Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-02-15
MARKET LATER REACHED
TO LOWEST POINT OF YEAe
Fifty Four Per Cent Of Pine in M'nns'
sofa Now Held BY Six Persons or
Firm. - Speculative Purchase and
Holding Far in Advance OF Use
rhersof-Anti.Trvst Suit Likely.

value of this diminishing natural re-
source with great profits to It's own
ers," and incidentally, IAN equally
sinister land monopoly" and a close
ly connected railroad domination
these are the findings reported to the
president by Herbert Knox Smith. COM
missioner OF corporations, in the nfst
installment OF his long waited report
on the lumber industry In the Unlteo
States. The report, dated Monday, was
made public yesterday by the pres1-
dents sending 1t to congress.
The commissioners conclusion, IN
forecast OF the future, partakes OF the
sensational
There are many great combinations
in other industries says the commas
stoner. whose formation Is complete.
In the lumber industry, on the other
hand. the bureau now finds in the max
ing a con,bin alton, caused, fundamen-
tally. by a long standing public policy.
The concentration already existing Is
sufficiently impressive. Still more inn
pressive are the possibilities for the
future.
I'm the last forty years concentra-
.ion has 20 proceeded that 1875 holders,
MANY interrelated, now have practical
Nv one-half Of the privately owned TIM
Der in the investigation area (wn'ch
contains so per cent OF the wno1e)'
This formidable process Of concentra-
ton. in timber and In land. certainly
involves grave future possibilities or
impreenable mcnopolisttc conditions
whose far.reaching consequences to So
cietv Il Is now difficult to anticipate
fully or 20 overestirnate.
Facts Found by cemmissi onsr.
IN. com missioner reserves for later
report the subject OF combinations IN
t,a noanufacture or eale Of lumber Gas
d,stinsuished from ownership OF stand
ir~ +3sr,herY Following is substant tally
tina fun text OF the letter summarizing
the report:
.sThe following facts shown are:
..rhe concentration OF dominating
control Of our standing timber IN
comparatively few enormous holdings.
steadily tending toward q central con-
troll OF the lumber industry.
Vast speculative purchase and hold
INK Of timber land far In advance OF
any use thereof.
"A
OF this Diminishing natural resource.
with great profits to Its owners. TINS
values. by the very nature OF standing
tl,nher. the holder neither created nor
Substantially enhances.
These are the underlying facts Of
tremendous significance TO the public
welfare. They are primarily the results
Of our public lsnd policy, long contin-
ued. The laws that represent that pol
lev are still largely operative.
"Oniy forty years ago. at least three
fourtl1s OF the timber now standing was
Ut is estimated) publicly owned. Now
about four-hfths OF 1t is privately
owned. The great bulk Of 1t passed
from government to private hands thru
enormous railroad, canal and wagon
road grants by the federal government,
direct government sales In unlimited
quantities at 1925 per aero. certain
public land laws, great tracts being
assembled IN spite Of legal requirements
for small holdings Such laws were
wholly inappropriate to forest regions,
but tho vigorously condemned In sew
eral public reports. they are still largely
in force.
Timber Values eoar.
..During this interval. and chiefly In
the latter half thereof. the value OF
standing timber has Increased tenfold.
twenty-foIA and even hfty-fold. accord
ing to location. The present annual
growth is only about one-third Of the
present annual cut. Replacement by
new growth Is very slow.
"what did the government get for
the timber. OF the southern line sold
for $1.25 an acre, much IL now worth
$50 an acre. Large amounts OF Doug
las Ar In western Washington and Ore
eon, which the government gave away
or sold at $3.50 an acre. now ranges
from 500 to 5000 an acre, The great
redwood belt in California was alienat-
ed on similar terms. and some OF 1t 10
now worth hundreds Of dollars an acre.
.-The former chief official in the serv-
ice OF the general land offices. II. HI.
Schwartz, stated officially (1909) that
the timber and stone act has resulted
in the sale Of over 10000, 900 acres Of
valuable timber lands Of which fully
10, OO0, 900 acres were transferred to
corporate or individual timber land in
vestors by the entrymen. These lands
brought to the people or general gov
eminent a gross sum OF $s0,00o.0oo. AT
the date Of sale they were reasonably
worth $40, 606. 600. The profit os over
5000, 900 900 went not to the needy set
tier but to the wealthy investors. Not
over fractional part Of 1 per cent of
the timber purchased from the United
states under this act Is held, consumed,
or even cut by the men and women
who made the entries
IAN investigation emphasizes the
probability that heavily timbered lands,
II opened to entry, would pass into the
hands Of large owners OF timber. Of