The Washington times., 1915-12-04

Th" commercial demand for lumber is
'esscninr. and increasing use Of sIbsti-
tutcS suggests that II Is likely to grow
smaller and smaller in coming years.
Recently various governmental! de-
partments. cooperating In the study of
conditions In tho lumber business have
bern getting their data in hand. and
some general features of the subject
viii he discussed in report whose is-
suance Is expected early IN the new
wear. It will be followed by supple
mental reports dealing with conditions
IN various sections OF tho country.
Tho Federal Trade Commission. For
est service. and bureau OF Foreign and
Domestic Commerce have been working
together in the Investigations. on De-
rc.ubcr 10 - big conference OF repre-
seniativos OF the National I.umDcr
Manufacturers Association with the
trad" commission will be held In this
city. which in some ways VIII be
tional industry has asked a. Federal
agency to investigate 1t and tel 1t what
Is the matter with IL. \ decade ago
such an Investigation would have been
undertal;er only at the instance OF the
Federal authorities. and with the eN-
poCtation Jf finding or making trouble.
Now. the industry asks for InN"stiGa-
t!on. and instead OF placiLg obSta les in
documents. and informa tion freely ana
fully at the disposal OF tn" Governments
agents.
In Bad Way.
The lurlber industry ~ in bad way.
and admits It. 1t touched high-"atcr
mark OF prosperity about 1907. and has
been in the doldrums EVER since the
panic at the close Of that year. For
twenty years before that time. there
had been an era Of intense speculation
in timber lantis Vast areas had been
traded in at persistently rising prices
and multi inillionaires had
been made in incredibly short times
through the Increase in value or stump
age. The standing timber had been
largely concentrated into small mum
Der of gigantic combinations; ana the
country saw nothing ahead but the
prospect of paying increasing tribute to
a timber trust which was diligently
in official and unofficial
discussions.
But things have not turned out as
was then expected. The big combina-
tons bought at high prices: issued great
of securities. and then FAILED
to turn their holdings into Profits quick
ly. Their lands had largely been Gov
ernment property: but AS soon as they
pa ssed into private ownership they be-
came subject to taxation. Carrying not
only the burden of taxes. Tut also that
tion, they found the outlook anything
but roseate. To own half a million
acres Of the. finest timber IN the world
looks like the guarantee Of prodigious
on all that potential wealth. while wait
Ing generation or two to get II cut
off and turned into money. Is very
different thing. This Is just what the
big timber holders have been discov-
cring.
Experience Has Been Disheartening.
Br:t this Is only tie Beginning of their
\ lew years ago the de-
nIand for lumber began to slackcn.
Thus. since 1907. the country . consump-
tion of lumber has dropped about ~
per cent: its production has fallen about
3 per cent. Considering that the norm
pl condition of Ii great ind hStry in this
country Is I" Increase very greatly in
such a period. ana that the optimirtS
had confidently expected su' II Increase,
this experience has been dishcartenirG.
Various reasons ar" assigned for the
Of the demand for lumber.
Most important, perhaps is the intro
,luction Of substitutes for lumbcr. Most
Of the building nowadays H. in cities
ana towns: conn aratiN"ly small share
in tho country. Tho towns have been
insisting on better construction. Steel.
brick. stone. have been more
and more used. partly because build
inc regulations ana fre protection rules
cUuired and partly because they were
cheaper. Not only has
been increasing in popularity.
but steel trusses, metal roofing and
!athng, have been more and more used
Even in tho country the tendency to-
ward this tyre of construction has been
marked. 1t Is discovered that better
results come from such build
ing : that maintenance costs are less.
and permanercY greater. The cement
barn on the farm has less chance to
burn, Is cleaner. and nobody yet knows