The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-08-26

"72ES1 5000 big sawmills will be junked
~ NlSH and that the output will be re-
S4eSD duced so per cent. That leaves US
the virgin forests of the Pacific
coust Already the Pacific coast lumber. with
1000 5000 mile haul, is to be found in the
larger cities of the East So the lumber industry
has made its last jump. The United States Bu-
reau of Corporations gives us sixty years to use
up all the log lumber at the present rate of con-
sumption.
When the Pacific coast lumber begins to
short import lumber can do without
it. If don't like either of these alternatives,
grow some more timber and pulp wood and
cooperage and box stuff and trees to yield turpen
tine and resin and tannic and acetc acid and wood
alcohol and airplane propellers and lead pencils
and clothes pins and handles and such things
which come from the forests and nowhere else.
Whenever get ready grow all the
timber want. Growing timber is simple af-
fair-if we go at 1t right.
We can put it another way and say that origi-
nally there were 8OO,OOOOOO acres of virgin for
ests in the United States. There only
200 100000 acres, 25 per cent Of this, left The
6O0,000,000 acres that gone were depleted in
the last seventy years.
Unless something is done about it, the United
States will some time be treeless land-its vast
original forests laid low; those of its industries
which depend upon timber for their existence.
crippled broken.
There are healthy signs that good many peo-
pie Of the opinion that something should be
done about 1t. And one of the things to be done
about it would seem to be practical and com
prehensive policy of reforestation All interests
seem to agree the necessity of refOrestatiOn.
There two refOrestation bills before
congress. One of these is the Capper bill and the
other is the Smell bill The former aims federal
encouragement of state action The latter provides
federal regulation Of forestry In the states and
proposes for the next five years to increase the
governments appropriation for forestry to S10t
100000 year.
fhor ipdt of that
something should be done about 1t is the hearings
held in various parts of the country by national
forestry policy committee" appointed by the
United States Chamber of Commerce This
nittee began operations in New York. 1t then
went in succession to Chicago, Minneapolis. Spo-
kane, Seattle Portland and San Francisco.
David L. Goodwie, Chicago box manufac-
turer, is chairman. The other members of the
committee Charles S. Keith. president Central
Coal 4 Coke company, Kansas City Mo. F. c.
Knapp, president Peninsular Lumber company.
Portland. Oregon; George L. Curtis, Curtis Com
panies, Inc. Clinton. Iowa John Fletcher vice
president Fort Dearborn National bank Chicago
ILL.,. Charles F. Quincy, president O. and G.
pany, New York city DIR. Henry S. Drinker.
Merton Station, Pa; Or. Hugh P. Baker secretary
and treasurer American Paper < Pulp association,
New York city, Harvey N Shepart attorney, Bos.
ton Mass. Junius H. Browne, vice-presdent Pa
cfc Lumber company, New York city Dr. W. b.
Heinemann, president b. Henemann Lumber com
pany, wausau, Wis; w. DUB. Brookngs secre-
tary OF the committee, Chamber of Commerce of
the United States Washington, D. C.
This committee has gone into the subject in
broad way, seeking TO get every viewpoint before
making report which it is hoped a policy can
Se formulated. The chairman appointed several
subcommttees of the original committee to deal
with specific subjects coming under the general
heading of forestry. Some of these subjects are
government regulation, private holdings indvid-
ual versus public right. fire protection and ex-
penditures acquisition of land, national forest sur
vey, taxes and taxation. utilization of wood and
forest conservation. reforestation and national
forests.
"As example of how serious n problem our
forestry problem is let me point to the well known
fact that in years so per cent of the saw
mills of the South will be of businessr saws
Mr.. Goodwillie. what this means is better rea-
lized when consider that the sawmils of the
South now produce 80 per of all the lumber
used in the country.
These meetings are simply to get all the
facts, to give thorough grasp of the problem
to inform fully of its scope. When we have
finished will make report and recommends
tions 10 the board of directors of the chamber and
they win consider what action is necessary.