Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-12-16
THE LUMBER DUTY.
Opinion that 1t would Retard Forest
Preservation.
[From the American Lumberman.l

From the American Lum6crman.i
One Of the ill-considered and failacious
arguments in behalf OF a removal of the
duty on lumber is that because such
action would lower the price OF lumber in
the United States and thus attract lumber
from Canada, 1t would preserve American
forests.
Alumber manufacturer contends that,
instead of the above being true, anything
which would tend to lower the price OF
lumber in the United States, and conse-
quently OF timber, would set back the
cause OF forest preservation and actually
promote waste OF our forest resources.
II the removal OF the duty OF e thou
sand on rough lumber should reduce the
mill price of lumber in the United States
to that extent, or even to the extent Of 81
thousand, such q lowering Of prices
would chiefly be felt in the lower grades,
which are always in keen competition,
and would make it impossible to continue
the experiments in forestry methods in
connection with the lumber business
which are now being inaugurated.
A distinguished lumberman, speaking
Ut the conservation congress in Washing
ton last summer, said that lumber is not
yet high enough in the United States to
mako forestry methods practical in most
sections. Every forester familiar with
American conditions acknowledges that
the forestry methods adopted in Europe,
with success there, are not practicable in
the United States except under rare condi-
tions. There every part Of the tree cut
down II utilized, even to the twigs.
No manufacture can, from . financial
standpoint, expend moro on his product
than he got out Of it. Therefore, it is only
in recent years, since the supply Of timber
became msnifestly less and its value
greatly increased, that the lumbermen Of
ths United States could afford to use the
economies that are necessary il our forest
resources are to be conserved. Conserve
ton Of these resources rests partly upon .
close use Of the trees that are felled and
partly upon . replacement Of those trees
by others.
Only few years ago trees were felled ct
such distance above the ground that the
first log would be clean and straight one.
Now they are cut close to the ground in
order to save material, but this involves
increased expense in the woods and in the
mill and results chiefly in the production
of low grade lumber. Now small trees are
cut which make only common or Gull lum-
Der, and unsound trees which once were
left in the woods are now brought in and
utilized.
Formerly, in cutting the tree trunk into
logs, the top cut was fixed below the first
large limb. Now the top log is carried as
far up into the limbs as seems practicable,
and some Of the larger limbs are used.
The extra product secured is low grade
lumber.
II the quantity Of low grade lumber for
sale were increased BY the opening of the
markets Of the United States to the Cana
dian low grade product by the removal Of
the duty, the quantity OF this class OF ma
terial would be largely increased and its
prices necessarily would have to be low
cred in order to insure its sale; but since
sale at lower prices would change the
balance in the total output of Q lumber
ing operation between the parts Of the
product that are profitable and those that
are not profitable, it would be necessary
to produce less low grade lumber. This
would mean that small trees and large un-
sound trees and the parts OF the tree now
utilized or which the lumbermen are plan
ming to utilize would have to be left in the
woods, and that in the saw mill more ma
terial would 60 into the refuse burners
and less into this low grade product.
Thus an acre OF timber would not produce
SO much material by perhaps 20 per cent.
as at present.
But it may be claimed that il it is not
profitable to cut trees that make low
grade product, saplings and young timber
will be left in the woods to grow to ma
turity, and the large unsound trees will
also be left to serve as seed trees. That
would be true and, perhaps, desirable from
the forester's viewpoint, il the means
were available from the profits OF opera
ton to care for the material thus left;
but experiments have shown that it is
only when property has tangible value
that it is cared for.
Expensive logging and fire protection
can be paid for II there is profit in the
whole process, but not otherwise. There
fore, what is left in the woods under lower
price conditions would necessarily be
neglected and largely uncared for, to not
only an immediate waste but to the per-
manent loss OF one OF the great natural
resources Of this country. Higher prices
Of forest products, as in Europe, and
higher values OF timber are both necessary
to the adoption and practice OF conserva-
tive logging methods.
The demands for preservation OF the
forests and for lower priced lumber do not
hang together. The one cannot be had
without higher prices for forest products
than this country has yet seen.