Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-28
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN

WASHINGTON, d. c., Jan. 25.-
Everything made OF wood. from
toothpick TO a bungalow. costs more In
this country than II used 10 cost, and
lumber prices are rising every year.
The reason for this Is simple. The
people of the United States are con-
suming their timber supply four times
as fast as 1t Is growing.
This threatening situation In tho
cause OF tho attention which congress
IL now giving to the problem of the
national timber supply. Several meas
urcs have been drafted. and the house
committee on agriculture has been
holding hearings on one OF them, known
as the Smell Bill.
This bill has the support Of most of
the lumber companies. and therefore
has an excellent chance TO be enacted
into law. 1t has number of provisi-
ons for eniarKinK tho national forests.
reforesting devastated forest areas and
tho like. But tho important part OF
tho problem is the protection OF for
ests in private ownership from for
est fires, and the regulation of cutting
on these forests In such n way that
tho forest will not be destroyed but
will reproduce itself.
The Smell Bill ,ccks 10 accomplish
this by appropriating large sums OF
money TO he spent by tine Federal gov
governments and tho owners OF tim
her lands, in the protection OF private
forests from fire. This is to be done
on the me-honorcd system by which
tho Federal government will not spend
more In any ono state than is appro-
priated in that state locally.
This measure does not meet with the
undivided approval OF conservationists.
1t does not give tho Federal power. rep
resented by the secretary OF aEricul-
ture working thru the forest service,
and direct authority to enforce rules
cf fire protection or TO regulate meth
eds Of cutting so that forests shall not
be destroyed. The Federal government
merely appropriates money, and makes
experiments and suggestions. The
making and enforcing OF regulations is
left TO the state governments. In the
opinion OF those who hold that states
rights are all important. and that the
tendency of the Federal government
gradually to rob the state governments
o, their power and independence must
be checked, this is as IL should be.
IS FEDERAL CONSERVATION
NECESSARY
The argument on tho other ride 10
that in practice, when matters of con-
servation are left to the state govern.
ments. they are not adequately at
tended to. One state. for instance,
may pass an excellent forest law. and
in another state. whore forces inter-
cstcd in rapid exploitation dominate
tho legislature. practically nothing
may be done to protect a natural re-
source which is OF the utmost import
| ance TO all the people OF the nation.
| During Rooscvelt's administra tion the
| principal was established and acted
| upon that tho protection OF natural re-
sources, which are OF national eStent
0 4.
| the National government. The nation
! al forests were created on this prlnci-
! pie ih tho face or considerable opposi-
E tion. and tho wisdom of this measure
has since been generally conceded. IL
/ is argued that II is only n logical eI-
tension of the same principle 10 pro-
tcct forests in private ownership by
Federal authority, now that their pro-
lection has become necessary. To
leave the protection of private forests
to the state governments would he the
same in principle as leaving to the
states the creation OF forest reserva-
tions. The states failed in the latter
duty and most of them have done moth
ing adequate to protect private timber
lands
The principle of cooperation between
state and Federal governments in this
matter is obviously n compromise. and
one which has been made before. Since,
however, 1t leaves all real power in
the state government. 1t is not very
cffectual compromise. the conserva-
tionists urge. 1t is merely an oppor-
tunity for the Federal power to mako
| suggestions and for the tax payer to
| contribute n little money to the pro-
tecticn of forests in private ownership,
| without any assurance as to what he
will get for his money 1t may be
argued very plausiblv that the Federal
government should have authority In