Lumber Executive Gathers lnformation in Central Europe Refating to Forest Conservation Under the Lumber Code

Washington-Wilson Compton, general manager of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, recently re_ turned from a tour, ,of the forests of Central Europe, undertaken for the purpose of gathering information which will assist the American forest industries in their program of forest conservation under the Lumber and Ti*b., Products Code. This,program is described by him as the "most fundamental forest conservation program in national history", and will eventually apply to virtually the entire privately owned forest area of the United States.

Dr. Compton represented the lumber industry as a whole in a party of industrialists and foresters *hose trip was sponsored by the Oberlaender Trust, an institution dedi_ cated to the encouragem,ent of helpful relations between America and the German speaking countries. The results of the investigation will be immediately laid before the Lumber Code Authority and the Government for consideration in working out further details of the Consbrvation Code, which is a part of the Lumber Code.

"Our so-called Forest Conservation Code',, Dr. Comp- ton said, in commenting on his trip, ,.calls for a gradual transformation of forest exploitation into permanent forest production through the maintenance of forest lands in sustained productive use. The nations of Central Europe, particularly Germany, have gone through the same stages. There are obvious points at which we may profit by their experience. Particularly in the past century Germany, in its gradual evolution into an industrial from an agricul- tural nation, has been under the economic necessity of making maximum use of its forest resources which in pro- portion to population are only about one-tenth of the. forest resources of the United States. During that century, careful management of forest lands has increased their productivity by as much as four times in favorably situated forest land, and more than doubled it in less favorable locations. The countries of Central Europe have developed almost complete 'Classification' of lands with the result that practically all sub-marginal lands are now in continuing forest growth.

, "Central Europe has not found the answer to its forest problem by national ownership of forest lands. In fact, the percentage of public ownership is generally less than in the United States. Czechoslovakia is an exception. As a result of land laws following the war,.great for,est ownerships were expropriated by the State with nominal compensation. But within a dozen years the Czech Government now managing these expropriated lands has been losing annually about one hundred million kroners. or about five million dollars, whereas previously the Government was receiving an equivalent amount of taxes.

"Germany, like the Scandinavian countries, has developecl forest conservation conditions and policies different from our own in five important respects:

"1. There are virtually no forest fires. Public sentiment ardently supports the policy of individual responsibility for preventable fires.

"2. Reasonably large forest owneiships, sufficient for sustained forest industry, are encouraged or at least not handicapped.

"3. Forest land ownership is an accepted sound basis of finance and securities based on forest ownership have a degree of liquidity unknown on the American continent.

"4. Forest property is insurable and to a considerable extent is protected by insurance.

"5. Forest taxation generally includes a small annual ground tax, a tax on net income, often with a small percentage tax on gross sales of forest products. These countries have learned by experience that the progress toward permanent forestry is largely measured by the extelt to which annual taxation of forest property is based on income or yield."