Forestry in the news

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Title: Forestry in the news
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Fulltext: • • FORESTRY BUREAU STARTS SELECTIVE out the need of complying with the above-menLOGGING DRIVE tioned specifications. Exportation of logs to HoniiThe bureau of forestry has started drafting kong, however, is still prohibited. Manila Times regulatory fines and penalties for more effective securing of adequate residual stands in connection with the implementation of selective logging as A practical forest conservation measure. Secretary Juan de G. Rodriguez of agriculture and natural resources told forestry director Felipe R. Amos that he was interested in how the loggers' reluctance to apply selective logging could be remedied. He instructed the director to submit for study and approval the forestry administrative order to insure the practice of selective logging. The matter was taken up during the visit nt Secretary Rodriguez at the forestry bureau yesterday morning (Feb. 5) on the occasion of the latter's reorganization. As reorganized, the bureau consists of the following functional divisions: administrative services, forest management, reclamation and reforestation, domain use, forest research, sawtnills and licenses and forest land uses.-Mani/a Times. * * * Now "legitimate" lumbermen have come out to , accuse salons and bureau of forestry officials of connivance with "fly-by-night" lumber operatono resulting in indiscriminate deforestation and floods. This is a serious charge that bears looking into. We might also blame the top-level economic geniuses who conceived of unlimited barter of logs. That started the salons and the indis.criminate lumbering of our forests.-(Over a Cup ol Callee) -Valencia, Manila Times. * * * LUMBER EXPORT FROM HONGKONG IS RELAXED The Export Control Committee has relaxed the exportation of lumber to Hongkong with a directive issued by the President to Secretary Juan de G. Rodriguez who is chairman of the said corn· mittee. Prior to this directive of the President, the Committee has been allowing the exportation of this item to Hongkong, subject, however, to the condition that lumber exported thereto should conform to the following specifications: Narrow sizes: Thickness-1", 2" and 3" only; width-2" and 3" only; length-9' to 16' only. Short sizes: Thickness-1" and 2" only; width --4" to 12" only; length--4' to 8' only. In view of this directive lifting this restriction, lumber may now be exported to that country withGRADUATION ISSUE, 1957 * * * SEES FORESTRY RULES DEFECTS Secretary of Agriculture Juan de G. Rodriguez admitted yesterday "existing defects" in the enforcement of forestry regulations resulting in the depletion of the forestry resources of the country. At the same time, he said his department working through the bureau of forestry was taking steps to reforest barren areas and to enforce "selective logging." Enforcement of regulations would also be tightened, he said. Selective logging is the restriction of logging operations to mature trees and the prevention 'lf the destruction of saplings by falling timber. Forestry Director Felipe Amos said reforestation was being accomplished at the rate of 2,000 hectares a year, but that the forest reserves of the country were being exploited at a 30,000-hectare annual rate. "We expect to increase the reforestation rate with the P2-million set aside for the purpose," he said. Amos said "apparent indiscriminate logging" carried out by lumber companies was "probably'' being done on agricultural areas. "There is no restriction in logging as far as agricultural areas are concerned," he said. Both Rodriguez and Amos decried the lack of personnel in the forestry service. "We only have nine men who know anything about selective logging," the directer said. Only six men are graduated by the forestry school every year, he added. Director Amos said lumber men were "technically violating" a directive issued by former Agriculture Secretary Salvador Araneta to the effect that their operations should be planned out only as far as their licenses were effective. He said it was "traditional practice" for lumbermen to continue cutting logs even after their licenses had expired as long as they had submitted a renewal application. The case of the Tigman lumber company allegedly owned by Rep. Emilio M. Tible was not an exception to that rule, he said. The Tigman lumber company cut some 25,000 cubic meters of lumber after its license expired last June 31, according to the report of C. B. Matos, Sipocot, Camarines Sur, treasurer.-Mani/a Times. Page 59 CONCESSIONERS WARNED AGAINST INDISCRIMINATE TIMBER CUTTING Secretary of Agriculture Juan de G. Rodriguez issued an appeal to forest concessioners not to throw away timber wastes but instead convert them into some other product. He said three-fourths of the timber cut in Philippine forests were becoming "total losses" as a result of indiscriminate cutting of trees to be sold as logs. Rodriguez pointed out that timber wastes could be made into plywood or other veneer products. hectares of forest lumber yearly as well as endangering the industry itself. Denuding of forests, Rodriguez and Amos also explained, was partly responsible for the floods in Mindanao which had caused property loss amaunting to millions of pesos a year. The conference was called by agriculture officials who wanted to explain their stand on the denuding of forests believed to have caused the recent floods in Mindanao. Agriculture officials named at least eight congressmen and senators who were exerting political pressure in obtaining greater lumber concessions. The officials also admitted they were powerThe secretary met with other agriculture officials, foresters of the bureau of forestry and personnel of the International Cooperation Admi- less to remedy violations of forestry regulations "on account of techn:celity." nistration to discuss ways and means of conserving Philippine forests. During the conference, it was p:>inted out that the department would now be able to implement more strictly forestry rules and regulations with an additional PlS,000,000 budgetary appropriation. A portion of the amount would be used to employ additional personnel to guard Philippine forests. The secretary said he had proposed to the National Economic council that applications for forest concessions of less than 3,000 hectares should no longer be subjected to public bidding and to publication requirements. He said this would benefit smaller applicants. Undersecretary cf Natural Resources Jaime N. Ferrer proposed the establishment of permanent forest areas in provinces heavily laden with trees and timber resources. Ferrer pointed out this would stop indiscriminate cutting of trees. Ferrer's proposal met with the approval of the conferees. However, it was pointed out that legislation was needed before the proposal could be implemented. Agriculture officials said they would make representations for the submission of e bill iin conwess establishing permanent forest erees.-Manila Times. * * * HIT TIMBER CONCESSIONERS FOR DENUDING P.I. FORESTS Aggie Ollicials are Powerless to enlorre Law Agriculture and forestry officials blamed yesterday irresponsible logging concessioners for the fast dwindling forest reserves in the country. They admitted at a press conference that these logging concerns were either becked up or owned by powerful politicians who exert political pressure in obtaining tremendous concessions. Both Secretary of Agriculture Juen de G. Rodriguez end Director of Forestry Felipe Amos pointed out that these politicians-becked lumber concerns were causing the country the loss of 30,000 Page 60 They pointed out a certain congressman who was able to get 43,000 cubic meters of lumber last year although his license was only for 6,000. The congressman, they also found out, continued to cut lumber in spite of the fact that his license had expired for several months. Amos and Rodriguez als:> said that certain lumber concessioners did not bother to renew their application but presumed their license renewed. , They expressed fear that small independent loggen would inevitably become dummies of alien1 unless they were given immediate assistance.