The Washington herald., 1908-08-02
HAS LITTLE LUMBER
British Supply Limited to
About 100000 Acres.
WOOD FAMINE Is IMMINENT
Consumption Rapidly Increases and
Prices Are Higher Because Of the
Diminishing Worlds Supply-IittIe
Done in the Way of EncOurasins-
FOrestry-ImpOrts and Exports.

England exports little lumber and wood
products and Imports much. Tie pros
poets Of timber famine are described by
Consul John L Grifiths. Of Liverpool as
imminent unless new sources Of supply
are developed Mr. Grifiths gives the fol-
loving facts about the lumber trade q
Great Britain,
There are about 3,o00.5g0 acres Of for
ests in this country These forests are
not Of great commercial value. and do
not materially help in supplying Great
Britain with its requirements Of timber
IN view Of the rapidly increasing con-
sumption Of timber in the United King
dom, the insUfciency o[ The home supply.
and the gradual exhaustion OF the sup
ply OF certain woods from other cou1-
tries. various commissions have been aD-
pointed IN Great Britain from time %
time 20 consider what might be done n
the way Of aT10restati0r- In the report
Of tIe departmental committee appointed
IN 1872 by the board OF agriculture 70 s.in-
qUire into and report upon British for
esc-y." it was stated that there IS a
very large area OF waste heather and
rough pasture land cut Of cultivation in
the United Kingdom amounting in al
70 z.+f.o93 acres, Oh q large proportion
OF wh-ch sfforestation could be probably
undertaken"
Little Done in Forestry.
Very little. II anything. has been done
in the United Kingdom since the report
OF the committee II 1872 in the way q
carrying out its recommendation. a.
though special courses Of lectures have
been Instituted Al the universities OF OK
ford and Cambridge and in certain ag-i-
cultural colleges and schools. and the
government. has purchased estates n
Scotland and in Ireland for the purpose
Of carrying on. according 10 the most
approved methods, the work OF aff0rss-z-
ton II the six years that have eIzcss5
since the committee made its report il
1872. the situation has grown more acute.
and il Is now Insisted that prompt acton
should De taken for the protection o.
woods and forests and for t1e further
aforestaJion Of large areas
Prevalent opinion in this country as
far as can be sscertaiued from govern
Dent publications. addresses by forestry
T experts. and personal interviews with
number Of the leading importers OF tin
z Der in the Liverpool district. Is trac there
viii be z timber famine within the next
twenty-five OF thirty years few say
[ fifty years. unless something Is done.
systematically and scientifically. in
large way 10 prevent the present waste
and to establish new sources OF supply.
The additional uses 70 which wood Is be
Z ing constantly put has augmented the de-
maHd 50 rapidly as 70 cause the most Sc
rioEs apprehension.
Timber Increases in Cost.
The great producing countries have
Z growing internal consumption OF their
own. which leaves each year less wood
I available for export The countries which
{ are relied upon % make Up the shortage
I IN Great Britain are. FOR soft woods. the
T United States. Canada. Norway. and Swe-
I den for hard woods the Urited States.
E japan India. and the East Indies; and
Z for mahogany. Central America and West
Africa 4 large timber importer n tlls
district stated recently that he believed
japan would in the near future become
al important exporting country, and that
already there had come from Japan 70
the English market and 20 many iupo--
tant centers on TIE continent some rather
large quantities Of timber O. excellent
quality
There are 10 countries. the English ex-
perts say. other than the United States.
NORWAY. Sweden. Finland. and Canada.
which viii yield a supply OF soft wood
Africa New Zealand. Australia. and other
tropical countries contain only hard
woods Il has been suggested that TIE
Pacific Coast VIII some tine in the future
( furnish large quantities OF wood for sN-
port purposes. but that these forests are
not available for the European market
at the present time When the Panama
Canal IS opened. and Canada AID the
United States cannot be largely relied
upon. the Pacific Coast viii then b a
very considerable factor IN the supply of
food for export purposes NotWirhs5au5-
Ing however. a1y future supply that NAV
come from the Pacific Coast. it IS the
/ consensus OF English opinion that there
viii be a dearth Of wood for export from
practically all countries within the next
twenty-five years. or, al the very fur
tEest ffty years unless extensive af0r-
estaJion Is generally carried out. and that
I in the absence Of such precautionary
measures each country viii within a
comparatively short time have 10 depend
for its supply Of timber upon what IL can
STOW within its own territory
Imports Of wood and Timber.
The total value OF wood and timber
and manufactures thereof into the Unit
ed Kingdom IN 1875 was as follows Wood
and timber $133 S64 s0e; manufactures OF
wood and timber. s1.s344l5.
As might he expected under the circun-
stances. there IS scarcely any export Of
British woods the only thing entered
under this head in 1876 being rough hsw1.
sawn- or split wood. and timber. SIS
SO while foreign woods and timber were
exported 10 the value OF S2Ss1 .051. Brit
ish wood manufactures were exported as
follows Furniture and cabinet ware.
s. 7o0-16 all other manufactures. g s54-
COS. total manufactures. S555E15S. being
s.. $50 90 less than the imports About
three-f0Urths Of the exports Of manufac-
lures went 10 British colonies