The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-03-22
THE SOUTH'S PROSPERITY
AND THELUMBER MARKET
By Charles s. Keith. President of the
Southern Pine Association.

The people q the south. taken a. a
whole. have only vague. general iaea
~ the importance of lumber 20 their
state They knew that there are q
great many lumber mills and vast for
sste and that the south n the head
quarters % many 81 the manufac-
tuners: but the mills ard the forests
are usually remote from the main arr
tcrses or travel. and the iumhermen
have not perhaps. been a. sssertive
as they might have been IN fact. IL
seerns that the lumbeTmen has BY Gus
tom STAYED cut ~ pubiic affairs This
MAJ perhaps Be the cause % the
south's lack - dennt information re-
sarding the lmportanee u this indus
try to the commonwealth.
The average citizen who has not
visited the lumber district - ne state
lmaTines that tire main operations 0f
the iu1nbernen consist 81 cutting TIM
her IN TIRE forests and carrying Il 90
market. I believe IL viii be = surprise
rs nine cot ~ ter 81 the citizens - ne
south 90 learn the annual pay rolls a
fumner manufactures % one state
Alenc-Louis .ana~-are ~ excess ~
twenty ne million dollars Forty five
81 production secs into wages. In 9TH
er words "a may be stated that. before
a dollars worth - luFaber g. prepared
for IRE market ferty-flve cents has
aesn paid o. the workman. This mon
eN goes Is the people Sc the south ana
is suent SOD the south IN addition 90
that fortg five cents. fifteen cents out
~ every dollar roos into wages On the
90 fsat #Nasas
The lumber manufacturers bus mil
lions 81 dollars worth ~ supplies an
nuallX and very large percentage ~
this merchandise - bought from the
southern manufacturers and dealers.
The Average View.
The average man who has not visit :
81 the modern lumber manufacturing
esta blishment thinks - n - TEN.
perarg. more or less ramshackie shel-
ter for a Sob 90 81 crude saw min nga :
chiuery The fast D. that competition
"a the lumber trade las developed -
point where The saw mlll today com
uflses permanent structure that Is
/ equipped with the best machinery that
engineers have been able 20 devise.
There are lumber plants lu the south
that Gust 60 exceed a million dollars
figure. aH designed TO the purpose ~
reducing the cost ~ production a few
cents there on thousand feet. 81 fhai
competition may - met Through Tire
very conditions that govern the manu-
fscture II ium4er fhe life ~ these
rlaasss IL rarely more than ten 90 ar
teen Years After that time their solo
value ~ no more than It's wrecked
value. cid machinery etc, the lumbei
vii have been cut auay Tor So great q
radius thst e may no longer BE prac-
ti~ui from d business standpoint ~
haul ioEs o. that min aud new devei
Urments neW discoveries In msclsin-
efH would make the plant Obsolete
. even lf The cuttsnp hss not pat it oui
! II commission
Briefly. competition 80 cumpletel1
. sovcrns every phase % the lumbe'
business in the south that the engi
] neer8 and manufacturers must figure
! ts The smallest detail the cost - out,
pat
s 90 70 a strange and almost ineKplic
. able fact that while the cost ~ UH
! ag hes steadily advanced 10 the TIM
tel states and ir an other parts 3
the world. while farm products aH
rule. have steadily HFougnt bette
prices. yellow pine. one ~ the great
s EST products ~ thc suuth. has almoa
] / sfeedily decreased Ia sellne price F0
instance. flte Years ago ln 1902 a.,
. iaverage prize - manufactured yellow
sire wac st1s7 cr thousand % a.