City taxpayers will pay millions of dollars ; Dear Mr. Auchter, I am sorry I can't send you a big catalog, [letter] dated, June 5, 1935 / Frank S. Betz (personal).

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

FRANK S. BETZ ( Personal )
Betz Building
Hammond, Indiana

The 10 Lines Below Copied from Senate Resolution 175, 72nd Congress

Whereas the consumption of the forests of the United States has pro¬
gressed to a point at which their early exhaustion is threatened ; it being
estimated (1) that over 50 per centum of all the softwood lumber cut in
the United States has been cut during the last thirty years; (2) that,
with a population almost 60 per centum greater today ‘than at’ the begin¬
ning of the twentieth century, the United States has been using nearly
three hundred billion feet of softwood lumber alone during each decade
since 1900 , (3) that in 1928, with a population of more than one hundred
and twenty million, the annual cut of softwood lumber alone was twenty-
eight billion feet; and (4) that there now remain in the territory east
of the prairies, only about twenty-five billion feet of original timber;

HAMMOND, INDIANA

June 5, 1935.

Mr. F. C. Auchter,

U. . Dept, of Agriculture,
Washington, D. 0.

CITY TAXPAYERS WILL PAY
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

In 1928, after spending days with State
Forester Wilcox going over Indiana’s soil
eroded farm sections on which thousands of
families were unable to make a living, I
decided to assist in reforesting these 3 mil¬
lion acres of idle land and abandoned farms.

As I lived in Japan in 1916-17, and trav¬
eled through the Far East in 1926, seeing
poverty was not new to me and I had an
idea our taxpayers who must in years to
come throw away millions supporting these
people would be interested in what Walter
Davenport in COLLIER’S calls “our shift¬
less policies,” and would appoint commit¬
tees in every county for their own benefit
and assist in doing what President Roose¬
velt will do carrying out one of the greatest
reforestation propositions ever undertaken
in any country, which will enable farmers
living on what for a century was the best
farmland in America to make a living. This
work must be carried out even though it
will cost billions, or we will go through
what England and Europe did in the 16th
century, when no man was allowed to marry
until he had planted so many trees.

It seems strange that our large taxpayers
take no interest in what it costs to care
for 23 million in cities and on what was the
best farmland in America from 50 to 100
years ago now ruined by soil erosion, but
time will open the eyes of those who for¬
get that conditions change in every country
where there are no trees to prevent the
rain and melted snow from washing the
black top soil from the land.

Take Illinois: The highest priced farm¬
land in the United States 50 years ago.
Today 81 of 102 counties, which should
produce billions of dollars worth of grain
in years to come and pay millions of dol¬
lars in taxes, are now practically ruined.
There are still thousands of farms in the
state producing good crops, which, if not
protected, will also be ruined.

F. A. Fischer and every expert on soil
erosion have for years predicted that no
country could be prosperous and allow over
400 millions dollars’ worth of top soil, which
requires 1,000 years or more to build up
one inch, to wash downstream yearly.

Much of what was the best farmland at
one time in 22 states is in worse condition
than Illinois. In North Dakota, 25 out of
every 100 are on the relief rolls, as are over
4,000 farmers IN ONE COUNTY IN THE
SOUTH. 4 million acres ruined in Mis¬
sissippi and recently 74 sheriffs sold 39,669
farms in one day for nonpayment of taxes
. . . almost 200,000 souls without a place to
call home. 445,000 of 2 million acres per¬
manently destroyed by soil erosion in the
Morris Dam section.

Thousands of farmers between Washing¬
ton and Jacksonville, Florida, northern
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arkansas,
Missouri and other states are unable to
make a living on their land.

Many do not know that since 1840 farm¬
ers whose farms would not produce crops
came west, took up a homestead, but today
there is no good Government land left and
they must stay where they are and be cared
for by taxpayers.

Joseph Medill, Editor, CHICAGO
TRIBUNE, saw the handwriting on the
wall in 1860 and advised farmers to plant
trees. Had those who inherited these won¬
derful farms set aside only ONE HOUR
EACH YEAR and planted a few of the
millions of Walnuts, Hickory Nuts, Butter¬
nuts, Oak, Beech, Maple, Elm or Ash seed
that rotted on the 3,500,000 acres of idle
land in Illinois, these trees would be from
25 to 48 inches in diameter. If planted
42x48 inches and thinned out to 8 ft. cen-

Dear Mr. Auchter:

I am sorry I can't send you a big cata¬
log, but I find those who send out the big
catalogs covering trees are like the dogs"
that bark the loudest but seldome bite'.

