Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-04-11
More National Forest Timber
For Sale.

Washington, April THE Forest
Service has just begun to advertise
the twelfth large lot of National tim
Der offered for sale within che past
nine months. Altogether it has ao-
vertised since July i, 1910, the begin
ming Of the present fiscal year, about
$500, 900, 900 feet, and has closed con-
tracts for the sale of 100000, 900
feet. The latest advertised sale is OF
approximately 81, OO0, 900 feet OF saw
timber in the Rainier National For
est, about IS miles from Tacoma.
In Offering National Forest timber
for sale the Government first makes
an estimate of the quantity OF timber
on an area which would naturally
form a single logging unit, and. which
offers attractive opportunities for h
lum be rman. The probable cost OF log
Ing and manufacturing by a capable
lumberman is then estimated. On
the basis of these estimates combined
with the figures for market values
and freight charges the timber is APP
praised and then advertised for sale,
with the appraised value as a mini
mum price.
The minimum prices set for the
Rainier timber vary from soc to $3.50
per Thousand feet, according to the
kind Of timber. These are stumpage
| prices that is, the purchaser buys the
| trees on the stump and does all the
logging, but pays according to the
board foot measure of the logs. The
Government aims to allow the manu-
facturer a liberal profit On the basis
that laundering involves a good deal
Of business risk, and the minimum
stumpage prices are fixed accordingly.
Often, however, competitive bids
raise the price above the advertised
minimum.
One Of the provisions of the con-
tract, which the successful bidder for
the Rainier timber will enter into
will be that If market prices advance
materially the Governments Chief
Forester may, after the sale has run
three years, require a reasonable
REIMBURSEMENT of the stumpage prices
up to an added so cents per thousand.
The object Of this stipulation is to
prevent loss to the Government that
is, to the public and an undue profit
to the purchaser through long-term
contracts entered into on a rising
market. Provision against such spec
ulative profits is regarded as especial
ly~ necessary in view of the long-term
sales now sometimes made to get pur-
chasers for large bodies of In access
IDLE timber.
For the Rainier sale the cutting
period allowed is only five years, since
the quantity of timber involved ap-
proximately 50, OOO,OO board feet does
not call for an extended operation.
One National Forest sale made this
year was for 800, DOC, 900 board feet and
the purchasers were allowed a cut
ting period of twenty-five years be.
sides a preliminary two years in which
to build a railroad. Usually purchas:
ers must begin operating the year OF
purchase and cut a stipulated amount
each year.
The latter provision Is simply an
example of a fundamental principle
thai is applied In all National Forest
timber sales. The primary object is
described as being not profit for the
Government but benefit to the public.
Nowhere Is the policy a strictly com.
mercial one The conditions Of cut.
ting are carefully prescribed from the
standpoint of present as we'll as fut.
ure needs. The highest bid for the
contract may be rejected, and is re.
jected if it appears that to give the
bidder the contract would tend t1
facilitate timber monopoly and SO
subject the consumer to a hardship.
In other words. the Government
foresters consider that they should
not only make the forests grow as
fast as possible but Also make them
as useful as possible to the public.
-. $50