Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-01
SHOWS LARGEST LUMBER CUT
STATEMENT PREPARED BY THE
CENSUS BUREAU.
Forty Billion Feet Cut in 1907,
Against Thirty-Seven and a
Half in 1906

Figures of the lumber cut in 1907 COM
piled by the bureau Of the census and
| the forest service show the largest total
ever reported in the United States. eX-
ceeding by over per cent the cut re-
| ported for 1906. until then the record
year. This does not necessarily show a
larger actual cut than in 1906 for the re-
| turns obtained last year were more COM
plete than ever before. The figures them
selves disclose some interesting facts.
In 1907 2S,S5O mills made returns and
their production was over forty billion
feet of lumber This is believed to in
clude 95 per cent of the actual cut. In
| 1906 2,29S mills reported about thirty
| seven and one-half billion feet. Since,
| according to these figures, nearly % per
cent more mills reported last year than
the year before, while the increase in
production was only a little over Z per
cent, ii might be thought that the amount
actually manufactured must have been
greater in the earlier year This. how
| ever, would be too hasty inference. for
it is almost wholly among mills of small
| individual output that the gain in the
number of establishments reporting has
been made.
classification of the returns by states
and regions throws additional light on
the situation. Individual changes. as. for
example, the remarkable rise of Texas
from eighth to third place among the
lumber-producing states, are doubtless
accounted for primarily by the greater
accuracy of the 1907 figures; but in the
majority of cases the advances and de-
clines can be traced to specific influences.
Before the year closed the general bust
ness depression was severely felt in the
lumber industry. 1t was not, however,
the most important cause Of falling off
in the production of the year where a
falling off occurred. for decline in pro-
duction took place only in certain regions.
The south is the region of greatest activ-
ty In lumber production, and yellow pine
is the most important wood, forming 33
per cent Of the entire cut of the country.
Yellow Pine Cut.
The cut of yellow pine reported shows
an increase of I3 per cent over that of
1906 In the early part of The year many
of the southern mills cut so heavily that,
in spite of the curtailed output which
followed the business disturbances later.
the total was greater than ever before
But in both the lake states and the north
west smaller cut was reported than for
1906 though the number of mills report
ing increased.
In the lake states the falling off evil
denced the waning supply of white pine.
the states in lumber production and then
gave way to Wisconsin. sank In 1907
from fourth to seventh place, while Wis
consin went from third to fifth. Mime
sofa as late as 1909 held fourth place.
Last year it went from seventh TO ninth.
1t was not until the latter 90s that the
south displaced this group of states as
the most important source of lumber
supply. Since southern pine is abundant
in all the Atlantic coast states from the
CarOlinaS to Texas, the region as whole
will doubtless maintain its leading posi-
ton for some years, in spite of the fact
that at the present rate the bulk Of the
timber will be gone in another decade.
But in totals of production by individual
states the leadership has since 1905 been
held by Washington.
Washington Fell OF.
The figures of production show that
during 1907 Washington fell off very de-
cidedly from it's huge cut of 1906, while
it's sister state, Oregon, is credited with
slight increase in its total In the early
part Of the year Washington suffered
from a car shortage, and at the end the
combined effects of business disturbance
and higher freight rates had brought the
industry almost to paralysis. Oregon
kept up its cut because of its larger pro-
These two states together produced more
lumber than any other two states in the
Union.
1t is a striking fact that though lum-
Der prices have been steadily going up
during the last half century, the per
capita consumption of lumber has also
been going up In 1ooO, according to the
best figures obtainable the average con-
sumption to each person in the country |
was go feet; In 1900. AGO feet, and In 1907,