Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-01-28
SAVE THE WOODS


washington, Jan. 2s,--Everything
made of wood. from a toothpick to a
bungalow. costs moro In this country
than Il used to cost. and lumber prices
are rising every year. Tho reason for
this is simple. The people Of the Uni
ted states are consuming their tim
Der supply four times as fast as II Is
growing.
This threatening situation is the
cause Of the attention which Congress
la now giving to the problem Of the
national timber supply. Several
measures have been drafted, and the
House committee on agriculture has
been holding hearings on one OF them.
known as the Shell bill.
This bill has the support OF most OF
the lumber companies. and therefore
has an excellent chance 70 be enacted
into law. 1t has a number Of provi-
sions for enlarging the national for
csts, reforesting devastated forest
areas and the like. But the important
part of the problem is the protection
Of forests in private ownership from
forest fires, and the regulation OF cut
ting on these forests in such way
that the forest will not be destroyed
Rbut will reproduce itself.
The Smell bill seeks TO accomplish
this by appropriating large sums Of
money to be srent by the Federal
government, In cooperation with the
state governments and the owners Of
timber lands, in the protection OF
private forests from fire. This is TO
bs done on the time-honored sys-
tenn by which the Federal government
will not spend more In any one State
than is appropriated In that State
locally.
This measure does not meet with
the undivided approval OF conserva-
tionists. II does not give the Fedora
power, represented by the Secretary
of Agriculture working through tn,
Forest Service. any direct authority
TO enforce rules Of fire protection o.
to regulate methods Of cutting 81
that forests shall not be destroyed
The Federal government merely ap
propriates money, and makes expert
nents and suggestions. The makini
and enforcing Or regulations is lef
to the State governments. In tn,
opinion of those who hold that States
rights are all important, and that tn
tendency Of n Federal government
! gradually to rob the State govern
, ments of their power and independence
must be checked. this is as il shout
: be.
Is Federal Conservation Necessary
The argument on the other side !
that in practice, when matters of con
servation are left to the State govern
, nents, they are not adequately al
tended to. One State, for instanc,
, may pass an excellent forest law, an
In another. State, where forces inter
: ested in rapid exploitation dorninat
!, the Legislature. practically noth.n
2 may be done TO protect a natural re
source which is of the utmost impol
lance TO all the people OF the natiol
During Roosevets administration I'll
principle was established and acte
!, Upon that the protection of natur;
> resource, which are OF national e,
tent and Importance, should be a dut
:, of the national government. The ns
: tional forests were created on tn
q principle in the face OF considerab
opposition. and the wisdom of tn
I measure has since been generally cor
! coded 1t is argued that 1t is only
: logical extension OF the same princip
= 10 protect forests in private owner
ship by Federal authority, now thu
!, their protection has become necessar
To leave the protection OF private TO
ests to the State governments would
the same in principle as leaving
the States the creation OF forest re
ervations. The States failed in 4
- latter duty and most of them ha
- done nothing adequate to protect pl
a. vate timber lands.
o. The principle of cooperation
~ tween state and Federal governmer
No in this matter is obviously compr
70 mise. and one which has been ma
10 before. Since, however, it leaves
a real power in the state government.