The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-04-29
NATIONAL FOREST
TIMBER FOR SALE

Washington April 2S-The forest
service has begun to advertise the
twelfth large lot of National Forest
timber offered for sale within the past
nine months. Altogether 1t has adver
tised since July /, 1912 the beginning
of the present fiscal year, about 2,5O0(
100000 feet, and has closed contracts
for the sale of 100000 feet. The lat
est advertised sale is Of approximately
$4,000, 900 feet OF saw timber in the
Rainier National Forest timber, about
thirty five miles from Tacoma.
In offering the National Forest tim.
Dor for sale the government first
makes an estimate of the quantity
of timber on the area which would
naturally form a single logging unit,
and which offers attractive opportun-
tiles for the lumberman. The probable
cost of logging and manufacturing by
a capable lumberman is then estimat-
ed. On the basis of these estimates
combined with figures for market val
ues and freight charges the timber is
appraised and then advertised for
sale, with the appraised value as
minimum price.
The minimum price set Tor the Rain
Ter timber vary so cents to 81 so 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 manufacturer lib
eral profit on basis that numbering
involves 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 II market prices raise
materially the governments chief for.
ester may, after the sale has run
three years, require reasonable re-
adjustment 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 publc-and an undue profit
to the purchaser through long term
contracts entered into on rising
market. Provision against such spec
ulative profits is regarded as espe-
cially necessary in view OF the long
term sales now sometimes made to
get purchasers for large bodies of
inaccessible timber.
For the Rainier sale the cutting
period allowed is only five years,
since the quantity of timber involved
approximately 100000 board feet
does not call for an extended Cd.
Grafton. One national forest sale
made this year was for 100000 900
board feet and the purchasers were
allowed a cutting period of twenty.
two years besides a preliminary two
years in which to build h railroad.
Usually purchasers must begin oper-
ating the year of purchase and cut
a stipulated amount each year.
The latter pro, ision is simply an
example Of fundamental principle
That is applied in all national forest
timber sales. The primary object is
described as being not profit for the
government but benefit to the pub.
lie. Nowhere is the policy a strict.
~ commercial one. The conditions OF
cutting are carefully prescribed from
the standpoint OF present as we'll ss
future needs. The highest bid for
the contract may be rejected and is
rejected II 1t appears that to give the
bidder the contract would tend to "a.
cilitate timber monopoly and so sub.
ject the consumer to n hardship. In
other words, government foresters
consider that they should not only
make the forests grow as fast as
possible but also make them as use.
tul as possible TO the public