-Manils Times. * * * JAPAN REPORTED EASING OUT P.I. IN U.S. LUMBER MARKET The "unreliability" of Filipino lumber exporters is bringing about the loss of the Philippine market in the United States in favor of other supplying countries, according to reports received yesterday by the department of commerce and industry from Emilio Torres, commercial attache in Washington, D.C. Torres said importers in the American southern states would rather buy their mahogany from Japan and British Honduras because he said lumber coming from these countries was more carefully sewn and of better quality. He said Japanese lumber exporters ere more prompt than Filipino exporters. The Japanese end other lumber suppliers, Torres stated, follow ''religiously" the specifications desired by the buyers. The commercial atteche said some furniture manufacturing firms in the United States, especially in Georgia end Alabama, use only mahogany from Honduras and Japan. He said that according to the manufacturers, Philippine mahogany is "porous and the texture rough and consequently difficult to absorb paint evenly." Torres cited that the Japanese lumber exportFORESTRY LEAVES ers are easing out Filipino exporters for the following reasons: 1. The Japanese are very dependable. When they say that shipment will be made on a certain date, it is delivered on that date. 2. The Japanese are very systematic in their sales procedure. They send brochures, complete i,. informative details, to prospective buyers with almost persistent regularity. 3. The Japanese exporters follow religiously the specifications desired by the buyer. 4. The Japanese lumber is sawn more carefully and has a very neat appearance. The commercial attache said that Filipino exporters fail not only to send lumber of th! highest quality, but also to be prompt in the transactions. Although some American buyers wou1'1 rather import from the Philippines for "sentimental attachment," Torres said, the poor quality of ;lroducts and inferior services offered by the Filipin:> suppliers are causing the Americans to become reluctant. Torres suggested that in order to maintain the Philippine market in the United States and to allow Philippine mahogany to break into the southern states where it is not even used, "fly-bynight" producers and exporters should not be allowed to handle lumber exportations to the un;ted States.-Manila Times. * * * FOREST FEES BILL PUSHED Finance Secretary Jaime Hernandez this morning recommended to President Magsaysay passage in the coming session of congress of a bill which seeks to allow the municipalitiell, chartered cities and provinces which collect forest charges to have bigger shares in their collections. Hernandez also ruled that all sinking fund amortizations and interest payments required in connection with the cadastral survey project of the bureau of lands will have to be provided first from all collections of the costs of survey before any of such collections is credited to the cadastral survey fund for further surveys. In seeking this change in the sharing of collected forest charges, Secretary Hernandez pointed out that the amount of P4,688,654 was the collection for such tax for the year 1955-1956. Of such amount, P623, 732 was allotted to all local governments in accordance with section 363 of the internal revenue code.-Manila Times. * * * ADVISE PROPER USE OF FORESTS Secretary of Agriculture Juan de G. Rodriguez has appealed to all loggers in the country to extend their cooperation in the "judicious" exploitation of forest resources. Rodriguez appeal came in GRADUATION ISSUE, 1957 the wake of reports that recent floods in Mindanao, particularly in the Davao-Agusan area, were indirectly caused by indiscriminate cutting of trees mostly by those engaged in the logging business. A "judicious" exploitation of forest wealth, Rodriguez emphasized, could be practised by selective logging and by either natural or artificial reforestation. Thus only mature trees would be cut in an area released for timber purposes and replanting the denuded site with three seedlings for the benefit of future generations, he said.-Philippines Herald. * * * PlO (M) NEEDED FOR REFORESTATION Agriculture Secretary Juan de G. Rodriguez said yesterday he will ask PSO million from Congress for a 10-year reforestation program throughout the country. The secretary said that the i"'2 million annual appropriation which the department uses for reforesting denuded lands is not enough to meet the expenses of bureau of forestry teams planting trees 1lo take the place of cut timber. Care in utilization of the nation's forest resources was clso stressed by Rodriguez. "W):iile it is proper for the government to help our citizens develop their logging and lumber business," he said, "we must think of future generations who will certainly be prejudiced by today's indiscriminate and unwise cutting of lumber." The program proposed by the agriculture seccretary envisions the expenditure of at least PS million a year for the next 10 years on teforestation projects from northern Luzon to Mindanao. The floods which visited three Mindanao provinces recently have been blamed by some forestry experts on the indiscriminate cutting of lumber in Davao, Agusan and Misamis Oriental where logging operations encouraged by high prices have been going on heavily. Disappearance of substatial portions of Mindanao's forest cover was said to have followed the widespread cutting of lumber by forest concessioners who are in a rush to ship logs to Japan. Secretary Rodriguez cautioned his subordinates against hasty recommendations for alienation of forest lands for agricultural uses. "There are certain areas in our country which are perfectly suited to remain as forest zones which must continue as such," he said. He pointed out that there are sufficient areas that can be made available to farmers without Jands. Rodriguez added that several field men in his department are pinpointing those areas that are fit for cultivation to facilitate their occupation by legitimate pioneers who want to have their own farms.-N'anila Times. Page 61 HEAVY RAINS BLAMED BY WEATHER CHIEF CAUSE OF FLOODS Chief Eugenio Manalo of the climatological division of the weather bureau denied claims that deforestation was the main cause for the heavy floods in Mindanao last week. Manalo said in a "Newscoop" interview over DZBB that the deforestation in Mindanao for the last five years has not reached the extent that would affect rainfall over the area. The primary cause of the floods, he declared, was the 27-inch rainfall, the heaviest in the Philippines since 1911, when Baguio had a rainfall of 46 inches in one day, heaviest in the world so far. The weather man also revealed that it is now rainy season in Mindanao due to the high pressure zone over the Asiatic mainland which sends southeasterly winds towards the equator causing excessive rain in the Mindanao area.