The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-03
CONSERVE LUMBER NOW OR SHORTAGE WILL HURT--QU|NN
Commissioner of Conserya- ton Urges KiIby to Include Appeal For Forest Pro-
 lection in Message
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD


 Heroic measures must bs under taken by the legislature next year if Alabama Is not to bo forced into a lumber famine ana is not to be made an importer rather than an ex- porter of lumber. according to I. T. Quinn. state commissioner of conser- vation, who has made a close study of the forestry problems of Alabama in recent months and has brought to Governor Kilby's attention start ling Information regarding the rapid destruction of the states forests. MT. Quinn requested Governor Kilby to include in his message to the legislature an appeal for the en- actmant of laws which will pro- vide for the protection of the states forests and for the reforestation of the lands from which the timber has been removed. He called attention to the fact that few years ago Mobile was the leading port for the export of lumber in the world. It has now dropped to sixth place. In 1910. according to MT. Quinn, Alabama was first among the southern states in the production of lumber. It is now in third place.
 The commissioner of conservation ton of the lumber supplies and for the reforestation of the states lands must be worked out if Alabama does not have a lumber famine during tho next few years.
 Heavy Woods Made
 We are today cutting our timber more than four times as fast as we are producing it," continued Commits sioner Quinn's analysis of the timber situation in Alabama. "Only ten per cent of what Is now being cut ia original growth, the other ninety per cent being second growth and of in ferior grade.
 "In 1919 there were $50 saw mills In Alabama cutting pine timSer. or this number thirty had a ten-year cut or over. In 1922 we have ap- proximately 500 saw mills cutting pine timber with possible fifteen with a ten-year cut or over. These figures sound appalling and they are but they are as nearly correct as the government estimates can make them.
 T am reliably informed that the states of Georgia and Texas are to- day importing moro lumber for do- mestic purposes than they are ex- porting. At the present rapid rate Alabama will be doing the same thing within a few years.
 The number of people whose livelihood depends, directly or indi- rectly, upon our forests is very large. The place of forest products In sus- taining the present industrial struc- ture of the state is of great impor- tance.
 Much Cut-Over Land
 Between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of the state is classed as forest land. We have then land problem, a question of how half of the state is to be utilized in the future. The problem of Alabama is to make the forest lands of the highest service in building up the state on a perma- nent basis. We have approximately six million acres of cut-over land in the state with less than 50 per cent of 1t suitable to profitable agricul- ture. The remainder is practically worthless except for growing timber.
 The lumberman claims that the present assessed valuation of these cut-over lands will not permit re- forestation because they would be forced to pay taxes on them for long period of years before they could get any returns and by that time the taxes would have eaten up all the profit
 "ln the state of Louisiana there Is in operation severance license tax in lumber and other natural re- sources. Out of this severance license tax revenues are obtained to run a division of forestry in the depart ment of conservation.
 Forest Fires Hurt
 "The nominal tax value Is put on non-agricultural cut-over acres. which enables the commissioner of conservation to enter into a contract with the land owner, under the direc- ton of a trained state forester, to reforecast these cut-over lands. The reduced tax income to the state on areas under contract Is made up through the severance license tax, In some of the other states the division of forestry is operated upon reve- nue secured through an occupation tax. <. "The legislature of Alabama in