I took this work up seven years ago. It
was up-hill work for the first' three years.
My total income from all sources was over
$1300 less than I paid one stenographer,
but I kept hammering away and from Septem¬
ber, 1931, to June, 1932, I shipped out
over 50,000 more trees, without it costing
taxpayers $1.00, than did the Forestry de¬
partments of seven of our great st tes.

. From September, last year, until this
spring, I have shipped out more tree than
were distributed by the Forestry Depart- *
ments of Alabama, Idaho, Kansas', Utah,
California, Oregon and Washington and 500,000
WALNUTS, HICKORY NUTS and BUTTERNUTS, and
over twelve bushel of PINTS, SPRUCE and AR¬
BOR VTBL R Tree Seed.

Sorry I can't mail you a big catalog.

Yours very truhh,

FRANK S. BFT2 (Personal)

fsb/vck

WALNUTS, BUTTERNUTS, CHESTNUTS, HICKORY NUTS,
AMERICAN, CHINESE, JAPANESE or KOREAN for SCOUTS,
SCHOOLS, 4 - H CLUB MEMBERS and OTHERS. WRITE.

ters, 782 trees to an acre, or 16 foot centers,
195 trees to an acre, each tree would pro¬
duce 2 or 3 straight 16-foot logs free from
knots worth billions. Trees planted on
every farm would have held back the hot
winds which dry out the soil, and, as every
tree throws off so many gallons of water
daily, which is returned as rain, farmers
would have benefited.

The City of Attica, Indiana, recently sold
16 Walnut trees for $1,000. Old settlers
there remember when they were planted.

Think of it: 3,500,000 acres of the best
timber growing land in Illinois, much of
which has not produced a dollar for 50
years, and the freight bill on the lumber
shipped into the state for one year has
amounted to 28 million dollars or over $20
per 1,000 feet, when the finest Michigan,
Wisconsin and Minnesota White Pine for¬
merly sold on the Chicago docks for $8 per
1,000 and over 30 million acres of Michigan,
Wisconsin and Minnesota timber growing
land have not produced one dollar for from
50 to 80 years.

As the bulk of lumber is used north of
the Ohio and east of the Mississippi and
practically every state east of the Rocky
Mountains now uses lumber from other
states and have millions of acres of the
best timber producing land bringing in no
income, it looks as if someone is to blame.
Farmers have received as much as 394 mil¬
lion dollars for logs sold in a single year,
which, with portable sawmills, they could
saw into lumber for less than $4 per 1,000
during the winter when there is little farm
work.

In many states taxes are reduced to 3 to
5 cents an acre on land planted with trees.
In many states there is no tax until the
trees are cut. The savings on taxes will
more than pay all expenses, and if walnuts
are planted, each tree will produce from
$3 to $6 worth of nuts yearly, which can
be sold to candy factories. Any boy can
make over $100 per acre yearly raising
Christmas trees. If interested, write.

Originally we had 822 million acres of
timber. Today we have less than 120 mil¬
lion. On the Pacific Coast there are about
925 billion feet of standing timber, and in
the South, 125 billion. The Government
tells us half of the softwood standing tim¬
ber we owned in 1900 was cut the first 30
years, and the original timber east of the
Mississippi would not supply us for one
year, which, if true, how can experts claim
what we have left, much in mountainous
sections far from transportation, will pro¬
vide for 27 million pupils in school for 50 to
75 -years whww they grow up and furnish
the billions of feet for export, when in 1900
we used 35 billion feet when we had
15,503,000 pupils?

Many do not know that trees large enough
to make the assorted sizes of softwood lum¬
ber we require are from 60 to 250 years
old, or that trees now cut on the Pacific
Coast are from 500 to 3000 years old. Nor
do they know that Pine, Spruce, Hemlock
and other softwood lumber grows in cold
countries only.

Nor that more trees were killed by
prairie fires in 1932 on 52 million acres
than have been planted by all state nur¬
series to date, and with this evidence many
have written me: “Your tree planting idea
is foolish, a waste of time and money.”
But I held on, hoping one day some one
would realize that with untold millions of
acres of what was our best farmland ruined
and no place for these farmers to go, they
would realize something must be done.

Take Indiana: In 1905 only 5 counties
required state aid. In 1928 there were 29.
Today there are 41 on which taxpayers will
throw away millions yearly, which could
have been saved, and the original 5 counties
are still on the list.

This could not occur in Europe, nor would
it in Indiana, or any other state, if county
agricultural agents, who know conditions of
every farm, could notify the state forester
to deliver so many trees free of charge to
Mr. Brown, and see they were properly
planted for protecting his land, which would
enable him to support his family instead of
compelling taxpayers to. IT WILL BE
DONE THIS WAY SOMETIME.

