Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-08-12

"The United States, standing second among the
countries of the world in forest area and produc-
ing more than half of the sawed lumber, should
play more important part in the export trade
of the world than it does now. With proper safe
guards in the way of maintaining the raw ma
terials, strong export trade should be encour-
aged But the gains which may make in the
markets of the world can be kept only in so far
as they are based on permanent supply Of tim
Der. If they are to be based merely on cut
which, as in the case of old-growth southern pine,
will not supply domestic needs for more
than the next ten fifteen years, shall soon
be crowded out of the foreign markets by coun-
tries which base their export trade on a continu-
ous selfperpetuating resource"
Eurcre's emergency need for lumber, above its
consumption in normal times, is put at about
7O0O,0OO,0O0 feet Of lumber year for the near
future, conservative estimate; and her own for
ests have been depleted by the war.
Europe however, needs cheap lumber above ALL
and our product will not be attractive for the
principal needs of reconstruction, according to
Colonel Graves. Nevertheless, the world situa-
ton in lumber he says offers IAN undoubted OPP
portunity for permanent export trade from this
country of proportions that would to be
limited only by our powers to sustain the
production of material
Senator Sherman presented to the senate the
other day memorial from the Illinois legisla-
ture which was in part follows:
whereas the wood-using industries not de-
pending upon uncertain local forest SUI plies have
become conferred to a very large extent in the
thicky populated districts east of the Mississippi
river and are drawing their supplies from the
remaining .forests in the eastern states. the gulf
states and the states adjacent to the Great Lakes
A large number of such industries located in
the state of Illinois, with the city of Chicago the
center of very large and important group. Chi
cago has for many years been the chief lumber
distribution point of the United States and the
greatest point of lumber distribution in the world
These important industries, including the manu-
facture of railway boxes, sashes and doors
farm machinery, furniture pianos, vehicles, and
many other articles, are now threatened by the
exhaustion of the forests from which their sup
plies have been drawn They now face the neces
sity Of bringing timber from the Pacific coast
with heavy freight charges added to the cost. To
the same Pacific coast supply the country must
look for lumber for general construction purposes
The transportation system of the country must
add to its present burdens the transcontinental
shipment of very large quantities of lumber
bulky product upon which a high freight rate
greatly increases the cost TO the consumer.
Resolved That the Fffty-first general assembly
of the state of Illinois urges the attention Of tho
president and the congress Of the United States
TO the present timber situation and recommends
that without delay, there be formulated such a
national program of forestry as will insure the
future timber supplies required by the industries
of the country. As example of what should be
DONE this general assembly points to the wise
course of the republic of France In so managing
its forests for more than century that they corr
tributed substantially to the winning of the great
war.
sit is further urged that the federal govern
ment acting Independently in cooperation
with the states, inaugurate action looking toward
such measure of public control of the remaining
bodies of original timber will make sure that
their supplies will be available needed by the
Industries.
at is furthermore urged that comprehensive
plans he put into effect for restoring the forest
on cut-over lands which are nonagricultural in
character in the eastern statss in the states
bordering the Great Lakes, and in the South in
order that timber supplies from these regions
may be available to the established Industries Of
the central and eastern states"