Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-01

going up In smoke just AS surely ss
you touched a match 10 II. Only 2s
OF the states have forest fire protection
systems at all. New York and Penn
sylvania have to import about 30 per
cent Of the timber they use, because
Of the depletion Of their forests.
A Forest survey.
The bin also pro ides for a complete
survey of our forest resources This
is one Of it's most important provisions.
In the eyes Of the foresters. No one
knows what we have in this line or
just where II is. Equally important
from the technical point OF view i@
the appropriation of a million dollars
year for five years to be spent In
studying the utilization Of wood, and
also the problems OF forestry taxation.
The Forest Products Laboratory az
Madison. Wisconsin, has already dem
onstrated the great possibilities Of new
methods in the use Of wood. For ex-
ample, IL saved box manufacturer a
million dollars a year. 10 in develop
| Ing ways Of seasoning wood In kiins
which promise 20 save millions. n
has demonstrated repeatedly that
scientific research in this line pays
immediate and large returns.
The taxation Of forests is a matter
requiring much study. II should be
50 arranged, the foresters say. that
the planting and growing of timber
crops win pay.
The bin would also appropriate
million year for I'VE years % be
used in reforesting denuded lands IN
national forests. There are 2 million
and half acres Of burned over land
in the national forests that must be
reseeded
| Ten million dollars n asked FOR buy
ing new areas TO be put into national
forest. There are areas IN the Ale
ghanies and elsewhere In the Es~
which can be purchased By the Gov
ernment now at relatively low prices
They win cost more in the future and
the timber upon them viii be scarcer
National forests In the East should
have been acquired long ago.
This sector OF the bfl should be ~
/ special interest 70 the public because
Of the great value and interest which
the national forests in the West have
/ developed as Fairgrounds. In the
East all Of the finest camping and
fishing and hunting country 10 pri-
vately owned, but in the West. by
reason Of the national forests. q poor
man can have a summer home In tha
best mountain country in the world.
The measure would also Increase
the size Of the national forests bv
authorizing the exchange of timber in
national forests for lands outside n
them. This means that an individual
or company which owned defnre~fad
timber land outside Of. but contiguous
to national forest. could exchange
It for 80 many board feet OF timber an
national forests. This timber would
OF course be cut under directions ~
the Forest Service so az not TO lnfura
the stand. Meanwhile the Forest ser-
vice could refnrest the denuded lands
acquired by this method.
The Smell bin seems to be regarded
by ali authorities as a model conaer-
vation measure II calls for a rood
deal OF money. bur money expended
IN conserving national resources and
in learning how 10 use them, In money
that makes a. return to the taxpayer.
IL makes the things he needs cheaper
and provides opportunity for employ
nent and investment. II IL the tax
money paid for armies and naviex
and the machinery OF government ana
n loans to foreign powers that really
/ leaves Us forever