The Washington herald., 1922-06-26
JOINS FARMERS
in PLEA AGAINST
FORESTRY CHANGE
National Lumber Manu-
facturers Body Objects
To Transfer. /.
SEEK CONSERVATION
Department of Agriculture
Proper Authority, Farm
Agent Writes
SEEK CONSERVATION

Two powerful organizations-the
National Lumber Manufacturers
Association and the American Farm
Bureau Federation-have Joined
forces to block the attempt to have
the Forest Service Transferred from
the Department Of Agriculture to
the Department OF Interior.
This alliance is revealed in cor
respondence between the two or
ganizations which has Just been
made public. A joining OF forces
was first proposed by the Lumber
Manufacturers Association in a let.
ter dated June 2. addressed to Gray
Silver. Washington representative
OF the Farm Bureau Federation.
The proposal OF the lumber man
ufacturers struck a responsive chord
in the Farm Bureau Federation,
Silver declares in his letter accept.
ing the proffered alliance.
When the National Lumber
Manufacturers' Association. which
can have no sentimental impulse In
the matter. declares in favor OF re-
tention OF the Forest Service in the
Department Of Agriculture" Silver
writes, ut greatly helps to dispel
the idea that the farmers are moved
merely by a selfish desire to defend
| their special department OF the Fed
raj government from a loss OF
power and authority.
There are sound reasons back OF
our ins'stence that the Forest Serv-
ice shall remain in the Department
OF Agriculture. That department is
essentially the conservation and
production department of the gov-
ernment. and its attitude toward the
national forests is therefore in har-
mony with the conditions imposed
oy the portentous depletion Of our
timber resources. 1t does not regard
the forests as timber mines, but as
timber fields. 1t administers them
with a view 20 maintaining contin-
uous productivity. This is essen
TALLY an activity of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
"If the forest lands were to be
sold off. ] agree that they ought
to be in the Department of Inter-
ior. with the rest of the public
domain. The fact that there are
some plots within the forest bound
aries that are patented from time
TO time, and thus involve the func-
tioning of the Department of the
Interior as a sales agency. Is a
minor factor in determining the
logical ALLEGATION OF the Forest
Service.
The basis of grouping Of bu-
reaus should be that OF function.
Viewed in that light the forests
belong in the Department of Agri-
culture just as much as the gov
eminent experiment farms do
Moreover. the Department of Agri-
culture is deeply concerned in pro-
noting the economical administra-
tion of the woodlots of farms
which in the aggregate make UP
the largest forest land holdings in
the country. IL would seem to be
fallacious classification that
would separate forestry on public
lands from the advancement of for
estry methods on private lands
Moreover. many other bureaus
OF the Department of Agriculture
are engaged in activities that have
an intimate relation with those OF
the Forest Service. The crossing OF
departmental lines involved In the
present position of the Forest Serv-
ice is slight compared with the like
crossing that would be involved
by transferring the service to the
Department of Interior"
The farmers of the country are
unanimously in favor of inaugu-
rating a general forest policy that
would insure a future timber sup
ply and make sylvaculture a per-
manent industry. according to Sill.
yer.
Personally. I am convinced that
We must have adequate fire protec-
tion and a system of taxation that
will promote the renewal of for
ests." he writes.