325 



It is stated that the shortage is being made up by resorting^ 

 to the inferior hardwoods, and, "although almost all possible 

 new woods have been brought intO' use there has still been a 

 shrinkage in the total output of 15 per cent. 



''The supply in Indiana and Oihio, the original center of 

 hardwood production, is practically exhausted. * * * j^^ 

 all of the States West of the Mississippi Valley the supply is 

 small and can never become much of a factor. The impres- 

 sive thing is that we are bringing hardwoods from far andl 

 near, and still the cut is going down. 



*'The southern part of Michigan, which originally bore mag- 

 nificent hardwoods, was the first part of the State to be 

 cleared. * * * The same is true of Wisconsin and Min- 

 nesota. The almost complete exhaustion of their timber sup- 

 ply, and the transformation of their hardwood lands into 

 farms are apparently the only results to be expected. * * * 

 In the Appalachian, as in the other regions, the hardwood 

 lumbermen are working upon the remnants. The supply is 

 getting short and the end is coming into sig'ht." 



ONLY SIXTEEN YEARS' SUPPLY LEFT. 



Mr. Hall estimates that from the statistics of present sup- 

 ply of hardwood and present annual use of the same there 

 exist in the United States today only sixteen years' supply. 



He says that since 1898 the price of hard maple per thou- 

 sand feet board measure has increased from $20 to $32.50 per 

 thousand ; of yellow poplar, from $30 to $53.50 per thousand ; 

 of hickory-, from $45 to $65 per thousand, and of quartered 

 white oak, from $60 to $80 per thousand. 



Accompanying this increase in price has been a lowering 

 of the standard. 



Prior to 1907 the rules of the trade required even lengths, 

 with a minimum length of 6 feet. In 1907 the Hardwood 

 Lumber Association reduced the minimum to lengths of 4 

 feet and allowed odd, lengths. 



"IT EMPHASIZES THE FACT THAT WE ARE 

 DOWN TOi THE ROCK BOTTOM AND REOUIRE 

 EVERY SOUND PIECE OF HARDWOOD LUMBER 

 THAT CAN BE PUT UPON, THE ^lARKET." 



Between 1899 and 1906 the number of employes in the 

 hardwood industry in Ohio decreased 40 per cent, and in In- 

 diana 42 per cent. 



An enumeration is given of the businesses directly depend- 

 ing upon hardwood, viz : Lumber, cooperage, furniture, vehi- 

 cles, mxusical instruments, small wooden-ware, agricultural 

 implements, cars, boxes and crates, railroad ties, telephone 

 and telegraph poles and house finishing. 



Mr. Hall concludes: 