-Manila Times. * ·* * STEP UP REFORESTATION PROGRAM FOR DENUDED TIMBERLAND The Philippine constabulary today took a hand in the reforestation of denuded areas in the country following the holiday floods which swept across at least six of the most fertile provinces in Mindanao. Brig. Gen. Manuel F. Cabal PC chief, ordered provincial comillDnders throughout the country to enforce strictly all existing forestry regulations in their respective jurisdictions to put an end to the "wanton" denuding of timberlands which had been considered as the major cause of the recent floods and the large scale soil erosion that swept Mindanao. Cabal's order was sparked by observations he made in the course of his three-day survey of the flooded areas in Mindanao where he conferred with provincial and municipal officials whose jurisdictions recorded the worst havoc and casualties from the flash floods in many years. The PC chief issued the directive even as he ordered the sending of foot patrols daily to forested areas to keep tab of any violations by legging operators. He said that his order is part of the year-round campaign against timber ~muggling and kaiii.gings which have lately caused adverse natural penalties. Cabal said the PC has been carrying out successfully its year-round campaign against timber smuggling in national parks and kaiii.gins in forested areas and called the attention of constabulary authorities in Mindanao to double their efforts at enforcing present forestry regulations to counter._ct what flood control end forestry authorities termed as "danger signals" arising from the abuse that has been wrought on Philippine timber resources. Page 62 He explained that since the const!lbulmy had been deputized to enforce forestry regulations, the national police organization has launched a yearround campaign against the wanton cutting of timber and the practice of kaiii.ging farming in the country's forested areas.-Philippines Herald. * * * ANTONINO BLAMES GOV'T LAXITY IN ENFORCEMENT OF FOREST LAWS Gaudencio Antonino, president of the Produceni and Exporters Association of the Philippines, yesterday blamed government laxity if! the enforcement of our forest laws for the denudation of large tract of forest land and the destructive floods that result from this. Antonino, who is also a lumber man, admitted that the floods which have caused great havoc on agriculture and resulted in the loss of countless lives could be traced to indiscriminate cutting of timber. However, he stressed the fact that the government has been laying too much emphasis on reforestation instead of the protection and conservaiton of the country's forest resources. He also mentioned the allegedly indiscriminate classification of forest areas into agricultural lands. Antonino also cited other reasons for the education of our forest areas, such, as the ineffective enforcement of kaingin laws, the failure of the government to determine the extent and boundaries of forest lands and the lack of incentive to lumber operators to include in their budget items for the conservation of forest resources. As a remedy to the situation, Antonino gave the following suggestions: 1. Delineate premanent forest lines through the use of additional Forestry personnel and bigger appropriation. 2. In the absence of additional funds and personnel require present timber license holders to delineate tentative permanent forest lines within their respective areas which may be established as permanent upon inspection by and approval of the bureau of forestry. 3. Permanent forest lands should remain permanent unless reclassified by Act of Congress, which should be required to conduct a public hearing prior to reclassification. 4. Give renewable lease terms of at least 25 years to proven and reliable concessioners. 5. Place maximum emphasis on forest protection and conservation rather than on reforestation; 6. Make the enforcement of kaiiigin laws strict and absolute, holding as recidivists those kaiiigineroshho go back to any forest area, the illegal settlement of which they had been previously prosecuted.-M anila Times. FORESTRY LEAVES THE PROBLEMS OF THE LUMBER INDUSTRY by SANTOS CHUA Lumber is one of the six major exports of the Philippines and one of the most important industries. The largest foreign buyers of Philippine lumber and logs are the United States and Japan, respectively. And yet the industry is at present confronted with many problems, among which the following are the most im'Portant: 1. HIGH COST OF PRODUCTION-Many factors bring ebout this problem. In the first place, lumbering in the Philippines is being carried on a very wasteful manner. There are practically no uses for by-products, such as slabs, bark, and sawdust. Wastes in the forests in the form of stumps, tops, limbs, branches, etc., and in the process of manufacturing logs into lumber amount to 75%. In other words, only 25% of the standing log finds utilization. In some countries wastes have been reduced to only 20%. Secondly, when logs are cut down, there still remains the problem of bringing them to the mill which entails tremendous expense, for it requires, among other things, the building of feeder roads. Another major contributing factor to the high cost of production is the relatively high wage on account cf the Minimum Wage Law. The establishmant of the Forest Products Laboratory in the College of Forestry at Los Banos, Laguna, which was financed by the joint efforts of the ICA-PHILCUSA, is aimed not only at solving this problem of high productions cost but also at promoting diversification of home industries. 2. THE KAINGIN SYSTEM-This practice is not so rampant now as it was a few years back. This is because of the government's constant and persistent campaign against this unlawful and undesirable practice. 3. Many writers on the subject claim that another obstacle to the growth of the industry is the disproportionate taxes and charges shouldered by the industry. Personally, I do not think their arguments are sound because the only taxes and charges peculiar to the industry are: 1. Forest charges, for example--i"'3.50 per cu. m. for the first group (narra) or Pl.25 per cu. m:. for the third group (iauan). 2. Reforestation charges: PO.SO per cu. m. for the first two groups; P0.40 per cu. m. for the third and fourth groups. 3. Inspection fees: P3.50 per thousand board feet for sawn lumber; Pl.00 per thousand board feet for logs. These are not as heavy as they claim to be, for if we relate these charges and fees to the market value of the unit of the commodity to which they apply, we find that they represent only an GRADUATION ISSUE, 1957 insignificant percentages, ranging from 6.7% to 7.7% of the market price. Or we might relate the total charges and fees collected to the value of the total volume of timber and lumber production in a given year. In the fiscal year 1954-1955 the forest and reforestation charges and inspection fees paid by the industry amounted to about P6 million. Total production of timber and lumber for that year was of approximately Pl 72 million. Hence, from the above figures, we see that the total charges and fees represent only 3.4% of the value of total production. Moreover, considering the magnitude of the task of reforestation and other responsibilities to be tackled and fulfilled by the government, all for the benefit of the industry as a whole, we can say that the changes are even inadequate. 4. HIGH FREIGHT RATES ON LOGS AND FLITCHES-This problem arises out of the natural disadvantage of the commodity's bulkiness. Shipowners justify their high freight rates on logs and flitches by claiming that these entail much handling costs. Therefore accommodation preference is always given to other cargoes, such as sugar, abaca or copra. The freight-rate problem still remains to be solved. The wisest measure to adopt in this connection would be the establishment of a merchant marine. This should, of course, be pursued as a long-run objective. The short-run adjustment most advisable would be to step up production of sawn lumber and to discourage exportation of logs. At present Philippine manufactured lumber is being outsold by Japanese processed lumber which is manufactured from logs imported from the Philippines. The reasons advanced to explain this anomalous situation are as follows: 1. Lower wages in Japan. 2. Lower freight rates, which is believed to be the result of government subsidy. 3. Greater operating efficiency. 