Evening star., 1916-08-13

Investigating competition. is also
Lumber. csrrv IN economic In
vestigations. with view to helping
the various industries.
One of the first important economic
investigations that it undertook. and
on which it hopes to report early in the
autumn. is the study of the lumber
business>ef the United States. AS re-
suit of this investigation or study,
which was instigated at the request
of the lumbermen themselves. the COM
missioners hope to make recommenda-
tions to Congress that will cause it to
pass some legislation which. in part
at least, will relieve the very serious
conditions now existing in the indus
try
The lumbermen are asking the fed
eral trade commission to investigate
their trade, to look deep into their
business and then to advise such legis-
lation as they see fit as to cut, produce
ton and price. with a view always to
the future of the great forests of this
country.
Indeed, the thinking men of the lum-
ber business have entirely changed
their attitude as regards government
regulation, as brought out, SO far, in
the hearings of the trade commission.
and instead of fighting such regulation.
as has been done in the past, they have
come to the conclusion that such regu-
lation is wise and needed for the good
Of the industry.
According to the facts that have been
laid before the commission, the latest
ll - n
earners employed in the industry. the
value of the product is s1.156,1 90, 900,
the capital invested $1,176,675, 900, and
the railway tonnage of lumber and
other forest products is $193,239, ,733
This makes the industry in the number
of wage-earners employed stand first:
in the capital invested second; in the
value OF products third. being exceed
ed in this last regard only by the meat
industry and the manufacture of foun-
dry and machine products; and only
products of mines furnish more ton
mage to railroads per annum These
facts give some idea of the great i'm
portance of having such an industry
properly managed and successfully
operated. The lumber investigation is
based on the fact that the industry is
OF such magnitude and it's operations
so FAR reaching, its conduct affects so
many people and the basic element on
which 1t is founded is of such national
consequence that the question is
charged with a public interest
There are number of reasons why
the lumber industry is in just the con-
dition that it is today Edward Hines
one of the large timber owners of the
country. at a hearing before the COM
mission suggested some remedies that
might be applied: G) Some means for
securing minimum selling price not
less than the cost of production; (2)
establishing a real American merchant
marine to compete with tonnage under
foreign flags; (3) some consideration
of Canadian competition: % withhold
ing government stumpage' from the
market as much as possible; and (5)
cooperative exploitation and selling of
lumber at home and abroad through
sales companies.
|. Among the things that have helped to
discourage the lumber trade is the fact
that during the past fifteen years many
substitutes for lumber have been found
and their use pushed with all the in
genu1ty at the command of those ex-
plotting them, with the result that the
iumbermen are confronted not only
with low price level but also with
diminishing consumption.
Canadian competition is one of the
tnings that have caused great anxiety
to the American Iumbermen. and
especially those on the west coast Ac-
cording to statements made the taxes
are less there, labor is cheaper and con-
ditions are more favorable The Brit
ish Coiumb bfa competitors enjoy not only
the same rail rates to the markets in
the United States as do the west coast
mills. but by reason of the Operation Of
our navigation laws such competitors
can charter ships under any flag in
normal times for delivery at any port
In the United States on the Atlantic
coast at from $3.50 to $500 per thou-
the United States
That meat production has not kent
pace with the increase in popuIation
and that its failure
Meat Production to do SO. combined
n.o-.,,; with the increased
and diminished purchasing power of
the money unit, has contributed
to higher prices. not only in this
country. but all over the world. is
statement made in an exhaustive
report on the meat situation which has
been in preparation for some time by
the experts of the Department of agri-
culture. The United States. it is said.
is participating in a world wide move
ment, and it is not expected that the
situation will undergo any radical
change in the immediate future On
the other hand, the officials think that
there viii be a gradual growth and
expa nsion in the worlds production of
beef, mutton and pork which NAV or
may not equal the rate of increase of
the meat-eating population.
In this country gradual expansion
has already begun. Between 1907 and
1913 there was a marked decline In
the number of cattle in the country
but during the past couple OF years
this has not only storDed, but has
given way to a peTceptible increase.
January l, 1915, it was estimated that
there were 6s.00o,o0O head of cattle in
the United States, as compared with
5S.200.000 in April, 1910.
The available meat supply would be
much greater if it were not for the
enormous losses caused by disease and
exposure. the report points out. De-
partmental experts figure that since
1900 more thar 100000 head of cat
tie have died each year from disease
and nearly that many from exposure.
Despite these facts. the United States
remains the greatest meat-eating as
well as meat-producing nation In the
world. Approximately twice as much
meat is consumed in this country as
in Germany during normal times, and
the total consumption in Russia, Great
Britain and France is less than Ger
| many 1t is said that the per capita
consumption is also far greater than
anywhere else. with the possible ex-
| ception of Australia and New Zealand.