Lumber Merchant Answers L. A. Times Attack on Redwood Cutters

In their issue of September sitr ltre Los Angeles Times printed under the name of their editorial writer. Harrv Carr, an attack on the Redwood manufacturers tfiat wai bitter, ungenerous, unfair, untrue, and unworthy of so g'reat a. paper._ Its character was such that we prefer not to reprint it, believing that such utterances weie written and .printed without ,due consideration, and, by failing to reprint it we are trying to be more generous fo Mr. Carr and the Times, than they were to thi subjects of the editorial.

The California Lumber Merchant publisher immediately addressed to Mr. Carr a letter, copy oi which is found hereafter, statinC tle facts, and suggisting he give the Redwood people a fair deal in a later editoiial.

We imm-ediately had a reply from Mr. Carr, which read as follows ; same forceful manner in which you so recently "skinned" him. f want to give you the other side of the case of the men -who cut down Redwood trees for commercial purposes. Yours was the opinion of the sentimentalist. I do not use that word critically or sarcastically, forI apply it to myself as well, and likewise to most of the men I know who cut down commercial trees.

I apologize in advance for the length of the letter, but necessity forbids terseness in this matter.

.

"My Dear Mr. Dionne: you have written me a most interesting- and courteous letter--one that g1"", *. -i"n food for thought and comment. There ari two sides to most questions-even, so it seems_to cutting down the Redwoods. Sincerely, Harry Carr.,,

But so far as we have been able to discover neither Mr. Carr nor the Times-have had anything furthei il';;t;; the subject-not a fair word ioi peoile m"tignea. 'tt " great trouble with over-caustic remaiks it th"at it is so hard to take them back. yet we had believed that Mr. Carr would, after reading 1!re facts, enough- to -write the othei side of the problem, or at leas? print- the facts as we arrayed them. 'We "r. ,""f, Ji._ appointed that he has not dorre so.

Our letter follows:

' Los Angeles, Cal., Sept. 6, 1927. Mr. Harry Carr, The Los Angeles Times, Los AngeleslCal.

Dear Mr. Carr:

For many _years I have continuously read and contin_ ,l1lry. enJoyed .your editorial remarks and opinions, and nave ln the main found them fair, as well as clever.

I have formed the-opinion without knowing you person_ ally,,that the man who writes that column is"fa'ir #d ;t;" minded and would welcome any facts that would help put the other fellow in a truer arr'd bette, tietrt.

Holding that opinion, I am writing tf,is letter asking only one tavor-that _you give it a fair reading and, if ii li.{ .1I the practical matiers I will try to prlsent put a better- light on the subject of one of your relent sc"ihirr'e editorials, you give him the benefit oi that opi"io; il il:

I never looked up into the branches of a great tree without a sense of awe. I never saw one fall without a feeling of regret. I believe most men feel the same'way. That emotion doesn't even confine itself to the higher order of mankind. I knew a mill man over in the South, where I came from, who offered a negro a job sawing down trees, which was declined. And when the mill min asked him why he wouldn't cut trees if he needed a job, the colored brother replied: "Captain, Ah nevah did he'p build up no trees, an' I ain't nevah gwine to he'p tear none down." I know that feeling, and you do.

And yet, I believe I can convince you or any other reasonable man that the bulk of the commercial forests must go to the axe, and what I have to say is not entirely commercial and business talk.It likewise is sentimental, but sentiment of a practical kind.

You object to the cutting down of these Redwoods that stood when the Galilean Prophet was preaching on the Hills of Galilee. All right, let us suppose that such an opinion became the law of the land, and it was made a crime to cut a Redwood. Have you stopped to consider what it would mean to the timbered districts of California? Let's consider it.

Today every Redwood tree is taxed. Upon what? Its commercial value. Not on its value as a tree, but its value as lumber and wood products. Forbid the cutting of that tree, destroy automatically its commercial value lnd taxation upon that tree immediately ceases. You can't tax or levy upon a th_ing made valueless by law. Beauty and sentiment are NOT taxable.

Then what becomes of those counties whose sole taxable properties are timber and timber lands? What becomes of the men, women and children who make their homes, and win their livelihood, and maintain their schools, and live and move and have their being in those counties? Isn't there some sentiment about thiir opportunity for living?

For when you stop the cutting of those treix what ha-p-

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(Continued from Page 10) pens_to those counties and districts? Simple enough. Total p,aralysis of all human activity! That's all! Tlie campt shut down and their payroll ceases. The mills close and t!'e employment of their men terminates. They must go elsewhere for their employment. They can't -even tuin to agriculture, for you can't raise crops in a forest. The taxes that come from the timber and timbered lands are no more. The tax supported schools must close. The ta:r supported county institutions of all sorts, finding themselves without income, cease to function and then to exist. The taxes that the mills pay are also gone. Income ceases. And when it does, civilization ceases.

Forbid the cutting of the trees and the great Redwood forests would remain beautiful. Tourists would proclaim at their wonders. But what has become of the district where the whole asset from a commercial, industrial and tax-getting viewpoint has begn destroyed?

Think it over and see if you can make a single suggestion that would prevent the total destruction of those districts of the state. No men would live there but trappers and campers. Civilization would be impossible.

It is true that these Redwoods stood when Jesus preached on the hills of Galilee. And what did He preach? The gospel of Service, was it not? And what service have these trees rendered throughout the centuries? What service can they render if left untouched?

But they give their lives to the Service of Man when they are used commercially. Their commercial value makes them taxable before they are cut, and furnishes the funds for supporting civilization in their territories. Men, women and children live and prosper because these trees are GOING TO BE CUT. Then, the mills and camps furnish essential employment to thousands of men, and to their families. The taxes and the payrolls that come only from these trees COMMERCIALLY are the life blood of trhese timbered areas, and support everything from school to Government.

Go farther. When the timbet' is cut into commercial things, it goes out into the world fulfilling the Gospel of Service and performing a continual service for mankind. For hundreds of years to come it forms a shelter for man and his possessions-a service no tree can render.

And again it is taxed in the form of buildings, and again because of its commercial value it is supporting the home, the school, the Government, and the necessities of civiliza- tion. And it continues to do this as long as those buildings shall stand-long after we of today have gone tp sleep.

Redwood is a rot-resisting wood. We have little such left in this country. It is needed because of particular commercial virtues that are found in no other wood.

Which, do you think, comes nearest to fulfilling ttrc Gospel of Servic+the Redwood tree valued commercially or the Redwood tree without commercial value, standing untouched and protected by law?

Let's resume this thing. Take a Redwood county, forbid the cutting of the trees on whatever basis you please and you have:

No taxes from trees.

No taxes from the land under the trees.

No payroll or income.

No freight to support railroad service into the district.

Just scenery.

Take a Redwood county with the trees commercially valuable and you have:

Tree taxation.

Ground taxation.

Mill taxation.

Lumber taxation.

Jmployment and living for thousands of peoprc.

(Continued on Page 16) FllllltAY and l(0r[il BUG[11 coilPAlrY

TIMBER Gll.

TUMBER & IIEU.

Head Office and Mills at Kolambugan and Manila, Philippine Islandr

Saler Office: 910 Central Bldg., Loe Angeles

W. G. SCRIM, U. S. Representative

PRODUCERS OF K. L. D. BRAND