The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1908-09-10
OREGON AND WASHINGTON
LEAD IN LUMBER CUT

NdSnlnSlOn, ID. y. oepJ. II Is
ures of the lumber cut in 1907 com |
piled by the bureau of the census
and the forest service showed the |
largest total ever reported in the
United States, exceeding by over Z
per cent the cut reported for 1906
until then the record year. This
does not necessarily show a larger
I, lctual cut than in 1906, for the re
.urns obtained last year were mora
complete than ever before. The fig
res themselves disclose some inter
| esting facts.
In 1907, 2S,S50 mills made returns
md their production was over 40 bill
ion feet of lumber. This is believed
include 50 per cent of the actual
tut. In 1906, 22,39S mills reported
lbout 3714 billion feet. Since ac.
;ording to these figures nearly 29
5ear than the year before while the
Increase in production was only lit, i,
lie over Z per cent, it might be
| hought that the amount actually
manufactured must have been great
n in the earlier year. This, how
,ver, would be too hasty inference
or it is almost wholly among mills
| # small individual output that the
gain in the number of establishments
| eporting has been made.
| A classification of the returns by
states and regions throws additiona
light on the situation. Individual
changes, as for example the remark.
lble rise of Texas from eighth tc
bird place among the lumber-p -produc.
ng states, are doubtless accounted
or primarily by the greater accuracy
)f the 1907 figures; but in the ma
,ority of cases the advances and de
;lines can be traced to specific in.
fluences.
Before the year closed the general
business depression was severely felt
in the lumber industry. 1t was not,
however, the most important cause
Of falling off in the production OF
he year where a falling off oc
Cured. For decline in production
ook place only in certain regions
rhe South is the region of greatest
activity in lumber production, anC
yellow pine the most important
wood, forming 33 per cent of the
entire cut of the country. The cut
)f yellow pine reported shows an
increase of 13 per cent over that OF
1906. In the early part of the yeaI
many of the southern mills cut sc
heavily that, in spite of the curtail
I'd output which followed the bust
ness disturbance later, the total was
greater than ever before. But in both
the Lake states and the Northwest
smaller cut was reported than foi
1906, though the number of mills re
porting increased.
In the Lake states the falling off
evinced the waning supply of white
, pine. Michigan, which for many years
led all the states in lumber produc
, ion, and then gave way to Wiscon
sin, sank in 1907 from fourth to sev
enth place, while Wisconsin wen
from third to fifth. Minnesota al
3 late as 1905 held fourth place. Las
g. year it went from seventh to ninth
4 1t was not until the later COS tina
The South displaced this group O
# states as the most important sourc
re Of lumber supply. Since southern
s pine Is abundant In all the Atlanti
coast states from the Carolnas t
Of Texas, the region as whole wi
ST doubtless maintain its leading pos
Ell ton for some years, in spite of tn
fe fact that at the present rate tn
bulk of tn timber will be gone in an
ve other decade; but in totals of pr,
III duction by individual states the lead
vi ership has since 1906 been held b
Washington.
lis The figures Of production sho
OF that during 1907 Washington fell O
very decidedly from its huge cut
sc 1906, while It's sister state Orego
es Is credited with a slight increase
he its total. In the early part OF tf
year Washington suffered from
car shortage, and at the end IL
* combined effects of business disturb
ance and higher freight rates hs
brought the industry almost to para
ysis. Oregon kept up its cut b
o. cause of its larger proportion
Ill coastwise and foreign trade. The
les two states together produced mo
Ike lumber than any other two stat
on in the Union.
1t Is a striking fact that thouI