Evening star., 1922-05-21
PLAN DRASTIC REGULATION
OF THE LUMBER INDUSTRY
Conservationists Give Alarming Figures
to Show How Rapidly American Forests
Are Being Denuded of Timber.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY q. GOuLD LlNCOLN.
T is difficult to conceive time when,
in the United States, wood-just
plain. ordinary wood-snall become
SO scare that it will be impossible
to use it for kindling fire, and prices
of lumber for structural purposes will
make the war prices for lumber pale
into insignificance. But that is just
where this country is headed, according
to the conservationists. Furthermore,
the American people are going ahead
using up the vast natural resources OF
the country without any heed for the
future, much in the spirit Of After
us. the deluge."
II the American people, and particu-
larly the lumber people. intend to pro-
ceed in this extravagant use of the lum-
ber resources of the people. then. say
the conservationists. it is time to call
a halt So the foremost men in the con-
servation group-"bloc" Is the more
popular term pow-have drafted a bill
Senator Capper of Kansas has intro
duced it in the Senate and Secretary
Wallace of the Department Of Agricul-
ture, under whom comes the forest serv-
ice. has written a report on the meas
ure which strongly urges that some-
thing be done to stem the waste and
unwise use of the lumber resources of
the country.
Measure More Drastic
Than Any in Past.
The bill now put forward by the con-
servationists+withG Clifford Pinchot. once
United States forester. in leading roll
is much more drastic than any pro-
posal for regulating the lumber business
of the proposed law returns must be
In fact the new bill proposes to deal
with all Commercial forest land" in
the United States, which means all
private land within this country
which is now or. hereafter in forest.
except farm wood lots. 1t proposes
that the Secretary Of Agriculture
shall set, up standards under which
forest crops" shall be harvested;
that federal licenses shall be issued
to all Operators engaged in the
business of harvesting forest crops;
that the country shall be divided by
the Secretary into forest regions"
In order that the standards establish
ed and defined by regional and local
regulations may be adapted to and
applied In accord with local forest
and economic conditions.
Resulatfon of Industry
by Means Of Taxation.
The new law Is to be called the
.Yaxatfon of forest products act"
1t is proposed to use the power of
taxation as the basis for the control
of the lumber industry. A more or
less nominal tax is to be paid upon
the products of the forest harvested
in accordance with the standards and
regulations established by the secre-
tary of Agriculture in conjunctions
with the regional and local authori-
ties. This tax is to be five cents per
thousand board feet, standard log
scale. in respect to all taxable prod
ucts of the forest. But where the
products are below the standard set
and produced not in conformity with
the regulations. then the tax is to be
raised from five cents to IS per thou
sand feet.
To carry out the taxation features
of the proposed law returns must be
made by the operators each year-on
or before March 15-for the preceding
year, just as returns are now made
sen incomes to the internal revenue
S6ol1ector. But these forest crop re-
xtzrns must be made in duplicate to
lkhe internal revenue collector and to
the regional forester. The bill pro-
vides for field inspection and exam
tnation of accounts; for the impositi IN
tpf heavy penalties. including fine and
Imprisonment. Also the Secretary of
agriculture ia directed to recommend
for each forest region of the United
States the essential requirements in
protecting timber and cut-over lands
from fire.
Secretary Wallace Gives ~
Some Alarming Figures.
The bill seems to the layman dras-
ito in the extreme. 1t proposes that
the government shall lay its heavy
shand on private business for regula-
tory purposes once again. But, on