Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-18
Increasing the
Wood Supply
by Frederic J. IIaakin


fort is being made TO make Congress
realize the Importance of definite
forest policy for the United States
There has already been introduced
ir the House by Representative Smell
OF New York. o bin which would ac-
complish this, and Senator Mccormick,
of Illinois, has sponsored the measure
in the Senate.
At present America has it's United
States Forest Service, and a few
national forests But what interested
men and women are clamorinR for is
a forest policy which would put to
work the 1000. 900 acres OF idle land
in the United States. now practically
good for nothing.
The American Forestry Association
Is actively pushing the Smell bill. Tho
Chamber OF Commerce o tho United
States has taken up the question, too,
and a commission Of its appointment
is now on the way to the Pacific
coast. making a survey Of the forest
situation throughout the nation. The
fsr-reaching importance OF adequate
lumber supply is beginning 20 be re-
allied in all its branches. It . Is a
fact that the cost Of forest products
has an influence on the price Of
house or a dozen Of eggs. The egg
crate must be considered, and the for
ests enter into consideration If you
intend 10 build A castle or dog ken
mel The price of the newspaper you
are reading is directly affected
A survey Of the situation as pres
ent conditions are affecting Il shows
that the center OF the lumber industry
where the lumber Is secured is
moving steadily toward the Pacific
| coast. This means that a great deal
Of this lumber must be shipped to
| points east Of the Mississippi river,
where the majority Of the manufac-
turing establishments are, and this
shipment means additional costs
| through freight rates. Once again the
| finished product must be shipped. with
additional freight charges upon II.
Nearly everywhere the timber is be-
coming exhausted New England has
an eighth Of the timber ii had original
| II. and New York manufacturers now
cut about a tenth Of the requirements
Of the people Of that state alone The
lumber cut in Pennsylvania * less
| than the amount consumed ia the
/ pittsburg district.
| Elsewhere the same situation ex-
| lists. The Great Lakes states. which
| for 30 years supplied most of the east
lern and central regions with soft wood
/ lumber, now cut less than an eighth
| Of their former production and are
/ forced TO import soft wood from the
| Pacific coast. The cut of Southern
pine. the standard lumber of the East
for the past Is years. is falling on fast
/ II 10 years, il IL estimated: lt win
not be sufficient to supply the needs
Of the South alone.
Cutting down the timber supply Is
not the only loss Forest fires have
/ destroyed ss5 900 000 worth Of stand
/ ing timber in the past Eve years. II
/ is seldom that the connection Is seen
but a big fire in city means the re-
/ placement Of the destroyed buildings
and therefore takes just that much
+ more lumber
| Importance Of Forests.
The American Forestry Association
puts the matter in this way. Before
/ you every morning at breakfast is
nothing for which you must not
/ thank forest products. The breakfasr
table itself, the butter that reached
town in wooden tubs, your grapefruit
wos shipped in a wooden box. your
eggs were Grated FOR shipment, and
/ your breakfast food was packed in
/ paper containers encased in turn in
/ wooden boxes. Your breakfast stops
/ when the forests disappear
| The situation in regard TO the trees
/ from which news s-print paper is made
/ - alarming. In lesc than 20 years
- per cent of the pulp and paper mills
t OF the country. mainly those in the
East. have exhausted practically their
entire supplies OF flr. spruce and hem
i lock-the principal woods from which
paper for printing newspapers is made
/ The annual cutting OF this wood in
/ New England and New York is about
/ 3.262 600 cords. and at this rate the
supply will last Il years. The yearly
cutting IN the Lake states is 3.030. .00C
cords. and there is left only a supply
/ sufficient for 1S years. Pennsylvania
/ Maryland. Virginia and North Caro-.
line have smaller supplies. the annual
cutting amounting TO 1.470, zoe, and al
/ this rate the supply IN these states
will last only 10 years. Only in Alaska
Washington. Oregon and California
are the reserves in no immediat,
danger Of exhaustion, providing tha-
the cutting proceeds at the presen-
yearly rate OF about 2.2ts, 600 cords.
Again the freight rate enters. whe7
i the supplies of timber for newsprin
paper in the East and Middle wes
are exhausted. il will mean the ship,
ment across the continent OF III
wood for making the paper. This l.
necessary because about % per zen
/ of the paper mills are located in tn,
/ East. In some cases. If this comes
/ to pass, the Pacific coast would b,
the worst sufferer. Secause the man.
| ufactured paper would have 10 b,
shipped back across the continent
with additional freight rates piline
up
| The Smell measure is designed t,
meet this situation in all of its angles
IL calls for an appropriation of sboiif
sl0.000,o00 annually for putting tn,
fotherwise useless 81 900. coo acres o
American land TO work CROWNS
trees. There is also provision fo
fighting forest fires, SO that the labol
Of years would not be wiped out b,
a single great wave OF flame sweepin,
/ through the woods
The United States used to be in
i dependent with regard to newsprint
but within the past 10 years the con
sumption has exceeded the home sup
| ply. Canada is stepping into IN.
breach, and now operates 80 papel
and pulp mills. with an aggregat,
3 a 4s.~. . Naa