4. Wider utilization, since almost every inch of the log find utilization because of the higher technological development in Japan. However, Japanese processed lumber is claimed to be poorer in quality, so much so that large consumers in the United States, such as shipbuilders and furniture makers are turning to other species of hardwoods for their needs inasmuch as the Philippine processed· lumber exported to the United States is inadequate to meet their demands. If this situation continues there will come a time when the Philippine lumber industry will collapse, inasmuch as the local market is still inadequate to absorb the present volume of output. The Japanese log importers, being aware of the prevailing market condition of lumber, try to exploit this opportunity to the best of their advantage by lowering their buying price for logs-Manila Times. Page 63 TREE PLANTING CONTEST According to an announcement of the Executive Committee of the Columbian Farmers' Aid Association, the deadline for the long-range nation wide tree planting contest has been extended from December 31, 1956 to February 28, 1957. Meanwhile, it has been learned from Bro. Luis A. Aguilar, Chairman of the Committee in charge of the participation of Quezon City Council No. 3781 that his committee is ready to distribute seedlings to participants in the contest. Those who want to obtain seedlings are, therefore, requested to see Bro. Aguilar or the other members of the Committee, Bro. Epifania of Fernandez, Bro. Dionisio M. Caloza, Bro. Fidel F. Viloria and Bro. Guillermo de los Reyes.-KCQC Newsletter. * * * TWO FINDLAY OFFICIALS RETIRE Firm now headed by Allan O'Gorman The Findlay Millar Timber Company, Inc., one of the oldest lumber development organizations in the Philippines, has announced the retirement of of its principal officers and the election of a new director recently. Retiring are A. W. Robertson former president and S. M. Austin, vice-president. New officers and directors are: Allan A. O'Gorman, president; Ralph C. Stover, vice president; James B. Anderson, vice president and treasurer; and Carlos Romulo, Jr., secretary. Simultaneously, Allan O'Gonnan said they were completing their multi-million peso plywood factory in Kolambugan, one of the largest in the Philippines, and that they have plans for atill furthur expansion in the future.-Manila Times. * * * ICA IMPORTATION OF Pl LOGS FOR TAIWAN REDUCED Cut attributed to dollar shortage Taiwan importation of Philippine lauan logs as financed by the International Cooperation Administration was drastically reduced and would eventually be suspended, the department of r.ommerce and industry reported yesterday. The department report was based on information received from Domingo T. Reyes, commercial attache to the Philippine embassy in Taipei. The Taiwan government would not ba in a position for some time to have foreign exchange for the import of lauan logs, Reyes disclosed. He added that the large scale manufacture of hard bagasse boards by the Taiwan Sugar Corporation posed a serious threat to the plywood industry. Reyes stated, however, that the combined military and civilian lumber requirements in Taiwan called for an increased importation of lauan Page 64 logs from the Philippines and Douglas Fir from the United States. Taiwan imported last year from the Philippines round and sawn logs valued at NT$23,098,207, of which NT$21,804,101 was financed by ICA, the commercial atl!.,che pointed out. He stated that for the fiscal year 1955-1956, only US$400,000 was expended. Reyes also reported that on the imported lauan logs, the Taiwan government levies 25 per cent import duty, 20 per cent defense tax and 15 per cent commodity tax. He stated that the leading Taiwan plywood manufacturing firms, Fu Shing and Lin Shan Hao, had established their markets in the United States, Panama, South Africa, the Netherlands, Korea, Australia, England, Hongkong, Singapore, North Borneo and Okinawa. Most of the raw materials used by these firms consisted of Philippine lauan and hinoki logs, Reyes observed.-Manila Times. * * * NE FORESTER GIVES WARNING Hits indiscriminate cutting of trees in forest reserve• Unless the indiscriminate cutting of timber in Nueva Ecija's forest reserves is stopped immediately, several towns may face the same fate suffered by the people in Mindanao caused by recent floods there, Tranquilino Orden, district forester, said here last night. Orden has just arrived from a survey and inspection to determine the damage to several forest reserves caused by wanton cutting of trees. The forester pointed out that the series of destructive river floods in some parts of the province have been caused by unseasonal but heavy rains due to lack of natural barriers to block or regulate the flow of water from the mountains. In 1955, Orden said, he reccommended the non-renewal of licenses of 24 forest concessionaries in the northern section of the province to protect the watershed of the forest reserve in Carranglan but they, however, came back later with renewed licenses after lodging protests. The towns of San Jose, Munoz, Talavera, Sto. Domingo, Quezon, Licab, Aliaga, Zaragoza, Rizal and Llanera will be adversely affected by flood• if the Carranglan watershed is further denuded, he said.-Manila Times. * ·* * SEEK BIGGER SHARE FROM COLLECTION OF FOREST TAXES Secretary of Finance Jaime Hernandez urged President l\4agsaysay to recommend the passage of a bill which would allow municipalities, chartered cities and provinces to have a bigger share in their collections of forest charges. FORESTRY LEAVES He forwarded to Malacanang the draft of the proposed bill in response to request of a number of municipal councils. Hernandez pointed out that according to figures furnished by the bureau of internal revenue, a total of P4,688,654. 70 was collected from charges for the fiscal year 1955-56. From this amount, P623, 732 was allocated to all local e;overnment pursuant to section 363 of the national internal revenue code. Hernandez said the share of mupicipalities, chartered cities and provinces was quite low. He said if the bill should become law, and granting that the yearly colletcions would be the same as that collected last fiscal year, P703,298.20 or l!> per cent of the total collections, should be added as the share of local governments. The secretary said local governments had at present a share of 50 per cent of the fines and surcharges imposed under Republic Act No. 371, in cases of violations of forest laws and regulations in their localities. But, he added, the share could not be availed of if there were no violations of forestry rules. "It is therefore deemed wise to allow local governments making collections on forest charges to have additional shares to give an incentive for them to effect more collections." Hernandez aaid. -Philippines Herald. * * * Pl MAHOGANY SELLS IN CANADA Canadian market is still unexpected Philippine mahogany is still making a poor share in Canada's total mahogany importation in spite of the Philippines being one of the "principal" lumber suppliers of that country, the department of cormnerce and industry reported yesterday. Based on the information received from Justino M. Navarro, trade assistant to the Philippine consulate in Vancouver, the department said that although the Philippines ranks fourth as a lumber exporter to Canada, the Canadian import of Philippine mahogany for the first eight months of 1956, amounting to $110,194, was only about 10 per cent cf the total mahogany import of that country. Pointing out the need of increasing Philippine exportation to Canada, Navarro blamed "artificial" hindrances. He traced the direct cause to competition offered by Japanese shippers and slow lumber production. Other suppliers which are giving the Philippines stiff competition, he said, are the United States and Gold Coast. The trade assistant added, however, that the 1956 figure registered a great increase in comparison with that of the total for 1955, which GRADUATION ISSUE, 1957 amounted to only $12,775. Expectations, he said, are that the volume of Philippine exports to Canada will increase some more this year, provided the "artifical" hindrances are eliminated.