Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-19
rrodigaIity at Danger Point


Mo country in the world has been more
l wasteful Of its natural resources Of
wealth than has America. Nature was law
ish in supplying ii with every form of ma
tcrial needed for conversion into the things
that would be useful in meeting every want
of mankind. 1t was niggardly in nothing.
Appreciative OF the almost lmitless supply
OF these natural resources, the population
OF the country has gone about their ex-
ploitation with tremendous energy, and the
passing, years have witnessed resultant
development that has been the most mar
velous OF any age anywhere. But in the
great development which has ensued the
people seem to have lost sight Of the fact
that the huge acquisitions made upon the
immense storehouse OF these supplies mean
n steady diminution that in time will be
reflected i'll a material, and possibly dis
tressns, shrnkage of the total supply. In
the prodigality which has marked the ex-
plotation OF certain of these resources, the
danger point in continued needless waste,
which, indeed. has been almost criminally
reckless in respect to all Of them, has al
ready been reached. Particularly is this
true OF our once abundant timber resources.
at the same time, the stoppage OF waste
in this particular form Of potential virgin
wealth Will not alone arrest the diminishing
supply OF the total stock. Timber being
growth of the soil, nature requires of man
his cooperation i'll rcplenishing the avail
able stock as fast rs it is reduced to meet his
requirements of continued progress. He
must sow we'll as reap, so to speak In
other words. as he deforcsts. so in like pro-
portion he must reforest.
So. in submitting to the Senate the report
of the Forest Service on timber depletion,
Secretary of Agriculture Meredith makes
some observations that ought to prove a
healthful stimulus in inducing greater in
terest throughout the country in reforesta-
lon.r In his statement Mr.. Meredith points
out that in the whole country thrcc-ifths
of the original timber has gone and mean
while what remains is being used four times
as fast as it is being grown The East,
which formerly provided the bulk of the
timber which it used now produces but n
small percentage of it, the Middle West is
already importing soft woods from the Pa
citic, and the South is fast reaching point
where il can supply only itself. Nearly
two-thirds of the timber left is west of the
great plains.
The secretary points the moral when no
informs us that this timber depletion has
not resulted from the use OF our forests,
but from their devastation There are. he
says, 4G3 900, 900 acres of forest land of all
classes i'll the United States, including
burned, culled and cut-over. or this amount
S1,oO0,0o0 acres is an unproduc,ive waste.
Upon enormous additional areas the growth
is so small i'll amount or of such inferior
character that its economic value is negi-
gibc These forest lands will produce the
timber required by the country if they are
kept at work full time growing trees. But
unless timber growth takes the place OF
devastation from forest fires and destructive
methods OF cutting, our consumption of
lumber must drop to the level of European
countries, whore wood is an import ed luxury