The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-14
Lumber Business Lost in the Woods
BY FREDERIC J. HAskIN

| Washington, d. c., June 11.-Th
price of humber has risen steadily, an,
the prospects are that 1t will rise still
more, with the result that 1t is becom
ing more and more difficult for al
American of moderate means to buil(
a house for himself
All wood products are sharing in thu
rise. Especially is this true of paper
All branches of the publishing bushes.
are handicapped and American capita
is going to Canada for paper pulp
Woodworking industries. such as furni-
ture, vehicles, sash and door and boS
factories are closing In many sections
because of the exhaustion of the supply
of material.
And yet the men who own and cut
the timber are not getting rich, either
Quite the contrary Ever since about
1907 the lumber industry has. in tho
words of one expert, been fiat on the
back" 1t has had to much money tied
up in timberlands, and too many mills
have been built. The domestic and for
eign reconstruction markets promise II
relief, but the relief has not been felt
generally as yet.
Nor Is the present situation due to an
Inadequate supply Of timber in the
country as whole. There is enough
timber In the United States to last Il
for many years in any case. and enough
forest lands to supply the nation with
wood indefinitely, If they we're properly
administered.
What is the trouble, then? Why.
with an abundant supply of timber IN
the United States, Is lumber becoming
too dear for the average citizen to build
a house? Why is the nation unable to
supply its Woodworking industries with
raw material and to keep its presses
supplied with paper? Why above all,
is the lumber industry in a precarious
state?
These questions are being forciby
put to the public and to the lumber in
dustry by the United States forest
service, and especially by Chief For
ester Henry S. Graves. The forestry
experts have certainly made the point
that the situation is anomalous. and
that something must be done about It.
Furthermore. they have pointed out the
causes of the present situation, and
have outlined. in general way. plan
to remedy it. This plan will sooner or
later be laid before congress.
The cause of the present situation,
according to the foresters, is that we
have no national policy with regard to
that part OF our timberlands (about
OF them) which are IN
private ownership. The result is that
industry has become unsound through
speculative financing, in the first place.
In the second place, 1t has exhausted
the more accessible stands of timber,
thus .depriving certain sections OF the
source of supply. This is leading
cause of the high price which, we pay
for lumber and wood products; for IT
means that lumber must be hauled
longer distances, and the freight is
large factor in the cost of lumber.
In the third place, the industry has
so cut timberlands that they are prac-
tically destroyed as forests, instead of
cutting scientifically, so that the stand
Of timber would reproduce itself, as is
done on the national forests.
The forest service would remedy this
situation by passing laws-state, fed
aral or both-compellng the owners of
to cut the timber scien-
tihcally. and enforcing this by govern
nent inspection. They would also
compel the industry to protect the for
ests from fire. In a word, these for
asts would be administered much as the
national forests are administered, but
inder government supervision instead
If government ownership.
This, of course, would all be heavy
expense to the industry. This extra
Expense should be made up to the oper-