-Manila Times. * * * MINDANAO DELUGE PEOPLE who are prone to jump to conclusions without first getting the facts and checking ancl double-checking them attribute the recent destructive floods in Mindanao mainly to deforestation in many provinces there. Because of "indiscriminate cutting of trees" for timber purposes, the forests in various places in the south have been denuded, thus leaving nothing to "block or slow down the rampaging waters," to quote the very words of a high government officials who made a trip to Mindanao a few days after the floods. There is no question but that the kaingin system of farming has wrought havoc on the forest areas in those places, thereby causing deforestation. It cannot be denied, either, that the wanton cutting of trees, especially in Davao and Agusau, has laid waste forested areas which used to be natural reservoirs. Proof of the large-scale logging operations in Mindanao is the export of lumber to Japan the year 1955. Official records show that before the enactment of the No-Dollar Law, only $628,143 worth of logs were exported abroad but during a period of one year after the measure was passed, the lumber shipments skyrocketed to $10,184,188 from October, 1955 to October, 1956. Director Felipe Amos of the bureau of forestry admitted in an interview that during the past year there have been feverish logging operations in Mindanao, particularly in the Agusan and Davao areas. It is deplorable, Amos said, that many timber concessionaires do not follow the rules and regulations governing the proper cutting of trees. In other words, only a few operators observe what is known as "selective logging." The rest just wantonly cut down trees of any size or age. The forestry director said that the indiscriminate cutting of trees could be prevented if only his bureau had enough forest guards to go around and enforce regulations. But instead of increasing the number of forest guards, the Reorganization Committee reduced them by cutting down the bureau appropriation by almost half a million pesos. After the reorganization, a forest guard will be assigned to patrol not 30,000, as used to, 60,000 hectares. The bureau of forestry will have a total of only 360 forest guards for the entire country after that office is revamped. As government investigators' reports indicated, seven provinces in Mindanao were ravaged by the floods: 11 persons were reported dead, two mjured and 25 missing. Damage to property was Page 65 estimated at a little over P2 million, including 673 houses, four airfields, 52 bridges and P30,000 worth of fish corrals. No fewer than 4,000 families were rendered homeless. The weather bureau, in an interview with the FREE PRESS, reported that the deforestation of many places in Mindanao was not the main cause of the recent floods. It was the unusually heavy rainfall during the last week of December according to Eugenio B. Manalo, chief of the climatological division, that brought about disaster. Manalo supported his contention with irrefutable facts and figures. Records of the weather bureau show that whereas only an average of seven inches of rain fell in S"urigao during the first three weeks of last month, during the period between December 23 and 30, 1956, 27.06 inches of rain dropped in that province. That was quite abnormal, Manalo said; during the five years that he was in that province, no such amount of rainfall had been registered. In various other places that same week, the rainfall was likewise heavy, Misamis Oriental had 13.26 inches, compared to 0.62 the previous week; Cotabato, 4.52; Davao, 5.78, whereas it had no more than 1.19 the week before; Jolo, 6.20, while it registered only 1.19 during the third week, and northern Zamboanga, 10.13. In contrast there was practically no rein in that region between December 16 and 23. Manalo also pointed out the fact that many areas in Agusan and Davao are marshly and are, therefore, more susceptible to floods than other provinces.-Phil. Free Press. * * * Now everybody is concerned about reforestation. Here and there we get reports about drying up of rivers and floods because of the absence of natural barriers to cascading waters from the rains. Then, the weather bureau comes with the classic statement that deforestation did not have anything to do with floods. It was the water from the rains that did it, the weather man said. Bright conclusions, no? * * * TIMBER, PASTURE LICENSES SIGNED BY AGGIE BOSS Agriculture Secretary Juan de G. Rodriguez have signed 28 lease agreements and licenses on timber concessions, pasture lands, tree-farms and lode mining deposit. Rodriguez approved 4 new pasture lease agreements involving an area of 2,075 hectares, 3 new timber licenses involving 4, 700 hectares, 1 lode lease, and 20 renewals and amendments to original pasture and timber leases. In approving the timber licenses, Rodriguez Page 66 cautioned anew the concessionaires against "unwise and indiscriminate" logging. He stressed the impcrtance of "selective-logging" and th» preservation of watersheds to prevent soil erosion and floods. Signed ordinary timber licenses follow: Benguet Consolidated, Inc. and Balatoc Mining company (amendment); Victor L. Erickson, (renewal); Karapdapan Sawmill company, (renewal); La Vila De Manila (new); Mariano Dy-Liacco Sons & company (renewal); New Pacific Timber and Supply company (amendment); * * * Gabriel T. Ortiz (renewal); Samar company (renewal); Margarita S. Santos Laureano Siriban (amendment); Pablo S. (new) ; and Bernardo Z. Pamisa (renewal). Mining (new); Tecson Pasture lease agreements: Antonio Francisco Medina, Jose Medina, Luis (new) ; Arsenio E. Diaz (amendment) ; Gutierrez, (amendment) ; Paulino Pascual ment); Juan G. Santos (amendment); U mad hay (amendment) ; and Reynaldo (new). Medina, Medina Dionisio (amendManuel Atanacio Tree Farm Lease agreement (amendments) Basilisa Kittikstvedt; Juvencio Ortanez, Angel J. Santos, Mariano V. Concepcion, and Leonor Docusin. Lode lease contract: Cabapa Mining Company (new) .-Manila Times. * * * TREE BANK FILM ISSUED To help farmers asking about tree planting under the Soil Bank program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently releasing a new film, "Tree Bank." A copy has been assigned b lhe Forest Products Laboratory. Tree planting promises to be a popular conservation practice among farmers taking lands out of crop production under the conservation reserve section of t~e Soil Bank p10gram. The film, prepared by the Department's Forest Service, explains what types of lands can be shifted from crop prodution to trees. It also tells farmers where they can obtain cost-sharing assistance and technical help in their planning and tree planting. Besides the cash value of trees, the film emphasizes their other values to the farmer-in conserving soil and water, providing food and shelter for wildlife, and affording recreational opportunities. WE SOMETIMES THINK of plywood as a modern article in the building field, but you may be surprised to read that, "The use of hardwood plywood dates back to ancient Egypt. King Tutankhamen had a bed with a hardwood plywood headboard, and the queens of Egypt had cabinets and embroidery stands beautifully made of plyFORESTRY LEAVES wood. This goes to prove that 'there is no new thing under the sun'."-Plan. OLDEST' LIVING THING: The oldest living things in the world are 3 small bristle-cone pines high up in the mountains 20 miles northeast of Bishop, Calif., according to a University of Arizona professor. The pines are 4,000 years old, it is estimated by Dr. Edmund Schulman, head of the university's tree-ring laboratory. The giant sequoias of California, current record-holders for old age, are about 3,000 years old. Schulman based his estimate on countings of the pine trees' under microscope. He said the trees grow to a maximum height of only 30 feet, with trunks from 25-50 inches across. The trunks, he said, grow just an inch across every 150 or 200 years.