Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-11-06

in 1926 special fire fighting appropriation
of $4,000 made. In Mississippi, which has no
forestry department, the government appointed a
reforestation committee Missouri established a
state forestry policy under the state board OF agr'
culture. Montana established several forests
and decided that all state lands chiefly valuable
shall be held state forests.
New Hampshire enacted laws affecting many
phases of forestry; they said to be 100 per
cent efficient North Carolina created department
of conservation and development. New York
amended Its forestry laws and appropriated 1920
for reforesting for nurseries. Ohio provided
for the classification of its forest lands. Oregon
adopted entirely forestry code; tax COM
mission of five named. Oklahoma created
the Supreme court, will In 1928 the forest
loan act" Vermont passed an enabling act allow
ing the federal government to purchase land for
national forests; so did wisconsin West Virginia
passed a fre-control law.
Some sort of activity in the legislatures of at
least one-half of the states is Indicated by this
survey. The people in many parts of the country
have passed the "Plant Tree stage and arrived
at the "Plant Forest" stage, thanks to
the activities of the American Tree association,
the American Nature association the General
Federation of Women's Clubs and other nation
wide organizations; the "Town Forest" movement
has taken hold In the East and is spreading. High
prices are forcing the application by industries
of scientific principles in the handling of wood
from cutting to use. Forest owners are being
forced into reforestation in elf-defense.
The new McNaryClarke act Is being vigorously
discussed everywhere. Some think it pitifuy in
adequate; they say 1t merely amounts to a tenta-
tive proposal by the federal government to go
ffty-ffty with the states fire protection, ultj
mately to the extent of $2,500000 a year-if the
states qualify and congress approprates its share.
Even it's supporters would supplement 1t with
new act appropriating $40OOO00o in period of ten
wears for the extension of the national forests,
largely In the East This proposal is anathema
to those who challenge the efficiency of the forest
service charging financial loss, poor fire protection
and lack of interest in reforestaton. Western live
stock men have made charges of poor management
against the forest service In connection with graz
ing in the national forests
Various committees and commissions represent
ing congress and other organizations have been
making Investigations this summer of all sorts of
questions in connection with the public domain
and national reservations. There will presumably
be much reporting and debating in the coming
congress Out Of all these activities, national,
state and local, should come much useful informa-
ton on the forestry situation and larger under
standing by the people.
One thing certainly seems to be essential to
saving the forests: definite comprehensive
national forestry policy administered by the fed
eral government-which alone has the authority
and the financial resources. Not much dependence,
it would seem, can be placed upon the states Only
83 Of them have forestry departments. Only
10 have state forests. Only 10 maintain state
nurseries. State forestry appropriations total
only about $5,500,000 yearly Moreover. under our
present system, we have department policies, state
policies, bureau policies, board policies commits
sion policies. No wonder we make little real prog
ress with such a tumble of conflicting policies
1t is Of course unthinkable that the American
people, the richest in the world and ndustrially
the most efficient-sha allow America to become
a treeIess nation And we cannot sit still and trust
TO Providence