Today a farmer unable to buy food and
clothing for his children on a farm being
ruined by soil erosion is informed by the
state forester that the trees required for
protecting the top soil on his land will cost
$50. The chances are not one in 20 farmers
on these farms ever had $50 at one time
and they know if unable to support their
family taxpayers must.

Farmers in timber sections always paid
taxes while their land would produce grain
and they had timber to sell. Had they spent
ONLY ONE HOUR each year planting a
few of the millions of Walnuts or other
tree seed that rotted on the ground they
could have had a perpetual independent
income.

I may be wrong, but if those not familiar
with soil eroded sections would cover the
thousands of miles of farming districts of
the Far East and the sections in this coun¬
try where farmers made no attempt to pro¬
tect the top soil on their land, they will

understand why business men in these sec¬
tions who should have advised the farmers
will eventually be no better off than the
farmer.

The article, “A DEBT WE OWE” writ¬
ten years ago by President Roosevelt, on
soil eroded China, and lumber condi¬
tions, proves he knew what the people of
this country would eventually face. He
planted thousands of trees on his farm and
had the leaders of Chambers of Commerce,
Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, Eagles, Woman’s,
American Legion, Izaak Walton Leagues
and the many fish and game and hunting
clubs who read this article and knew what
has happened in every country would hap¬
pen here, appointed committees to work
with state foresters, and each member
donated only $1.00, it would have saved
$100 for every man, woman and child and
trees would have been planted along every
stream on every farm, which could be pro¬
tected from fire, and would have produced
billions of dollars worth of lumber. It will
cost 10 billion dollars to carry out President
Roosevelt’s proposition as it should be in
order to save the children of the very peo¬
ple who “poo-poohed” this idea from sup¬
porting those on soil eroded farms as long
as they live. The poor man will never pay
it.

NATION’S BUSINESS tells us 2,600
schools failed to open last fall and 20,000
closed before April 1st; 25% of teachers
now earn less than $750 and 85,000 less
than $450 yearly and thousands not one
dollar. If pupils were taught to plant trees,
as in foreign countries, they would have
lumber when they grow up and farmers
would not be in the condition they are. The
time will come when Boards of Education
will see that pupils are taught to plant some
of the many varieties which can be had for
ONE CENT EACH or for 10 CENTS
YEARLY, more assorted tree seed, which,
if planted as cabbage or tomatoes, would in
5 years reforest the largest farm.

Hammond pupils planted over 2 million
tree seed in 1929; in 1930, over 8 million;
in 1931, pupils in the county planted more
Black Walnuts than all state nurseries in
the United States that year, and pupils
throughout the state planted over 400,000
Black Walnuts I furnished free.

In Palestine over one million trees are
growing from seed purchased in Europe by
friends and myself and shipped to the
Forestry Department.

From October, 1931, to May, 1932, over
50,000 more trees up to 4 years old were
shipped through my efforts without it cost¬
ing taxpayers one dollar than were shipped
by the state forestry departments of Iowa,
Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Utah, Cali¬
fornia and Washington combined.

This should convince business men in
farming sections, who will eventually be the
great losers, that if a committee in each
county would assist President Roosevelt and
the state forester millions of acres still pro¬
ducing crops could be saved that otherwise
will be a total loss.

J. H. Baldwin, Principal of the Washing¬
ton School, told pupils the necessity of
planting trees and they brought enough
pennies for 2,400. I could mention 500
similar instances. The Calumet State Bank
bought 20,000 trees for Hammond pupils in
1933. Rotary and Kiwanis paid the tree
bill for 1934. At least 900,000 Scouts, 4H
Club members, pupils and others planted
trees — Walnuts, Hickory Nuts, Butternuts
and tree seed sent through this office.

Every park superintendent could leave a
living monument that would cause every¬
one to remember him for years, as many
are now doing, by planting a variety of
one, two and three-year-old seedlings and
assorted tree seeds every year, which would
cost but little and at the same time beautify
the park and city and teach pupils how to
raise trees at practically no expense. Here
is an opportunity for any business man to
invest 50 cents to $1.00 yearly for an as¬
sortment of tree seed to be turned over to
the park superintendent.

Trees are planted in other countries be¬
cause it is the law. In little Japan, where
millions of families live on less than two
acres, they plant 5 times more and Ger¬
many 27 times more than we do. In some
countries the income from municipal forests
pays all taxes, operates street cars, fur¬
nishes electric lights and water.

Many would assist in this work but they
dislike to be criticized by those who have
an idea because they are smart enough to
get by in times like these their children
will. Again, I find many still think if it is
corn, wheat, pork or cotton, it means United
States.

They fail to realize that before our mil¬
lions of acres of land were ruined by soil
erosion, gang plows, seeders, reapers,
threshing machines and cheap labor enabled
us to produce grain at a low price. They
do not know that 40 acres in many sections
will not produce the grain formerly raised
on 10. They also forget thousands of our
expert farmers, stock raisers and cotton
growers are in cheap labor countries teach¬
ing those who farmed with the wooden plow
for centuries how we operate with modem
machinery.