-The Forest Log, Salem, Oreg. CHRISTMAS TREES: More farmers are raising Christmas trees for a cash crop than ever before according to a survey of the Christmas industry conducted by the Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced recently. About 35 percent of the naturally wooded or pasture lands which supplied 87 percent of the Christmas trees =t in this country last year are owned by farmers. Because farmers have showed increased interest in Christmas trees, 20 states have issued bulletins during the past 10 years telling how to plant and to harvest trees as a thinning process in regular tree growing. Still the most popular trees are: Douglas-fir, balsam fir, eastern red cedar, black spruce, and scotch pine, in that order.-USDA Release. Forest Products Laboratory Bull. No. 240. * * * THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TANGLAD (ANDROPOGON SP.) MULr.H AS DETERENT TO RATS 4\s Reported By CONSTANCIO REYES Forester-in-Charge Baguio Forest Experiment Station Rats are a menace to direct seeding of Benguet Pine. Where they abound they search every inch of the ground, consume pra<:tically every 1teed sown, leaving nothing but shreds of se<Xl pericarp after a night's work. Due to the sharp and tiny bristles at the stems, midribs and edges of the leaves, tangled was thought to ba deterrent to rats. It has been reported that in Salina3 Reforestatkn Project, Nueva Vizcaya, seeds sown in nursery beds mulched with tanglad were not bothererl bv rodents. To test the effectiveness of tangled muich against rats, an experiment was conducted in Oamp 4, Kennon Road, Benguet, Mt. Province. Two plots of 40 meters x 20 meters were established and sown to seeds of Benguet pine. One plot was GRADUATION ISSUE, 1957 mulched with stems and leaves of tangled cut into about 30 ems. in lengt:h and laid horizontally on the ground. The other plot, which served as control, was unmulched. When the place was visited two months after sowing, no germination either in the mulched or in the unm,1lched plot was observed. Subsequent observations of the plots showed the same result. The failure of germination can be attributed to many factors. It could not, however, be ascribed to lack or excess of moisture because after the seeds were sown, the precipitation on the ground was just the amount needed to induce good germination. Nor could it be imputed !"o loss of viability because the seeds were taken from fresh stock. Rats abound in the region. It is safe to presume that the failure of germination of the seeds in the two plots was due primarily to the depredation of rodents since, after careful examination, shreds of seed pericarps of Benguet pines were found strewn all over the ground. Extensive patch planting of Benguet pine by o.lirect seeding was made by the personnel of the Kennon Road Reforestation Proje-::t in the same site, Camp 4. Some patches were mulched with tangled, other were left untreated. The fact that there were found few seedlings on some of the mulched and unmulched patches seems to indicate that the seeds were able to germinate because they escaped the rats search and depredation and not because the tangled which had repelled the rodents. In this experiment tangled mulch wa~ found ineffective as deterrent to rodents in Camp 4, Kennon Road, Tube, Mt. Province.--Starlight, Dec/ember, 1956. * * * 173,915 HECTARES AS FOREST AREAS Director of forestry Felipe R. Amos has reported that there were a total of 173,915 hectares of new land classified last month, of which 54,291 hectares were to be released from public ownership and 19,624 hectares were to be retained for forestry purposes. The director explained that the objectives of land classification work are to determine forest zone boundaries so that forest management policies can be formulated for the development of our forest resources and to set aside areas more profitable for agriculture. The bureau has forty land classification parties of three men each strategically deployed throughout the country.-Manila Times. * * * INTENSIFY DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL TIMBER CUTTING Assistance of the Philippine army, constabulary and local police was solicited by the parks Page 67 and wildlife office to check illegal operations of kaiiigineros and timber smugglers reported rampant in the Bice! national park in Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte. Dr. Vicente de la Cruz, officer in charge of parks and wildlife, of the II military area, requesting for the assignment of men to work side by side with park officers in the Bice! national park to check activities of timber thieves and squatters. According to de la Cruz, timber smuggling was rampant in the Bice! national park and the smugglers had been operating day and night. Assistanca of PA, PC and police authorities which I personally delivered to Washington. In that brief the history and merits of the Philippine mahogany were stated and arguments were adduced against the proposal to ban the use of the term "mahogany" in connection with our woods. The brief was so well-received by the Federal Trade commission and there is no doubt that it was given weighty consideration on when the case was finally adjudicated."-Mani/a Times. * * * ON FIRE TREES By MONA LISA STEINER, Ph.d. A flower can be beautiful, but a flowering was needed especially during the summer months tree-breath-taking. The flaming crown of a fire in the wake of reports that squatters and timber thieves were poised to move into the Bice! national park as soon as the dry season started. - Philippines Herald * * * PHILIPPINE 'MAHOGANY' WINS RECOGNITION BY U.S. COMMISH FTC DECIDES IN FAVOR OF PI De las Alas prepared brief for .Pl products Antonio de las Alas, president of the Philippine Lumber Producers Association, expressed great elation yesterday over the favorable outcome of the litigation involving the use of the trade name "Philippine Mahogany" before the Federal Trade Commission in the United States. The case which had been long pending before the FTC was finally decided in favor of Philippine protestants. "It caused us no little worry," De las Alas revealed, "if the decision were made against us because that would mean that the Philippine mahogany market in the United States would be virtually eliminated. The American consumers have been so accustomed to asking words labelled as 'Philippine Mahogany' and the elimination would have caused confusion to the detriment of Philippine lumber exporters." The head of the Philippine lumber producers said that for past several years the sale of Philippine mahogany suffered a great deal from the competition offered by substitute mahogany coming from South America and Africa. "Dealers of these woods," according to De las Alas, "have worked hard and incessantly against our Philippine woods and their principal strategy was to prevent the use of the term "mahogany" in connection with Philippine l:tardwood. He revealed that Philippine lumber producers, in a body, opposed the nefarious scheme so strongly, soliciting the aid of Ambassador Carlos P. Romulo and even employing attorneys to represent them in the American capital. "As president of the association," De las Alas said, "I prepared a long brief Page 68 tree against the deep-blue tropical sky is one of the most exhilarating sights one can imagine. Fire trees, however, have become quite a familiar sight here, but the yellow Brazilian fire tree, just as startling as its red cousin, is still rarely seen. An hour's ride from Manila, the campus of the College of Forestry, Los Banos, offers now a real treat for color photographers and flower lovers, a look at those glowing Brazilian fire trees is already