Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1922-11-23
Lumber Producer, Once Most
NOTORIOUS Waster, Is BeConl-
inc Proyident and Canny.
FEAR PERIL OF WOOD FAMINE
Methods Of Lumbermen Radically
chanse-Remnants of the Virgin
Stands Of Pine in the South
Will Be Cut in Ten Years.

i Washfngt0n.-In no great American
4 Industry, not even meat packing, in
4 which by common repute everything
4 Is utilized but the hogs squeal, is con-
serTation today receiving greater at
4 teDtion than in the lumber industry.
Tie lumber producer, once of all our
Industrial giants the greatest and
. most notorious wastrel, has begun to
be provident and canny The indus
\ Try has been forced t. it. Its alterna-
i've is to change methods or prepare
. for the end of greatness. And what
4 now being done to change methods
Constitutes one of the most interest
ing stories in modern industrial
bcience.
The fact is that America is nearing
me end of her timber resources. Even
ten years ago the prediction that the
end was nigh was secuted as the out
ely of the professional alarmist. But
expanding population, the enormous
demand of the war for lumber, the
ceaseless forest fires, all have done
their work. America faces the I'M
pleasant fact that her once seemingly
lnexhaustible forests, which stretched
across 1900 miles with only a break
for the Great Plains, are nearing ex-
haustion.
Already the pinch is Being felt, es-
pecially in the East. The rising prices
tell part of the story. The consump-
ton Of lumber has dropped from an
average per capita use of 500 boa. d
feet in 1906 to 316 board feet N 1920
"a drop of 81 per cent in IA years.
Carry this out to the end, and the
consumption of lumber would cease
altogether about the year 1890 The
remnants of the virgin stands of pine
IN the Southern states will bescut ert
In another ten years. That will leave
the Pacific Northwest as the sole re-
naming chief source of lumber and
lumber prices in the East will be based
upon Oregon and Washington prices
plus the freight rate across the con-
ument, rate that is a greater sum
per 1000 board feet than Fasteners
mad to pay for lumber itself, includ-
ing the hauling charge, a few years
ago.
Government First conservator.
The government was first to realize
me impending doom of the American
lOreSts, and to combat 1t established
ue United States forest service to
protect and maintain the timbered
areas Of the public domain, set aside
perpetuity as national forests.
certain states followed the govern
MehFs example, establishing state for
~ services. A little over ten years
ago the forest service established at
,laulson, Wis, the forest products
..eaVofatory to study the problems Of
" industry scientifically, devoting
seual attention to the conservation
wood after 1t is cut. The industry
!. mat time ray have looked askance
! li'ls innovation as being another
le Of those governmental bureaus. :"
- mat as it may, when the labora-
- celebrated its tenth birthday re-
ne AAANEitu llVuC0uUS
az l'1es to be there and assist with
NJ. ~ preserlce. The laboratory has
sns saaS SAVED millions to the industry
~. ! has cniv just begun to show
wat It can do.
III, .naliy' the lumber industry itself
re- up the campaign Of conservation.
sa. gasl Its own organization, the Ma
eise i Lumber Manufacturers asso-
rs, AN It is cooperating with the
s9Ir ols Official bodies as well as pur-
ats OWL lines of research.
4 Two-FoId Problem.
4asfe is room here only to outline
nrl q the methods whereby the
b6 suDpiy e. the United states Is
Gtson ss'e ed The problem is two-fold
Is 80 - both halves are interknit-
an Fyation in forests themselves
sgs secondly. conservation In the
-l = the use Of lumber.