The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-26
ALARM IS NEEDLESS
Talk Of High Prices for North Pa.
ciic Logs Causes No Anxiety
: ~ Among Lumbermen.
Advances Due Merely to Fact That
Supply Easily Accessible
Is Giving Out.

Minneapolis lumbermen are not at all
worried over the reported serious timber
shortage on the west coast. According
to Tacoma dispatches, Puget Sound log
gers this week raised prices of fir and
cedar logs until they now cost more than
the finished lumber sold for few years
ago.
This situation, it was said, established
the fact that the available supply of tim
Der is getting scarce, the "avaiable sup
ply meaning timber that can be cut for
current market purposes.
I'm my opinion said H. 3. Waite, of
the H.. B. Waite Lumber company, which
Seattle 1.-The situation In washington has
been greatly exaggerated. I don't be-
lieve that is is serious enough, to have
even a temporary. effect on the Min
neapOlis market.
1.-The report is certainly misleading in
the inference that the timber resources Of
Washington: or any of the coast states are
in any immediate danger of exhaustion.
Every one knows that cutting has scarce
ly commenced. What the correspondent
doubtless meant to say was that all the
easily reached timber had been practically
consumed, and that In the near future
coast lumbermen would be forced, just as
we have been in this district, to build long
logging railroads into the woods to tap
the rich preserves in the interior. AS yet
there are no logging roads to speak Of In
Washington, the longest one know Of be-
ing only fifteen miles in length. The
stumpage along the main lines has been
we'll bought up by the big concerns.
No Corner There.
TT is a mistake to presume that there
is a corner on logs in that district. IL
the loggers are forced to go into the
woods for their logs, naturally logging De-
comes more expensive, and there is a
consequent rise In prices. Dozens Of con
Germs own holdings ranging from 100000
to 100000 and 100000 acres. The pres
ent logging camps regulate the prices.
while there is no combine, the loggers
meet periodically and put in their price
lists. It thus becomes impossible for the
small fry to do business independently.
They must buy their logs, of the estab-
lished companies which are now pushing
the community Of interests idea
1.-The statement that forest fires are de-
stroying an average of 1000, O0O,o OO 1ee'
of logs a year is absurd. The fires nave
hardly touched the valuable standing tim
Der vet. Fires don't run In the virgin
forests. Their greater ravages are IN the
cuttings" e, .1s. ....:
- A False Alarm.
Henry E. GIBSON of the Scanlon- Gipson
Lumber company says the story IS q
false alarm 1t IS only the timber Inn
mediately available for logging purposes
because Of It's proximity to railroads OF
streams which is being rapidly exhausted
and extensive logging railroads must
necessarily follow the shortage. If any &C
italy exists. The Minneapolis Market
he said, would not be affected.
1.-The coast country must be provided
with logging railroads" he said, TO gel
at the timber which must come into the
Minneapolis district at some future time
because here we can actually see the
| finish Of our standing timber, since ex-
tensive logging operations have COM
menced by rail. The country west Of
| Fargo may be temporarily affected by the
coast situation. While only 80, 100000
| feet may be available in the Puget Sounc
| district with present logging methods
there is probably five times that amount
awaiting the advent of logging railroads
| Supply Farther South.
"Whatever the situation may be II
| WASHINGTON, there is evidently plenty o.
| available timber in Oregon and California
Representatives Of Oregon yellow pine
and California redwood interests are con
stantly offering Minneapolis lunabermer
large holdings.
"Only this week w. H. Minor Of thu
Gualala Mill company Of San Francisco
offered us large tracts of sugar pine and
| redwood, the aggregate market value O.
which is placed at $1,000, 000."