The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-11-23
Lumber Producer, Once Most
NOTORIOUS Waster, Is BeCom-
ing Provident and Canny.
FEAR PERIL OF WOOD FAMINE
Methods of Lumbermen Radically
Chanee-Remnants of the Virgin
Stands of Pine in the South
Will Be Cut in Ten Years.

Westinghouse no great American
Industry, not even meat packing, in
which by common repute everything
Is utilized but the hogs squeal, is con-
servation today receiving greater at
tention than in the lumber industry.
The 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 tN it, Its alterna-
tive is to change methods or prepare
for the end of greatness. And what
Is now being done to change methods
constitutes one of the most interest
ing stories in modern industrial
science.
The fact is that America is nearing
ten years ago the prediction that the
end was nigh was secuted as the out
cry 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
Inexhaustible 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 800 board
feet in 1906 to 316 board feet in 1920
"a drop of 81 per cent in II years
Carry this out to the end, and the
consumption of lumber would cease
altogether about the year 1910. The
remnants Of the virgin stands of pine
in the Southern states will be cut out
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
tinent, n rate that is a greater sum
per 1000 board feet than Fasteners
had to pay for lumber itself, includ-
ing the hauling charge, a few years
ago.
Government First Conservator.
The Jvernment was first to realize
the impending doom of the American
forests, and to combat it established
the United States forest service to
protect and maintain the timbered
areas of the public domain, set aside
In perpetuity as national forests.
Certain states followed the govern
ment's example, establishing state for
est services. little over ten years
ago the forest service established at
Madison, Wis, the forest products
laboratory to study the problems of
the industry scientifically, devoting
special attention TO the conservation
of wood after it Is cut. The industry
at that time lay have looked askance
ct this innovation as being another
re of those governmental bureaus"
BE that as 1t may, when the labora-
tory celebrated its tenth birthday re
Gently. lumbermen Travelled thousands
of miles to be there and assist with
their presence. The laboratory has
already saved millions to the industry,
and 1t has only just begun to show
what II can do.
Finally the lumber INDUSTRY itself
took up the Campaign of conservation
Through its own organization, the Ma
tional Lumber Manufacturers asso-
citation, ii is cooperating with the
various official bodies as well as pur-
suing its OWL lines of research.
A Two-Fold Problem.
There Is room here only to outline
few Of the methods whereby the
timber supply of the United States Is
to be saved. The problem Is two.fold,
although both halves are interknt--
the conservation in forests themselves
and, secondly. conservation IL the
mills md in the use of lumber.
II DIV to- nNE TvTvrS