Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1921-03-30

to supposedly improve the forage,
and burned over the whole country,
including his young forest. This
sort of thing is happening every
spring and fall during your dry sa-
sons.
1.-The effect that with no adequate
measures for the renewal of the for
est, the rate of cutting is gradually
exhausting the States timber supply
II is the opinion of competent auth
critics that old growth hardwoods
will be cut out or gone in 20 years,
and that very serious inroads will be
made upon your other timber sup
plies SD that eventually the people |
of Tennessee will have to look out
neir own borders for their
timber needs. The cost of lumbe rto
the consumers of this state has in
creased appreciably. Tax values have
been lowered mad kept down by con-
stantly recurring forest fires. The
floods at Chattanooga are becoming
more frequent, as the result in part
of numbering followed by fires which
have removed the humus from the
mountain sides so that the water
from the rains and SHOWS instead of
soaking nto the sol rushes off tor
rents.
"Let us see what bearing the mat
ter of timber depletion has on the con
tinuty of the forest industries of the
State, which together form your
/ largest manufacturing industry. In
1914 there were 200 woods products
establishments, or nearly half of all
the manufacturing establishments in
the State; employees numbered more
than $4,000 about one-fourth of the
total in all manufacturing industries;
the capital invested amounted to near
ly 100000, 900, or about one-seventh
of the total of all manufacturing in
dustries, and the vaule of products
aggregated more than 1000, 900
! or about one-seventh of the total for
all manufacturing industries; and the
value of the products aggregated
more than $31,000,000, also about
!, one-seventh. The significance of
, these figures is especially in the num-
Der of persons employed in the wood
t industries and the great value of the
products, the bulk if which is paid
: out in the form of wages. Every in
| crease in the extene of timebr deple-
| tation in this State means the lower
5 ing of production amid the conse-
E quent throwing out of employment Of
| persons engaged in the timebr indus
o tries.
ii "Now the question is what is Ten,
: nessee going to do about it? Maybe
{ you don't think the problem is big
q enough to warrant action on an ade'
quate scale, but surely your exper
+ fences the past few years in purchas
: ing timber goods, even down to YOU
4 daily newspaper, which is made Of
i wood and which in many instaniei
0 has doubled in price, must have con
: vinced you that something is wrong
It The answer is that Tennessee SHOULD
n Every acre should be working al
r the time producing something. If
a can't grow field crops profitably q
g be put to some higher use, than
n should be growing timber. How will
d this be brought about? Primarily b,
D the prevention and control of fores
J. fires.
e What the State Should Do
nj Already you have State Forest
'e err, who with the limited funds avail
It able has made remarkable progress
" The State should establish, under hi
1T direction, system of forest fire pro
TO pecially on the 100000 acres Of ur
IS not only on the waste lands, but es
If lection in order to keep out fire
E. merchantable second growth. Patrol
2 men should be employed to travel oy
lie er these areas for the purpose OF pre-
lg venting fires, which can be don
10 largely through educational means
s. and of controlling with the necessar
f. help, such fires as may start. Thi
10 will of course, require an expenditur
of State funds, but considering tn
insurance it will give to such area.
it will produce results more tina
IN commensurate with the relativel
n small outlay required. Private owr
rs ers should be required to share tn
Dr. cost.
81 "You will be interested to know tina
T. the appropriation for fire protectio
ID made by "a of the states amounte
If last year to $4,000, and that thes
'g States, with four additional States
y will ask their legislatures this yea
is for appropriations for this purpos
- which will aggregate $4,000, 600. TIL
Federal Government itslef is askin
for a million dollars, to cooperat
with the States nrirn ari1v in fira nrc