Joint Congressionaf Committee on Forestry to Conduct Hearings in San Francisco

San Francisco, November 27-Representatives Harry L. Englebright of'California and Walter M. Pierce of Oregon announced today that public hearings by the Joint Congressional Committee on Forestry, of r,r'hich they are members, will be held in the offices of the State Chamber of Commerce, 350 Bush St., San Francisco, December 6 and 7. The Committee was appointed last year to study the present and prospective forest situation in each of the timber producing regions of the country, and to make such recorlmendations as are found necessary and advisable to insure continuous operations and adequate future supplies of timber and forage and other forest products.

Following the San Francisco hearings at which the States of Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico will also be represented, the committee will meet in Portland, December l2 and 13 and again in Madison, Wisconsin, December 18 and 19.

The Congressmen stated that the hearings would be of particular interest to Californians in view of the extensive forestecl area in the State, the lumber industry centered there, arrd the dependency of the population upon forest and watershed cover for grazing, recreation, irrigation, and flood control. Englebright pointed out that in 1937 California ranked third in lumber production with a cut of 1,776,000,000 board feet. More than 19,000 persons received $28,000,000 in salaries and wages, and the total value of lumber and timber products was placed at $56,538,000.

California is also an agricultural State of the first order rvith 4,800,000 acres of irrigated land valued with improvements at nearlv $3,000,000,000. Precipitation occurs during a period of about 5 months, and with hot dry summers it is of utmost importance to agriculture that run-off be retarded, and made available gradually throughout the year. The great Central Valley Water Project now under construction comprises dams, reservoirs and aqueducts rvhich must be freed from the menace of silt deposition by the upbuilding and maintenance of an adequate watershed cover. In the southern part of the State where nearly 5O per cent of the population lives in less than 1.4 per cent of the area, and rvhere only .7 of 1 per cent of the water supply is found, watershed protection is of prime importance. Slopes are steep and heavy rains falling on fire denuded areas have caused disastrous floods. As recently as 1938, for example, 74tives were lost, 830 houses demolished, and losses of $83,000,000 i,ncurred by flood waters.

Little doubt was expressed by the Congressmen that the future rvelfare and development of the State is largely dependent upon continuously productive fo,rests and maintenance of an adequate protective cover on slopes subject to heavy precipitatio,n and severe erosion. "And that which is true of California is no less true of Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico," it was stated.

In commenting on the forest situation in the latter States, the economic importance of grazing and watershed cover, as well as timber growing was emphasized. Preliminary 1939 reports indicate that 6,400,000 head of sheep and cattle valued at $99,250,000 are dependent upon range lands for forage, and that forested areas provide much of the range forage. In the Colorado and Rio. Grande River Basins, which include parts of Nevada and New Mexico and all of Arizona, are some of the nation's largest irrigation an<l power developments, i.e. Boulder, Parker, Roosevelt, Coolidge, Elephant Butte dams, and others. The areas irrigated from these reservoirs sustain the greater part of the population. The effectiveness of these larger irrigation projects and a great many smaller o.nes depends upon sustained stream flow and storage throughout the year.

Representatives Englebright and Pierce explained that the purpose of the conrmittee will be to hear testimony on the condition of forest lands in each of these five States and to ascertain the adequacy and effectiveness of present practices in relation to an abundant future supply of tin-rber and forage, rvatershed protection, flood control, stabilization of communities, water use, recreation, and other direct and indirect benefits of forest land.

Likewise the adequacy and effectiveness of Federal, State and private cooperation in such matters as fire protection and insect and disease control r,r'ill be studied. The trend and need for extension of Federal, State and Community ownership of forest lands will be examined as u,'ell as such other measures as appear to be necessary and advisable in upbuilding and maintaining their productivity.

"Representative persons are being invited to attend," it was said, "but the hearings will be open and others desiring to come may do so."

A complete list of committee members is as follorvs:

Chairman, Senator John H. Bankhead, Alabama; Vice Chairman, Representative Hampton P. Fulmer, South Carolina; Senator Ellison D. Smith, South Caroli.na; D. Worth Clark, Idaho; William J. Bulow, South Dakota, and Charles L. McNary, Oregon; and Representatives Wall Doxey, Mississippi; Walter M. Pierce, Oregon; Daniel A. Reed, New York, Harry L. Englebright, California.

A Milfman's Perlect Day

lle rose quite late in Burlingame, The sun was shining bright, His coffee, breakfast rolls and all Were just exactly right.

At eight o'clock he reached the mill, The men were in their places, And all were working with a will With smiles uDon their faces.

Orders came fast all through the day, And there were no complaints, The customers wore happy grins And talked like perfect saints.

Some ancient bills were paid in full, Without a gr'owl or kick, No worker lost a thumb that day Or even got a nick.

And not a pulley slipped a belt And life was just a song', The lumber was all dry and soft And not a thing went wrong.

No peddler or solicitor Came there with urgent plea, Taxes an'd debts were all forgot In universal glee.

Nothing took place that day to cause One face a frown to wear, And naught to halt the steady work Or make Phil Barker swear.

When William sought his home that night Without a thought of care, He sat him down and closed his eves And said a little Draver:

Lord this has been a perfect day, When everything went right, I know that sometime I must die, Please let me die tonight !

The above poem, dedicated to William Jameson, president of the San Diego Planing Mill, who passed arvav last June, was written by Philip Mor5s, who was until he retired some years ago manager of the San Diego Lumber Co., selling agents in San Diego for Dolbeer & Cars'on Lumber Co.. San Francisco.

Atascadero Yard Modernizes

Hagle-De Cou Lrrmber Co., Atascadcro, recently repainted the front of their yard and modernized their office building, and are now building a new shed 4O by 100 feet.

Since 1912

\Tholesale w

- Blinds Doors John \(/. Ko"hl & Son,

ln.. 652

T. Gheen