The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-15
Present Conditions.

There Is now left" he continues. lin
continental United States. about 1900
100000 board feet Of privately owned
standing timber. Of which l.7iI, 200, 0l0
Is In The investigation ares covered
III great detail by the bureau This
area includes the Pacific Northwest, tho
Southern pine region and the Lake
States and contains about SO per cent.
OF all the private timber OF the coun-
try. In addition. there arc about $50.
coc.ooo.ooo feet In the national forests
and about o0,ooo,o0, 900 feet on other
non private lands Thus the total
amount OF standing timber in cuntinen-
IA United states is about $500 900, 900:
QUO board feet. The present annual
drain upon the supply OF saw timber is
about $1,000, 900, 600 feet At this rate,
tho timber now standing. without al
lowancc for growth or decay, would
last about ilfty-ilvo years
The present commercial value of tho
privately owned standing timber in tho
country. not including the value Of the
land. is estimated as at least 5000.
ooo.ohe Ultimately. the consuming
public will have to pay such prices for
lumber as will give this timber IA far
greater value
The commissioner declares that three
holdings alone, the greatest In the
countrN-tiiose OF the Southern Pac!tic
Company. the Weycrhae,ls..r Timber
Company and the Northern Pacifc rail-
way Company Uncludins their subsid-
iary companiesl together have a3S.-
ooo.o0o,o0l feet, or nearly ii per cent
OF all the privately owned timber OF tho
country
In the Southern pine region" says
the commissioner, In taking IN tho de-
scription OF various sections Of timber
Land, there arc 63i, 900 900 600 feet OF
privately owned timber. Concentration
III total timber IS much less than in lie
Pacific Northwest. There is. however.
Q high concentration in the more vain
able species. long-lcaf yellow pine and
cypress. SiXty-seNcn holders oWI 80
per cent. Of the long leaf yellow pine.
- per cent IT all the cypress. Ia per
sent. OF The .Eort-leaf aud lohiolly pine,
ana / per cent. Of the hardwood
Probable IsHect.
Coming. then 10 the probab bic effect
Of this concentration. the commissioner
remarks:
such concentration in standing tim
Der, If permitted TO continue ana IN
crease, makes probable final central
control OF the whole lumber Industry
y few strong interests, ultimately
holding tho bulk OF the timber. can set
The price Of timber and It's products.
Certain further factors. not exactly
incasurablc increase Still more the real
concentrations. First a further inlrr.
weaving of interests. corporate and
personal. connects grta many holdings
which tho bureau has troated as sera.
rate; second, there arc very large to-
tails Of timber so scattered III small
tracts through larger holdings that they
are substantially blocked III or con :
trollcd BY the large holders third. the
concentration is much highcr In the
more valuable species.
Tile largest holders arc cutting
little Of their timber They thus re-.
serve o themselves incllcuIablc prontS
which arc siill to- accrue with the
growth OF the country, the diminishing
OF timber supply and tho further con-
centration and control thereof. Many
OF the very mon who arc protesting
against conservation and the national
forcst system because OF the tying up
Of natural resources. are themselves
deliberately tying them up Car more
effectively FOR private gain. The fact