Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-18
SOUTH PLANS TO
REFOREST LAND
ONCE CUT-OVER
Lumbermen Will Convene at
Washington in September
to Consider Question.
FIGHT LUMBER TARIFF

WASHINGTON. July 1S-In reforesta-
ton the South has one OF its biggest op-
portuuities for wealth and national serv-
ice. said Charles Lathrop Pack, president
Of the American Forestry Association, to-
day. in a statement on the Importance OF
the Third Southern Forestry Conference
which opens in Atlanta Wednesday. Pack
has called a I orestry conference for
Washington in September, and big rep
resentation from the South is expected
The South needs reforestatiOn badly,
Pack points out. Power experts en-
ployed in developing the power from
some of the streams in the South, tes-
rifed before the Agricultural Committee
Of the House OF Representatives some
time ago that the capacity Of certain
reservoirs was so much reduced that In
n few years only the how Of the rivers
would be available for power. report
from the Geological Survey on the
amount Of silt carried by some OF these
rivers states that the Susquehanna car
ries TO the sea, annually, 10000 tons, the
Roanoke. 5000 600 tons; the Alabama,
3 O39 900 tons the Savannah, 100000, and
the Tennessee, II. 100000 tons 1t is but
reasonable to assume that at least half
OF this wastage Of soil material is pre-
ventable.
RECLAIM LAND
ALSO FOR FARMERS.
Reclamation is Of two classes-lands
reclaimed for cultivation and those for
forests AS TO need Of forests few hg-
ures viii show the importance Of the
work the Southern Forestry Conference
can do. Pack said:
when the State Of Florida gets two
carloads Of forest products month from
the States Of Washington and Oregon
the freight bill adds much to the cost OF
lumber When the State OF Minnesota
gets 1915 carloads per month from these
States the freight IS also a considerable
item. The figures show the normal
freight shipments Of forest products from
Oregon and Washington to be $3.50 car
loads per month, and OF this amount
p -27O carloads were forest products and
adds to the cost OF lumber used in the
East. lumber which an adequate forest
policy would result in growing in or near
the State in which it was used, thereby
greatly reducing the cost as well as in
creasing the supply.
FREIGHT RATES
ARE MOUNTING.
AS to transportation OF lumber, the
fact that the center Of the lumber in
dustry is nearing the Pacific Coast means
higher freight rates as well as bulky ma
terial taking up the car space Of other
commodities.
I've must have a national forest policy
in this country. It is a simple business
proposition that would put the idle land
nearer the centers Of population to work
growing timber and thereby reducing the
cost Of construction. The Smell bill has
the backing of the American Newspaper
Publishers Association, the Association
Of Wood Using Industries and hundreds
of similar organizations, as well as the
American Forestry Association. To the
South comes a great opportunity. All
success to the conference in Atlanta next
Wednesday"
With the transportation condition in
regard to forest products as outlined
Pack is opposed to any tariff on lumber.
He believes that, with the country in
vital need Of at least a million homes
and quite as many II not more farm
buildings for agricultural purposes, now
is the time-tO build. because it is certain
that prices OF lumber will Increase as
the years 90 by to such an extent that
unless adequate housing is now provided
it viii be seriously retarded by growing
ccsts.