Newspapers recently told about a 25,000
acre farm in Texas. In Russia American
experts opened up one farm of 375,000
acres and another of 277,000 and others
larger than we ever dreamed of. Recently
we bought 10 million bushels of rye raised
in the Balkans on land farmed for centuries.

See GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE on the
great Argentine wheat fields now being
opened up. They will soon be shippers of
cotton, but the 4 million pounds of “Minne¬
sota” turkey they sent us for our Thanks¬
giving dinners was the great joke.

We import over 3 million pounds of dried
eggs from China yearly. They have little
grain. We have more than we can use.
There are hundreds of other items I could
mention. The time will come when those
who say, “We lead the world,” will learn
that millions of acres of grain producing
farmland are now being opened up in for¬
eign countries by people who have been
asleep for centuries.

While in Delhi, India, I learned the great
Sukkar Dam with over 4,900 miles of
canals, 2 larger than Suez, irrigating over
6 million acres, was practically completed.
The NEW YORK TIMES tells us 2,500,000
farmers receiving 10 to 15 cents a day
produced over 50 million bushels of wheat
and millions of tons of other produce the
first year, much for our former markets.
The HYERABAD DAM, just completed,
irrigates over 3 million acres. Other big
projects are under construction.

The ASSUAN DAM, on the Nile, re¬
claimed 1,400,000 acres of new land by con¬
trolling the floodwaters from Abyssinia.
They now raise three crops of the finest
grain I ever saw yearly instead of one.

We are not only losing out on our farms
and timber that will make lumber. The
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, March 16, tells us
since the war Americans have invested
$2,777,693,244.00 in factories in foreign
countries, turning out millions of dollars of
goods with American machinery, which, if
made here, would benefit our workmen and
farmers. Today it is cheaper to ship ma¬
chinery to foreign countries and have the
goods made there.

If those who have written me that teach¬
ing pupils to plant trees for protecting
farmlands and providing themselves with
lumber when they grow up is a kindergar¬
ten proposition would read the article in
the SATURDAY EVENING POST, July 7,
on Japan, a country smaller than California,
with half of our population and only one-
sixth of the land cultivated, operating
plants night and day turning out millions
of dollars worth of finished goods for the
United States at the price of raw material,
they would understand.

In 1916-17, I lived there, had over 30
firms making goods formerly made in
Europe. Mechanics earned from 30 to 60
cents a day while our scale was from 45 to
65 cents an hour.

I said then, “Give them modem machin¬
ery and they would lead the world.” When
I was there in 1926 many who had little
shops in 1916 had big factories.

Our trouble is the very men who should
know what is going on in cheap labor coun¬
tries are too busy to investigate. If they
make a trip around the world, they gener¬
ally do so on one steamer. All they get is
a good ride. To get on the inside, travel
on the DOLLAR LINE and stop off 15 to
30 days at any port. Cover the country
with an automobile and a guide who knows
the game and catch the next steamer.

I was raised on a farm in northern Wis¬
consin, Commencing in 1884 I sold hospi¬
tal insurance for years to lumbermen in
over 300 logging camps in Michigan, Wis¬
consin and Minnesota. Since then, with an
automobile, I have covered most soil eroded
sections east of the Rocky Mountains, trav¬
eled through Cuba, Jamaica, Hawaii,
Canada, Russia and Mexico, from Los
Angeles to Seward, Alaska, down the
Yukon to the Arctic Circle, crossed Panama
before the canal was built, the Atlantic 41
and the Pacific 5 times, saw them logging
with elephants in Burma and hauling logs
with water buffalo in the Philippines and
always notice the timber in every country
I visit.

Up to the present time printed matter on
tree planting has been mailed to over one
million people.

Am prepared to ship over 5,000,000 as¬
sorted trees, the majority in bundles of 250
or more at one cent each, and millions of
assorted tree seeds from all parts of the
world to anyone interested in this work.

Those desiring information on trees, soil
erosion, lumber conditions, can obtain same
from the Forestry Department, Washing¬
ton, or any public library.

The Scout 25-cent and the Izaak Walton
League 50-cent and $1.00 packages of as¬
sorted seed for raising the most beautiful
Evergreen trees grown in Japan, Korea,
Manchuria, China and Siberia, with full in¬
structions and list of over 100 trees, mailed
to anyone who will take an interest in this
work. — F.S.B.

P. S.— A LOT OF GENUINE 5- YEAR-
OLD KOSTER BLUE AND COLORADO
BLUE SPRUCE OFFERED CHEAP.