Evening journal., 1919-08-14
LTMRERING LOGGING.

THE 'yaor of ignorance" apparently never bad better
illustration than in tho pursued by the War
Department when penitentiary warden, previously a
cavalry officer, and without numbering experience, was
placed in control Of spruce production in The Pacific
Northwest
Spruce absolutely essential for airplane consruc-
ton. Rapid production vital Tho Pacific Northwest
contained The best spruce the country and in quanti
ties makng rapid production practicable.
Moreover there many umbermen in The North
west long experienced in logging and numbering in a
large way apd ready and anxious TO give the nation the
bcnent of their knowledge and skill
Al circumstances justified belief that there would be
no delay in spruce production
And there would have been delay, apparently II
the task had been undertaken in businesske manner
There busness-like start but politics Or friend
ship soon threw efficiency TO The winds
Russell Hawkins. who had been all his life lumber
and who managed OF the most upo-date logging
outfits in the country. first chosen 10 superinend
spruce production, and the outlook encouraging.
But for some reason yet 10 be exposed Hawkins was
SET aside and Brice p Dsque, warden at the Michigan
pententary named in his stead. Disque went TO the
Northwest overturned the system and practices that
had been use, and undertook teach the lumbermen
Of that section of the country how TO produce spruce
The dismal failure written In the records was what
any OF business would have expected in advance.
There was long delay construction of logging camps
that abandoned refusal TO logging roads
logging roads where not rights of way had been
secured appointment OF supervisory officials
without days experience in the logging industry
signmen fayores TO the spruce production service
though they had fitness for the work increase Of
wages and cutting down OF hours in the Northwest
hat lumbermen in that section found Il dnlcult or i'm
possible 10 compete with umhermen In favored South
Il is reported that in instances there were more
officers than priyates tho Job and automobiles
Ing officers from place to another speeding so
fast and thick the highways that citizens could scarcely
keep out Of the way.
one OF Disques innovations rvng spruce instead
saving and this he reported TO have been abandoned
lfer long delay and large expense
Major Sigh wrote the Secretary OF War In August,
1915 Dsque ienoranlly embarked in this branch with
disastrous results The cost fabulous, and most OF
The worthless Of the largest operators the
coast intimately familiar with Dsques operations told
May that in his opinion it has cost the taxpayers
100000 to Disque what he knew at that
time BY his ignorance Of numbering operations he has
In my opinion retarded the production Of essential
quantities spruce at least four monihsfour months
precious time that has cost the Lord only knows how
many lives and untold millions Of money
There is strong nslsence that committee Of Con
gress shall investigate the spruce production scandal and
definitely locate responsibility for the needless delay and
enormous waste Of funds wrung from the people either
by appeal to their patriotism by imposition Of heavy
income taxes