worth the trip. Much taller than the red fire tree, Schizolobiumexcelsum (syn. S'. naralhybum) is less spreading, stretching its branches more vertically towards the sky. Like a mat below a flower arrangement, a carpet of golden petals sets off the tree from its green surrounding. All leaves shed, the masses of bright golden-yellow flowers cover the tree, and continue to unfold for about two months. Individual flowers stay only a few days, but new ones are formed all the time during the blooming season. Even a young tree without flowers is attractive, a simple trunk terminated by a cluster of huge fern-like leaves, resembles strongly a tree fern. Both fire trees take only tree to four years to produce flowers and are one of the fastest growing trees known. Unfortunately the rapid growth has one disadvantage, the wood is soft and brittle, branches break easily during a typhoon. Always prune all severed twigs, and paint the out surface, because borers frequently attack fire trees. Another pest has killed many young fire trees here, namely caterpillars. They spread rapidly when the tree is covered with young, tender leaves, and eventually kill the plant. Tree spraying is difficult to perform with an ordinary spray gun, for professional services Termino Pest Control, Taft A venue, can be called. The treatment has to be repeated several times, otherwise new caterpillars are formed and the pest is not eradicated. Both fire trees, Delonix regia (red) and Schizolobium excelsum ere difficult to start from cuttings, they are m-ostly prepared from seeds. The FORESTRY LEAVES organization can do some miracles for any office without the cooperation of the employees. "I solemnly swear that I will do well and faithfully discharge to the best of my ability the duties of my present position and of all others I may thereafter hold under the Republic of the Philippines.'' \Ve honestly believe that we have remained true to our oath of office. And we are sure that we will continue to do so under a reorganized Bureau. Let us-men of the forest we---take up the challenge together. True to form we will always be. * * * FORESTS AND FLOODS Government officials ma.king a survey of the extent of the damage wrought by the floods in Mindanao will do well to investigate one significant angle: the status of forest lands owned by the government and leased to various concessionaires, or worked illegally by "kaingineros." The flood that hit Mindanao during the Christmas holidays has been described as the worst in the island's history. Flood waters came from Agusan and Misamis Oriental, and roared down th~ Davao river and the lowlands following three days of heavy rains. In pre-wer days, heavy rainfall caused flash floods which did only minor damage. Since the end of the war, "kaingineros" have burned down forest areas to make way for clearings, moving on as the property was claimed by legal claimants. Thousands of "kaingineros" denuded lands in this manner, destroying water breaks completely and never bothering to replant. Among concessionaires, re-forestation is taken virtually on their own initiative, or they log on the "selective basis," cutting down mature trees and giving young trees and saplings a chance to grow. "Selective logging" is practiced on a wide scale by the bigger firms, but is spurned with impunity by small independent loggers who stake out claims without benefit of a government license. Conservation is as important as production, if not more so. The indiscriminate cutting down of trees does not merely mean the destruction of major forest resources and by-products, but the exposure to surrounding areas to the perils of inundation. All logging companies pay the government a certain fee to finance reforestation and one may ask: is this amount being used actually to pursue a reforestation program or for something else? Cebu has seen the dangers of deforestation, uncontrollable floods, and tremendous losses caused by thoughtless raids on the public domain. Mindanao is vast; but it is not so vast that it can Page 70 forever yield logs without endangering the lives of its inhabitants. Government officials should make a survey to determine how deforestation has contributed to the Mindanao floods. And whatever the results of the survey, it is high time that the government took a more active hand in evolving a working conservation program before it may prove too late. -Editorial, Manila Times. * * * Rep. Act No. 115 authorized the collection of P.50 per cubic meter of timber of the first and second groups, and P.40 for the third and fourth groups cut out and removed from any public forest for commercial purposes, in addition to the regular forest charges. The amount collected is spent by the Director of Forestry with proper authorization for forestation and afforestation of water sheds, etc. To our knowledge only very few concessionairas reforest their logged over areaa; practically all of them depend upon natural reproduction or upon the Bureau of Forestry who is authorized by law to do the reforestation wol"k. * * * CONSERVATION A prominent lumberman has given one of the soundest programs yet advanced for forest conservation. He advocates more precise fixing of the boundaries of our permanent forests; prohibiting reclassification except by legislation; placing emphasis on forest protection and conservation rather than reforestation; strict enforcement of the law against "kaingin"; and better incentives to sustained-yield forestry practices. The sustained-yield method of conservation is actually practiced by very few concessionaires, and even the SO-year-old selective cutting rules are violated by big and small operators. One reason is that concesionaires seek to get as much timber as possible during the life of their concessions. It may be in order to assure concessionaire! of priority in renewal of their concessions, if they practice sustained-yield methods. If they are assured of future advantages to themselves for perpetuating the forests for their re-exploitation 25 or 30 years from now, the incentives will be obvious. Most important, their logging and sawing facilities can continue in the same location for their useful life, and be regularly modernized without reference to a diminishing concession period. Giving many small concessions to thousands of people who cannot afford to finance sustainedyield operations has been a major cause of forest destruction. Helping "small operators" at the expense of the next generation is all wrong. The small operators have in many cases proved to be just large-scale "kaingeros."-Editorial, Manila Times. FORESTRY LEAVES FOREST INSTITUTE FINDS GOOD U~ES FOR ACACIA The lowly acacia, now relegated to mere firewood, lays claim to one of the Philippine's finest hardwoods approximating the narra; while native bamboos "kawayan" and its sister products, the "buho", qualify as ideal material for paper making. This disclosure, which may spark new industry for the unassuming acacia and open lucrative markets for local bamboo, was made by Eugenio S. de la Cruz, head of the forest products research institute, U.P., and confirmed by Dr. E. Hurt, the institute's forest consultant and Forest Simmons, F AO expert paper manufacture. Cruz pointed to acacia's high tensile strength low shrinkage and good polish as having sustained its bid as one of the country's first-class hardwoods. Easy to grow and plummed with umbrella-like coTer acacias provide refreshing coolness to streets and backyards. Its branches are chopped for firewood. Another product which the institute aims to rescue from commercial obscurity is the native bamboo and "buho." Laboratory tests proved that these local pulp materials equal, and in some respects, even surpass imported specimens. * * PRESERVING OUR WILDLIFE Irresponsible hunters have all but cleared the Novaliches reservoir area of wild ducks which have migrated to the Philippines to escape