of our population
agriculture and manufactures" With
the exhaustion of one forested region
after another in the eastern states,
the distance between the average
sawmill and the average home
builder has been steadily increasing,
he says. These conditions have had
vital bearing upon the high cost
of lumber. which. curing the year.
reached a prohibitive figure for many
uses and checked the building of
homes. which is SO urgently needed"
Included in the organizations which
have been represented at recent con-
ferences on national forestry program
are the National Lumber Manufac-
turers' Association, National Whole
sale Lumber Dealers Association. AS
ISOLATION of Wood-Using Industries.
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States, American Paper and Pulp AS
ISOLATION, American Newspaper Pub
fishers Association. United States
forest service, American Forestry AS
ISOLATION, Empire State Forest Prod
ucts Association, Southern Pine Asso-
citation and other similar bodies. They
represent a wide variety of interests.
r. S. Kellogg of the American Pa
per and Pulp Association says that
the proposed legislation is of the ut
most importance to the business in
terests Of the country. and Col. Gree
ley, in speaking of the agreement
which has been reached by timber
owners, lumber manufacturers and
distributors, many wood-using indus
tries and others. declares that it is a
milestone in the progress toward a
national forest policy.
This measure should have the sup
port of every individual, every pub
lie organization and every business in
the United States" said Charles La
throp Pack. president of the American
Forestry Association, representing the
people of the nation in the effort to
have a national forest policy adopted