Evening star., 1932-10-25

Every one knows that we are using up
our American timber supply much faster
than the annual growth Of new timber.
Therefore, unless we are willing to face
. day not 20 far distant when we shall
become q nation dependent on import
ing the greater part Of our lumber from
other nations we must take immediate
steps greatly to increase our home
supply.
: II Is common sense, and not fantasy
to invest money In tree crops Just as
much as to grow annual agricultural
crops. The return on the investment is
Just as certain in the case Of growing
trees As 1t Is in the case Of growing po-
tatoes, or cotton, or wheat, or corn
and judging by present-day fluctuations
In the prices Of agricultural crops the
tree crop Is often safer investment.
Because we are young nation-be-
cause apparently limitless forests have
stood at our door, we have declined up
to now to think Of the future. Other
nations whose primeval forests were cut
of 1000 years ago have been growing
tree crops for many hundreds of years
I am convinced that herein lies q
fertile field, not only for the legitimate
investment Of capital, but also for the
employment Of labor.
There are. Of course, q few childish
minds who think Of reforestation or the
growing Of tree crops .as q process OF
setting out little Seeding trees which
have been grown In nurseries. Anybody
who has advanced beyond the kinder
garten stage knows better. Almost all
practical commercial reforestation is In
its origin an act of nature and not OF
man. The winds Of heaven carry the
seeds from trees that have already come
to maturity, scatter them over the
ground and the warm earth and the
rain and the sun do the rest. The use
of the labor Of man enters into the pic
ture when 1t becomes necessary to
eliminate the less valuable types OF
trees among the young growth, to Gull
out the crooked trees-the decayed trees
or the undergrowing trees and to pre-
vent ravages of fire in the growing
forests. These are things which any
beginner in agriculture or in forestry
should know, and. may add. are things
which my Secretary of Agriculture will
know.
e National Forests Cited.
Let US remember that the Federal
Government owns hundreds of thou
odll0o VA 0SACo "a oO-SoAACA AAubA0hoA
forest along the chain of the Appala-
chan system. We all know that large
part of this national forest consists OF
second growth, third growth or fourth
growth. cut-over land. which is now
growing up, like Topsy, into q hetro-
geneous conglomeration Of all kinds OF
trees-some good, some bad and some
Indifferent. We also know. as prac-
tical matter that unless something is
done with this land the timber on it
viii have comparatively little value
when it comes to maturity. 1t needs
the aid of man to clear out the dead
wood and encourage only the growth
that will best serve the national need
in the days to come. Is there any good
reason, financial, common, sense, OF
otherwise, why the Federal Government
should not undertake the proper care
Of ITS own property? Here again is an
other field for the employment Of great
numbers of our citizens.
This afternoon an agriculture-for-
estry committee conferred with me on
the vital necessity of a national agri-
cultural policy. Here are two short
paragraphs from their report, which are
worth hearing in every home in the
land:
"The basic economic interests. agri-
culture which includes forestry. Is
prostrated. carrying with it the super
structure of finance and industry; but
far more than these is the destruction
of human values-those human values
which in reality are the spirit OF
America-the reason for the vision OF
its founders.
Results are the expression of causes
When there is starvation Of spirit and
body in a land Of abundant natural re-
sources. land Of plenty, no further evil
dence is needed of failure Of the powers
intrusted with control Of government"
That last sentence will express the
deep understanding which the great
majority Of voters of this Nation have
of the principal issue Of this national
campaign,
Proposes Farm Policy.
During these weeks I have made 1t
abundantly clear that propose a ma
tional agricultural policy which will
direct itself not only to the better use
of our hundreds of millions of acres OF
every type of land in the United States
but also to the rehabilitation of that
half OF our population which is living
on or directly concerned with the
products of the SOIL
Our object must be the rebuilding OF
the rural civilization of America. Our
object must be all-inclusive-a con-
structive program attacking the enemy
on every front.
Opposed to this constructive program
is the administrators doctrine Of de-
spair The President, in his speech of
acceptance, preached this doctrine OF
despair to the suffering farmers Of the
country. He said in substance that the
farmer must wait the long weary
process of industrial reconstruction
before aid can come to him. He at
tempted to close the door Of hope with
that doctrine Of despair. In fact. since
the very beginning of this depression
he has opposed substantially every pro-
posal of the farm leaders Of this coun-
try for legislative relief. and sometimes
with the greatest and most unbecoming
bitterness
After concealing from the people OF
the country the constantly sinking con-
dition of industry and growing unem-
ployment, he opposed the Democratic
measures introduced in Congress to
meet destitution and give employment
to labor. He still contended. as he doe
now. that there is no hope for the
farmer or the laborer until prosperity
returns through the slow process of
world reconstruction.
Whenever q remedy Is proposed to
increase the price of farm products OF
reduce unemployment in our country
he satisfied himself by engaging in
ridicule and preaching the doctrine OF
despair. I do not believe in the doc
trine Of despair.
Now, my friends, let me make clear
in as emphatic words as can find, the
fundamental issue in this campaign
Mr.. Hoover believes that farmers and
workers must wait for general recovery
until some miracle occurs by which
the factory wheels revolve again. Nc
one knows the formula Of this miracle
I. on the other hand. am saying over
and over that believe that we can
restore prosperity here in this country
by re-establishing the purchasing power
OF half of the people Of the country
that when this gigantic market oi
So, ,o00, 900 people is able to purchase