Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-10
rRy Fredcric ]. HaskinD


Washington. D. c., Jan. ITO make
two trees grow where one grew before
Is in general the aim of the United
States Forest Service; but that branch
OF it known as the Forest Products
Laboratory. at Madison, Wisconsin.
has demonstrated the possibility of
doubling the wood supply in effect in
another way-by making one tree do
the work, or furnish the amount of
material, that two trees did before
The Forest Products Laboratory was
started as n branch OF the Forest Ser
vice working comparatively with the
University OF Wisconsin In 1910. with
about 30 employees. The number of
employees was subsequently, increased
TO about 500. but due to the small ap-
preparations nsiven the laboratory and
tho rise in salaries and all other costs
II now has little more than half that
number of employees. Industrial con-
Germs have learned the value of its
work. and are applying to it in con-
siderable numbers for aid, but most of
these requests must be refused. No
less than 16S such specific requests for
assistance from business concerns have
been received in the last eight months
Most OF them have necessarily been re-
fused. Nearly all of the bsuiness con-
Germs were willing to pay for the SER
vices they requested. but even so 1t
was impossible to render them because
there were not facilities enough avail
able.
Research stopped
And this inability to meet tho spe-
cihc requests OF business is a small
part OF the difficulty. Research work
which could ultimately save the coun-
try millions OF dollars has been stopped
for lack OF funds. In this situati
the Forest Products laboratory ap-
peals to Congress and to the country
for better support, and offers facts and
figures to prove that 1t is worth it
Its case is worth considering because
it is typical. Many other constructive
governmental activities, which pay a
large dividend in actual increased pro-
duction of industry. arc being starved
out just as tho Forest Products Labor
atory is, while enormous amounts arc
asked for Army and Navy support, for
the enforcement OF prohibition. and for
non-constructive activities.
IT is not meant to imply that these
are not needed. But appropriations OF
this sort, and those by which the Con-
eressman hopes to bring money into
his own section, such as river and
harbor appropriations, seem to pass
with little criticism, while the much
smaller needs of the Government for
constructive scientific work arc at
| tackled as rank extravaganza.
Thus tho Forest Products Labora-
tory, during the entire ten-year period
| Of its existence, has cost the nation
but two million dollars. 1t claims tc
| have repaid this many times over by
creating new taxable values. For ex-
ample, the claims actually paid by the
| railroads for loss and damage to goods
| in transit amounts to 500, 900, 600 annu-
| ally. The Forests Products Labora-
tory found that n large part of thii
loss was due simply TO wrong
method OF mailing covers on boxes. Ar
improved method of mailing has beer
worked out by the laboratory and
| adopted by tho National Association
of Box Manufacturers and through
them by many companies and shippers
1t is pointed out that II this method
results in n saving of but one per cent
it will be worth a million year to the
| nation.
Millions Saved
Again, it is matter OF record thai