The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-02-03
DoNALDsoNyILI4E. La AJzsATURDAY. FEB g. 1912
one OF LOUIs|ANA's NEEDS.

| otsA VI auoiuIHlHH WLLDul
Enormous Lumber Industry Yielding
Much Smaller Returns Than
Might be Derived If There Were
More Wood-Using industries to
Manufacture States Forest Pro-
ducts.
In its current issue the New Or
leans Lumber Trade Journal pub
fishes a report on "The Wood-using
Industries of louisiana" prepared
by lu Maxwell of the federal forest
service. Evidently prepared for
publication and distribution by a
department of the forest service, it
is explained that no funds are avail
able for the purpose and publicity is
given it, therefore,, through the col
umns of a trade journal The great
length of the article probably will
prevent its being widely read, even
by lumbermen, though it presents
statistics interesting and valuable.
The conclusion to be drawn from its
findings seems to be that the state
is getting out Of it's enormous lum-
Der industry much smaller returns
than might easily be derived if there
were more 'wood-using industries Z
within its boundaries to manufacture
its forest products.
Notwithstanding the latest statistics
OF lumber production for the United
States place the state of Washing
ton a little in advance of Louisiana,
Mr.. Maxwell declares the grouping
of all known data for each state
shows that Louisiana's forests yield
more wood than those of any other
state He estimates the total Lou
isiana yield at 5,175,370, 900 feet. Of
this, sawed lumber contributes
3,551 ,918, 900 feet. But of the sawed
lumber total only 1854 ,12e, SIT feet
are further manufactured" within
the state. That is to say, by far
the larger portion of the cut is
shipped out of the state as rough
lumber, to furnish raw material for
Wood-using industries in other states
or countries. Of the quality further
manufactured" in Louisiana, it an
pears that 1,223, ,205, 1854 feet are mere
ly worked through the planning mills
and then shipped outside as dressed
lumber So that, out of approxi-
mately three and a half billion feet
Of lumber annually produced from the
Louisiana forests, only about 132,-
100000 feet are actually converted,
by Louisiana industries, into other
commercial product than lumber.
Take from Louisiana's table of
further manufacturer the one item
Of planning mill products, '' points
out the fors st expert and its total
VI essEffd be low 81 ssn ID sllisst & sUf ssInyl
other state where similar surveys
nave been completed Che names
seven of these, in other sections of
the country "and this in face of
the fact that it is next to the highest
state in lumber cut and perhaps ex-
ceeds every state in the total ous
put of forest products
The point is more clearly illustrated
by a table comparing Louisiana fur
niture industry with that of seven
other states surveyed. Only As
feet of Louisiana lumber per 100
acres of Louisiana forest, he de-
clares, is manufactured into furni-
ture by Louisiana factories; whereas
in Illinois the proportion is 1897
feet to the 100 acres and in Massa-
chusetts it is 1891. Illinois furni-
ture makers pay three times as much
for their lumber he adds, and
Massachusetts pays more than twice
as much In supply of native timber
adapted to use in the industry, he
shows that Louisiana is far ahead
of 'ssome of the states which are
far ahead of it in furniture mama
facture."
This industry is only one of a
number in which similar comparisons
would be possible. The manufacture
of store and office fixtures in Lou
isiana utilized only 100000 feet of
Louisiana lumber. Mr.. Maxwell
considers it probable that New Or
leans alone uses more fixtures than
the whole quantity reported manu-
factured in the state" yet he finds
that part of the Louisiana product
in this line is exported to Mexico,
Central America and South America
and shipped to other states in this
country. The forest experts report
shows convincingly and conclusively,
we think, that Louisiana is losing
a great part Of the benefits and
profits derivab1e from its huge tim
Der resources by shipping out so
large a proportion Of its lumber cut
as raw material to build up the
finishing industries of other states
and countries-and by working up,
in its own finishing industries,
proportion so small as to be COM
paratively Insignificant. - New Or
leans Times-Democrat
List OF Letters
Remaining in the postoffice at Don.
aldsonYille. for week ending Feb. 3: