2 Miscellaneous Circular 39, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 
public forests are safeguarded from thirds of the total volume is lost. A 
fire and dedicated to timber growing. rhird of this loss, it is estimated, can 
Of private forest lands—in extent under present economic conditions and 
much the most important part of our with tried and tested methods be 
forests—a little more than half have saved—a yearly saving nearly as great 
more or less adequate protection as all the timber our forests grow 
against fire. On the rest fire is free each year. Saving timber, it is ob- 
to ravage the young growth and sub- vious, will not only reduce the amount 
ject the forest to a steady deteriora- we must grow, but if started now on 
tion; but the Clarke-McNary law, an effective scale it will relieve the 
passed by the last session of Congress, timber shortage and make less drastic 
will IT hope speedily change the out- the social and economic readjust- 
look for these neglected forests. It ments this shortage will force upon 
authorizes Congress, in cooperation us. A tree saved is a tree grown. 
with the States, to establish systems In the coming struggle for timber, 
of protection against fire; and it au- economic survival among the forest 
thorizes, among other things, coopera- industries will depend on economic 
tion in tree planting and a study to fitness. Economic fitness will be meas- 
develop stable and equitable forest ured by good management and good 
taxation. Very considerable progress technical processes. These qualities 
has been made under previous legisla- come from research and from train- 
tion in joint fire protection. ing; and the forest industries, to 
Under the Weeks Law the Federal reach a high level of skill, must make 
Government has purchased about 2 a full use of both these tools of mod- 
million acres of forest land in the ern industrial progress. Hitherto the 
Eastern States, as the nucleus of a diversity, the geographical isolation, 
national forest system for the East. and the small average size of our 
Congress has wisely provided for wood-using industries, coupled with 
forest experiment stations in 6 of our abundance of raw material, have kept 
10 or 12 principal forest regions, sta- them from advancing as rapidly in 
tions that are destined to become cen- improved methods as some of our 
ters of knowledge and guidance to- more highly concentrated industries. 
ward better forest practice. Much But timber shortage will force com- 
valuable work has been done by vari- petition in better methods. Much is 
ous Government agencies in combat- already known of better methods, and 
ing forest insects and diseases, and the time is already here when this 
in research in many phases of better knowledge can be profitably employed. 
utilization of timber. Many companies have, in fact, made 
Among private agencies also there notable progress in waste reduction 
has been promising activity. Associa- and are furnishing examples of what 
tions of timber owners in many re- can be done by careful management 
gions, have established fire protection. and expert planning. It seems pos- 
Here and there private owners have sible that the individual industries, 
embarked on timber growing as a by banding together, can overcome 
profitable investment, and the indus- their handicaps of isolation and col- 
tries dependent on our forests are tak- lectively employ more experts to work 
ing a keener interest in working out out better processes. 
a forest policy. Forestry associations, It is to consider joint efforts to- 
State forestry departments, and forest ward better forest utilization that 
schools are lending invaluable aid to this conference has been summoned. 
the forestry movement. It is a movement in which the State 
There are hopeful signs. Yet we and National Governments, the indus- 
have started too late and are moving tries, the universities, the consumers, 
too slowly to bridge the gap between and the technical experts should join. 
cut and growth. We must adjust The various Government agencies 
ourselves to an era of reduced per equipped to help will, I know, be 
capita consumption. We must hus- eager to do what they can to for- 
band our supplies. Granted that we ward this undertaking. So vast an 
shall get into effect a big-scale pro- enterprise as the forest-using indus- 
gram of timber growing, it would be tries must not be allowed to decline 
poor business to go to the expense of for lack of raw material, We have 
growing timber if we should persist in abundant soil to produce it. We have 
losing a large part of the crop by un- the energy and the intelligence to 
satisfactory ways of manufacturing learn to use our forests without waste. 
and using it. Between cutting the This conference ought to lay the 
timber in the woods and finally put- foundation of a far-reaching and ef- 
ting the product to use, nearly two- fective effort for forest thrift.