Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-10
TIE EVENING STA
HARDING SEES BIG PROBLEM
IN LUMBER AND HOME BUILDING

"At the present time there is a nota-
BILE hating in the construction of homes
because of the almost prohibtive cost.
Lumber plays its very conspicuous part
therein said Senator Harding to a
delegation of lumbermen. the other day.
Much of this, of course, relates 10 the
increased cost of prediction, which
dates from the changed conditions since
our entrance into the world war, but
there is a permanent inclination to ad-
vance in cost because of the very mani
fest diminution of supply.
mo one can be blind to the fact that
during the tremendous growth of the
republic during the past half century
we have been drawing on our natural
timber supply without thought of the
future. The American Foresty Associa-
ton has given us figures to show that
three-fifths of the original timber of
the country has been consumed. 1t rs
of little value to recall the, waste~with
which we have cut out timber. except
that we ought to have learned lessons
which will enable US to avoid so much
waste in the future.
Recalls Visit to Hawaii.
Il remember making a visit to the
Hawaiian Islands some five years ago
and was greatly interested to ind very
considerable lumber enterprises there,
which were engaged in salvaging the
stumpage of certain hardwood winch
had been cut over years before. with
a new realization of the diminishing
supply this lumber enterprise was Ia
boriously taking the stumpage from the
ground and turning what was one time
considered useless into a very valuable
produce in lumber commerce. 1T was
possible, of course, to have practiced
such program of conservation IN the
early days of abundance, when no one
,J.,fs fIa hay
bility of our supply. but we have learned
the lesson now and we have not only to
conserve. but we ought to have ma
tional policy of preservation and re-
fOreStation
mo one disputes that lumber prices
are in large part responsible for the
halting in the house building movement.
Lumber prices have increased very
sharply since the war and prices in
many instances have gone up 800 per
cent above those of the pre-war period
When diminished forest supply and in
creased cost of production are linked
together it is not surprising that these
unfortunate conditions are confront
ing US.
"The one thing which the govern
which will assure to future genera
tions the timber which is necessary
to our lumber needs. In our section
of the country the supply is almost
entirely exhausted. The elimination
in the softwood forests of New Eng
land and lake states, and even the
south, has been steady and continu
Gus. Many watchful students of the
situation think that another decade
is going to put the south in condi-
ton where it can do no more than
meet it's own demands. There re-
mains large supply on the Pacific
coast. but the problem of transporta-
ton makes this supply unavailable to
the east and middle west unless we
contemplate cost of transportation
which will continue to discourage
building enterprise.
Ample Lane i'm Country.
'It is a comon knowledge that
there is ample land in this country
of ours, not adopted to other uses, to
produce sufficient supply of timber
for all our needs, if it is only stocked
with trees and nature is allowed to
contribute toward our necessities. We
must begin to think of timber crops
as we do other cultivation in this
land of ours, and we must put an
end to that carelessnesS and neglect
to which we trnce our destructive
forest fires. With timber growing on
the one hand and forest preservation.
and protection on the other hand,
there isn't any reason why the
United States should not be self
reliant in the great essential if
lumber for construction purposes. 1t
is perfectly practicable and feasible
to provide for a new growth of tim
Der and an imperative duty to improve
our forest protection. i can think
of no forward look in relation to the
good fortunes of America which does
not contemplate forest policy which
will assure US the essential in the
lumber line for all our constructive
Substitute and supersedure will
not alone relieve the threatening sit
uation AS our civilization advances
we shall build less wastefully and
than characterize the
construction of the developing period.
This is the story of human progress.
Permanent housing more dependably
constructed always follows the tenn