Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-11-05


the New York World as dispatch
from the national capital, will be of
interest to Pacific Coast lumbermen:
The Underwood tariff
law has had only an incidental part
in the depression of the lumber in
dustry in this country. The effects
of the tariff on lumber and forest
products are purely local. Overpro-
duction is the principal cause of the
depression in this great industry,
which began before the Democratic
tariff law went into effect.
This is the view of men who have
made careful study of the lumber
industry. The investigation is still
going on, the federal trade commits
sion, forest service and interstate
commerce commission working in
close cooperation.
Overproduction in the lumber in
dustry is due in part to lack of fore
sight on the part of men engaged in
the industry and in part to the sub
stitution of other material for wood
in construction, roofing and other
work.
One great blow to the industry lies
in the fact that the bulk of construc-
tion in the last few years has moved
from the small towns, where fire re-
strictions are nominal, to the cities,
where they are very great. While
wood may be used freely in the
smaller communities, larger municipal
tiles absolutely forbid it's use in
many lines.
Steel Drives Out Wood.
The larger buildings being con-
structed require heavier frames, and
metal has necessarily taken the place
of wood for such purposes. This
change in construction, together with
the substitution of various materials
for roofing ard other uses, consti-
tutes loss of a large portion of it's
market which the lumber industry
can never recover. Some say that
only an undesirable citizen" would
want to recover it, since the substitu-
ton of metal and other infiammable
articles has marked a great advance
in the way of safety.
The passing of the wooden passen-
ger coach and the substitution Of
metal for freight cars, even the good
old box car, mark another distictly
permanent loss to the lumber market.
It is certain that all wooden rolling
stock will in time be relegated to the
dump.
Many lumber men 'saw it coming"
and made their arrangements. Others
were caught. The fact that many
|lumbermen themselves are now using
metal and slate for roofing their mills
and steel beams to add stability to
the structures is the best indication
that they have begun to bow to a
new economic era in the construction
world.
Industry Not on Auction Block.
This does not mean that the lum-
Der industry is on the auction block,
or anywhere near it, according to gov
eminent officials. 1t NEARLY means
that there must be general adjust
ment to meet new conditions. Some
lumbermen are cutting timber and
operating their mills simply to keep
their heads above water. They must
have some income to pay interest
charges, taxes and the like.
1t is probably that some big lum-
bermen will lose large timbered areas
which they bought with borrowed
capital. So long as interest charges
and taxes are met, of course, no such
loss will be suffered. Officials who
have made study of the inquiry are
confident that better era will follow
general readjustment.
AS for the tariff and its effect on
the industry, it is pointed out that
the tariff wall doubtless has been
useful on the Pacific coast and in
the Great Lakes regions. in both of
which much Canadian lumber is
marketed. In the central empire
northern Idaho, for example large
quantities of American lumber are
shipped across the border and sold
in the prairie country of Canada. 1t
is an open question in the minds OF
many whether the old tariff wall did
not do more harm than good to the
American lumber industry.
Seek Foreign Market.
The evils of overproduction and
the loss of home markets can be
largely overcome, it is believed, by 9
wider use Of foreign markets. There
fore tho inOuiry now under way Ii