The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-12-22

If any there are who regard forestry
merely as the hobby of impractical
idealists-- an ism Of no everyday ap,
plication to the affairs Of busy men
it will be worth their while to look In
at some Of the sessions Of the New
England Forestry Congress that will
| be held in the State House from Dec
~ TO 20. From the printed programme
Of the events scheduled for those three
/ days il is apparent that in the opinion
of our manufacturers this subject has
/ a vitality practical bearing upon our
industrial Developments, and upon the
social aspects of the community as
well. In those industrial enterprises of
New England that are connected with
the forests and their products more
than 10000 people are employed, and
the capital invested in these varied
undertakings has been computed at
not far from 100000, 900. TO keep
these hands and dollars profitably
busy, in short to insure the perma-
hence of the industries, is becoming a
problem of considerable consequence.
As the years 60 on more and more Of
the raw material requisite for the
wood-using plants Of this region has
to be brought from beyond the borders,
even from the Pacific coast, and at an
ever rising cost. Probably not far
from thirty per cent of this material
rs now imported by New England in
dustries. Indeed Massachusetts has to
rely on outside eources for all of eighty
mar aaof ~ sfs rav. I,,.,, Ia. Al T.:
spite Of the ever widening use OF
substitutes for wood wherever possible
the demand for wood increa ses, and
will inevitably continue to increase. IL
is indispensable.
twenty-five years ago this month,
when a score Of men and women or
ganized the Massachusetts, Forestry
association, the threat of this situa-
tion was clearly perceptible. Since
then through the persistent efforts OF
that organization and its allies much
has been accomplished in this state to
hasten the day when our woodlands
shall begin to contribute once more to.
ward the supply of the local plants.
Some of the other states Of the group.
notably New Hampshire, Vermont and
Connecticut. have also made progress
toward encouraging private timber
growing, and to provide state and town
forests. There, were relatively few
foresters in this country |
twenty-five years ago, and the lumber. !
men OF that period were wont to scout |
the notion that that branch Of engineer
ing could contribute anything of i'm |
portance 10 the success of their bust /
ness. In those days fires in the woods /
were very generally regarded as in
escapable evils. Practically no at
tempt was made at prevention, and
control methods were largely inef
fectusl Lumber was still relatively
heap. There vet remained considerable
areas of virgin timber even in Nv
England
Meantime the foresters have won rec.
ignition for their profession. Every
New England state now maintains one
,r more foresters on its administration
taft Through stringent laws and
public endeavor deter
mined effort Is being made to restrict
he FIRE hazard In New Hampshire,
Vermont. Massachusetts, and Connecti-
'ut many. thousands Of acres of state
ind town forests have been estab-
ished and put under professional
and national forest Of
Yearly half million acres in extent
las been purchased in the White noun
aims.
All this spells progress. II indirates
more generally awakened public ap.
'reciation Of the seriousness of the