The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-05
Frederick Haskin's Letter
A National Forest Policy.
Especial Correspondents of The Argus

stance as the federal goyernmo,.
This part of the measure So So
mean the introduction of upiforr.
efficient methods of FIRE profectin-
and reforestation in every 80, ,''H
The need for it may be gaura5 -
the fact that experts pronounce on-
forest ire protection system o,Ir
20 per cent efficient. There ~
! about 175,000,0OO acres of foras.
in this country which are nor ~
tected from fire at all. and III.
means wealth going I'D in smoLs
just as surely as if you toucheT .
match to 1t. Only % of the sta
have forest fire protection svstor1s
at all. New York and PennsvIva1t-
have to import about 80 per cent os
the timber they use. because of the
depletion of their forests.
A Forest Survey.
The bill also provides for 4 oom
plete survey of our forest resorrca.
This is one of its most inncrt,rf
provisions, in the eyes of The fo-
esters. No one knows what Mo
have in this line or lust whera -
is. Equally important from 10
technical point of view is the An
preparation of million dollars a
year for five years to be spent in
studying the utilization of Wool
and also the problems of forpstr,,
taxation. The forest products Iab-
oratory at Madison, Wis. has al
ready demonstrated the great nos
sibilities of new methods in tha
use of wood. For example il sav--
ed box manufacturers a million dol
lars year. 1t is developing vavs
of seasoning wood in kilns which
promise to save millions II has
mGnstrated repeatedly that scieD-
tific research in this line paws i'm
mediate and large returns.
The taxation OF forests is a mai
ter requiring much study. It should
be so arranged, the fOresters say
that the planting and growing Of
timber crops will pay.
The bill would also appropriaia
a million year for five years 70 be
used in reforeSting denuded lands
in national forests. There are a
million and a half acres of burned
over land in the national forests
that must be reseeded.
Ten million dollars Is asked for
buying new areas to be put into ma
tlOnal forest. These are areas IN tina
and elsewhere in the
east which can be purchased by the
now at relatively low
prices. They will cost more in the
future and the timber upon them
will be scarcer. National forests in
he east should have been acquired
ong ago.
This section of the bin should
he of special interest to the public
because of the great value and in
crest which the national forests
n the west have developed as play
rounds. In the east all of the
nest camping and fishing and hunt
ng country is privately owned but
"a the west, by reason OF the nation
] forests, poor man can have
ummer home in the best mountain
ountry in the world.
The measure would also increase
ne size of the national forests By
the exchange OF tim
er in national forests for lands
Inside of them. This means that
n individual or company which
wned deforested timber land out
ide of. but contiguous to a rs
ional forest, could exchange it for
o many board feet OF timber on
ational forests. This timber would
( course be cut under directions
f the forest service SO Is not 70
ljure the stand Meanwhile the
crest service could reforest the
enuded lands acquired by tbs
lethod.
The Smell bill seems 70 be -
arded by all authorities as a mod
conservation measure 1t calls
)r a good deal of money. but money
expended in conserving national re- s
ources and in learning how 10 +
Sc them. is money that makes
eturn to the taxpayer. II makes
lie things he needs cheaper and
royides opportunity for employ
lent and investment Il is the tax
loney paid for armies and naVieS
nd the machinery OF government
nd in loans to foreign powers that
eally leaves US forever