winter rigors in their North China habitat, the president of a gun and tackle club has reported. During a visit last week-end by members of the club, the area was completely devoid of these birds, although it is officially the duck season in the country, and these birds under a proclamation by the late President Quezon, are to be afforded sanctuary in this area. Doubtless, permission had been granted to privileged parties to poach in this area, and unmindful of the necessity of preserving this type of wildlife, these hunters have considerably weakened the country's wildlife conservation program. The tamaraw, like the Anrerican bison, is protected by law, not so much for humanitarian considerations, but for the preservation of an animal definitely peculiar to a geographical place. In the case of wild ducks, their value as insect eaters is only too well-known. Wie have wildlife preservation laws which specify which animals are to be protected, and which animals can be hunted and at what times of the year. Enforcement of the wildilfe preservation laws, specially against poaching in sanctuaries, should be intensified. GRADUATION ISSUE, 1957 "MM" UNDERTAKES LUMBER SURVEY A survey tour of the Philippine lumber industry is now being undertaken by M. M. de los Reyes, publisher and public relations executive, in behalf of the Philippine Lumber Producers' Association. He is now in Mindanao on the first leg of a three-week tour which will take him over the entire rural route of the Philippine Air Lines. While in Mindanao, M. M. de los Reyes, who edits two national tourist publications will also survey the region for tourist spots, in line with the PAL rural service development program and the tourist development projects of the local travel groups. * * * STURDY TREE ON KENNON "Freak of nature' causes arboreal wonder among commuters along equally amazing road A sturdy tree, which is growing on a solid rock, is causing no small arboreal wonder to thousands of commuters along the equally amazing Kennon Road. This tree, which has been identified as sangilo (local name) or scientifically called Pestachia chinenses is found along the Kennon highwall some 10 kilometers from Baguio. How the tree gained a foothold on top of the rock and managed to grow lustily is considered locally as "freak of nature." Ranger Emigidio B. Visperas, who gained some national "fame" when he discovered some two years ago what he called the "home of the Benguet lilies'' at Bokod, Benguet, Mt. Province, in the course of his forest reconnaissance in the wild territory, first brought the trees to the attention of the Manila Tim-es by showing the picture (see cut) of the tree, which he took while returning to his base station from an inspection work at Twin Peaks, Kennon Road. The forest officer said that the tree is about three meters tall with a diameter at the base of the trunk of about 15 centimeters. Indications are that the growth of the tree appears normal in spite of the fact that it stands squarely on top of the solid rock, from which it could not draw the desired nourishment. As a proof that the rock on which stands the sangilo tree is solid, advertisement-minded businessmen of Baguio have used the large boulder for publicizing their business to the motorists and passengers, who pass along the road. The bureau of forestry was also quick to use the rock in painting its slogan appealing tc. the public for the protection of the forest against fires. Incidentally, the sangilo tree is in great demand among the lgorot artisans, who use the tree as a woodcarving material, for which reasons, the (Continued on page 72 ) Page 71 BF NOTES ... (Continued from page 54) banana, poultry, goat and swine; the most artistic and most complete booth and the most artistic handicraft was also held under the able management of district forester Maximina R. Reyes. . . . Chairman ·Reyes was assisted by Teodorico M. Montojo, Danrea Secretary; Feliz T. Muyo, Abraham Regalado, Eugenio Gutierrez, Herminia A. Llena and Miss Emiliana Gavino and chairman of all barrio councils. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT of the rural areas is the theme of the affair in which the barrios participated prominently . . . Industrialization of Romblon's marble and coconut industry is the main objective of the fair. Submitted by: TEODORICO M. MONTOJO DAN REA Secretary * * * "LAND FOR THE LANDLESS" AND FOREST CONSERVATION This hurry to release and distribute land had likely contributed to the severity of floods that took tolls of lives and property in the recent months. This also caused complaints from concessionaires that the stability of their business is being threatened with the uncertain tenure of their forests, a r!!ason for their reluctance to practice selective logging. The increase in agricultural production, however, have not kept pace with the accelerated rate of land distribution. Production per hectare has not materially increased either. It is but timely and in order to shift the emphasis of "land for the landless" to intensification of agricultural development of areas that have been released. "More production per unit area" should be our policy. Thereby, we incidentally contribute to the conservation of our forest resources. Lumberman, 1957 FORESTRY IN THE ... (Continued from page 71) tree on top of the rock may someday to cut down for purposes of fashioning out curio articles that command tempting price in the Baguio market. * * * ASSESS LOCAL TIMBER OUTPUT Secretary of Agriculture Juan de G. Rodriguez assessed Philippine timber output during the past three years at five billion board feet producing one billion and 17 million board feet of lumber wi.th a peak total of six million board feet. From this production an annual average of 54. million board feet of logs was exported mounting to a total of 800-million board feet logs in three years. According to Rodriguez these exports alone Page 72 MODERN LOGGING ... (Continued from page 4 7) hour per cubic meter to 2.12 in 1956 a:; against 2.54 in 1954, overtime amounting to 4.4 'X, in 1956 as against in 1954, of total working hours and efficiency was increased by 15'/c. This Trakloader can do the following: To load logs at three or more highlead settings logs which have fallen from homebound loaded cars, log which have skidded by tractors to the landings, logs left behind each lo.nding due to transfer to new setting, logs cut along advance road construction on time to prevent the attack of pinhole borers and to do yarding where your highlead setting cannot be located for lack of requir~d highlead tree and yard and load logs around a proposed highlead setting as the expensive logs to yard are those closest to the road. If this Trakloader, under average forest conditions, is used for yarding its daily capacity is 40,000 board feet of logs on 600 ft. yarding distance and if for loading, daily capacity is about 200,000 bd. ft. of logs. Daily fuel consumption is around 15-20 gallons of diesel fuel. In a day, you can use 7 5 percent of the time for yarding and 25 percent to load the logs yarded. The Nasipit Lumber Company is ordering one more of this TL-15 Trakloader, Bislig Bay Lumber Co. has ordered one to arrive about March, and the Aguinaldo Development Corporation three Model TL-6 Trakloaders to be here before April. These diesel powered Washington Trakloaders and logging engines driving through torque converters and Torque Master are the equipment best suited to selective and sustained yield logging operations. The Edward J. Nell Co. is prepared at all times to help study and solve problems with individual operators or to plan and c!:ecide on the logging equipments appropriate for timber licenses in new cutting areas. -END accounted for P219 million as part of the Philippine dollar income, while the government collected a gross P16,4500,000 by way of forest and reforestation charges.-Philippines Herald. FORESTRY LEAVES