Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-01
Business Has a VHal Stake
In Forest Conservation
r F the two hundred and seventy-six
thousand manufacturing establish

thousand manufacturing establish
ments in the United States, nearly
one-fifth are largely if not entirely dependent
upon forests for the raw material necessary
to continued operation The billions of cap
ital thus invested and the tens of thousands
of persons employed have material stake
in the conservation of forests in the pro-
lection and upkeep of the manufacturing
plants themselves. The stock holders of these
concerns as we'll might be Indifferent to fire
insurance protection for their investments as
Indifferent to measures for preserving forests,
for there the very source Of productiveness
and prosperity is involved. Persistent raw
age or waste of woodlands and failure to re-
coup their vanishing treasure means decline
and death to a host of these industries, and
misfortune to the business and human in
terests they support.
Already do we feel in daily affairs the
pinch and penalty of forest destruction. Is
it to be wondered that costs of building ma
terials have gone up and up and up when
the center Of lumber production, once located
in States along the Atlantic, has moved far
Their and farther West until now it is trendng
swiftly to the slopes of the Pacific? High
prices of lumber at this moment, it is true,
are attributable in part to transportation de-
fciencies and to an extraordinary demand for
all kinds of building material But the under
lying cause is to be found in the almost con-
tinent-wide trail of depleted and neglected
forest resources
Conditions will grow steadily worse and
penalties ever sharper unless conserving and
restoring measures are adopted. The cost of
building a house is burdensome today but
it will be Well-nigh prohibitive a few genera
lions hence if careless cutting of timberlands
goes on and steps are taken to provide
new growth. The paper problem is critical
today for newspapers, and for almost every
Institution ndI
cation through the printed word; but it will
grow desperate beyond measure in the years
ahead, il neglect of the basic sources of wood
pulp production continues. Grim as they all
are, the5e dangers are hardly to be compared
to the agricultural losses which are inevi-
table soon or late if ruthless deforestaton
with its fatal effect on rainfall and flood con-
troll, is unchecked.
Seeing that the vitaIs of industry and the
future OF fOOd-supply itself are thus involved
no State, least of all one whose industrial
and agricultural interests are as extensive as
GeofglaS S, can afford longer to ignore the
forestry problem. The Federal Government
mas much to do in the reservations which it
controls; and the utmost possible pressure
should be brought to bear upon Congress- for
adequate appropriations to this essential field
OF national service. But the States have their
peculiar and important responsibility. The
more Watchful of them are doing extensive
work in conserving, restoring developing and
utilizing forests; New York and PENNSYLVANIA
are spending millions thus, and in the Mid
die West as well far-reaching efforts are
under way. Cities also have enlisted, and
are providing for the future pleasure and
pront OF their people through the establish
menu OF municipal forests and tree nurseries
Inc beginning and base of all such efforts
is an adequately financed forestry bureau. an
institution which most of the progressive
States already have, but which Georgia, re-
grettably enough, is without The forestry
department of the State University 7s doino
excellent service as far as it's funds and it's
legal scope allow But there is manifest need
OF thoroughly equipped and fully empowered
bureau to promote Georgia's interests in This
iic an important field of public serv-
ice; IL Is to be hoped that a bill to this
emo Will be among the earliest measures
ADOPTED at the forthcoming session of the
General Assembly.