Evening star., 1923-12-23
By G. GOULD LINCOLN.

- ONGRESS. the states and the
people generally are becom-
~ ing aroused to the need OF
effective measures to pre-
serve the forests Of the nation and to
devise some plan by which there may
be an orderly cutting OF forest prod
ucts without the ultimate destruction
OF the forests. There must, at the
same time, be an adequate supply Of
timber to meet the economic needs
OF the country.
The first fruit of an investigation
OF the entire subject Of reforestation
by special Senate committee, con-
Quoted over a period Of nine months,
was the Introduction a few days ago
of a bill by Senator McNary of Ore
Eon, chairman OF the COMMITTEES
This bill proposes close cooperation
between the federal government and
the states to protect the forests; a
study Of the relation of taxation to
forest perpetuation, with the purpose
: IN view of helping to perpetuate the
forests through favorable tax laws
cooperation in assisting the farmers
or the country to keep up wood lots
shelter belts, etc; amendment of the
weeks law so as to widen the pro-
vision under which purchases Of for
ested and cutover lands within the
watersheds Of navigable streams may
be made; cooperation with the states
an the production and distribution OF
forest tree seeds and plants for the
purpose of establishing forests upon
denuded or non-forested lands; au-
Jhority to accept on the part OF the
government donations Of lands chief
~ suitable for the growing of tim
Der and authority for the President
10 extend further the national forests
Bill n Concrete Proposal.
Senator McNary's bill is not in
tended to be the finished product of
The committees work. Rather it pre-
sents a concrete proposal upon which
the committee will work, with the
idea Of introducing later a measure
summing up their recommendations
Such a bill will probably be offered
at the time the committee files it's
. final report with the Senate. The
other members of the committee are
Senators Moses of New Hampshire.
Eouzens of Michigan, Harrison of
Mississippi and Fletcher of Florida.
During the recess of Congress this
committee visited the forest sections
or the south. the west, the states bor-
dering on the great lakes and New
England. holding hearings and care
fully investigating the situation.
The annual report of the forester
, OF the United States William b,
Greeley. just made public. lays en-
phasis upon the need of the national
government taking the lead in the
matter of forest protection and de-
velopment. At the same time his re-
port indicates that the vital neces-
slty OF acting, and acting without de-
lay, to prevent the destruction of the
forests has impressed itself more and
more upon the states.
Especially does the report of the
forester call attention to the need of
the practice of scientific forestry
whereby only the mature timber Is
cut and care is taken to have a con-
stantly maturing supply for each sue
ceeding year-and to the need of re-
forestation of the land already de-
nuded
Forests Being Drained.
Under existing conditions the for
ests of the country are being drained
The remaining virgin timber In the
south and the far west, Mr.. Greeley
points out, make it possible to meet
rhe needs for high grade lumber. But
the cost is mounting steadily. Sec
ondgrowth eastern forests exc out
the supply of lumber required in this
country.
The huge total of $4,000, ,o0o, 900
cubic feet of wood is being drained
from American forests annually.
Growth, it is said, replaces only