i8 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



by far the best for transshipment purposes, both coastwise and 

 abroad. Lumber is often seen on the quays which has arrived in 

 transit to such far distant countries as South Africa, Australia, 

 and New Zealand; a fair volume also passes through to various 

 places on the continent of Europe. Liverpool is pre-eminently 

 the importing center for wagon oak planks and scantlings. It is 

 probably of more importance to American shippers than all other 

 ports in Great Britain combined. Liverpool is a cheap port in 

 which to handle or store timber, and its location makes it an 

 advantageous market for both buyiiig and selling wood goods of 

 all kinds. 



The lumber trade in Manchester is conducted by local firms, and 

 also by Liverpool merchants. Most of the wood imported consists 

 of softwoods from Canada and the Baltic, but there is a growing 

 trade in hardwoods. 



All kinds of lumber suitable for shipbuilding finds a ready and 

 fairly steady sale in Glasgow. It is a place that favors log timber 

 rather than lumber. In the south and east of Scotland there are 

 numerous cabinet makers who specialize in the making of furni- 

 ture, mainly for the London trade. 



The trade of Belfast, Dublin, and the Bristol channel ports is 

 partly done by direct and transit shipments and partly by Liver- 

 pool and London firms. 



There is now a much better relationship between merchants and 

 shippers of wagon stock, and the latter should give every care and 

 attention to grading. Quarter-sawn white oak is meeting compe- 

 tition from Japanese timber. Quarter-sawn red oak has anything 

 but a promising outlook. The outlook for thin and plain stock is 

 good. Coffin planks are slowly but surely giving place to red 

 coffin boards. Square and round American logs appear to be giv- 

 ing way to cut stuff. 



Yellow poplar at moderate prices usually holds the field against 

 all competitors. Northern-grown wood sells best, but the recent 

 improvements in the manufacture and grading of the southern 

 product has resulted in higher prices for the latter, provided the 

 stock is free from black stain in the heartwood. In this, as with 

 most woods, the tendency is to import sawn and otherwise manu- 

 factured boards rather than logs. Cottonwood, tupelo and mag- 

 nolia are competitors, but can only be sold as such at low prices. 



The importation of ash and hickory, used mainly for coach build- 

 ing and bending purposes, is chiefly in the round log. Red gum 

 logs are seldom seen. The demand for red gum lumber is steady. 

 This wood and the lower grades of oak and walnut supply prac- 

 tically all the requirements of the cheap-furniture trade. Sap 

 gum (hazel pine) for coffin bottoms is a favorite. Black walnut 

 logs find a ready sale. Skating-rink floors laid with maple have 

 proved an excellent advertisement. Now architects are insisting 

 on it for schools, public buildings, private mansions, and mills. 



Shippers should exercise more care in grading lumber. Com- 

 plaints are also heard as to disregard of details on the part of 

 shippers, which is annoying to both merchants and consumers. 

 The matter of bundling is of vital importance and shippers should 

 give consideration to the views of merchants as to the best ma- 

 terials and methods. The condition of the lumber when it is 

 delivered at final port of discharge is the best criterion by which 

 to judge the value of the different methods, and it is the merchant, 

 not the shipper, who is in position to pass judgment on the efficacy 

 of the bundling methods employed. 



Shippers should also give more heed to the wishes of buyers as 

 regards marks. There is always a valid reason for including in 

 the contract a stipulation that goods shall bear a certain mark 

 or the buyer would not take the trouble to insist upon it. Cleating 

 the ends of thin stock with wood is another detail which is often 

 disregarded and to which more attention should be given. 



State's Rights Again 



The doctrine of state's rights has figured in the history of this 

 country in many ways and during a long period, but the latest 

 effort to apply it comes from a new quarter. It is in the form 

 of an attack upon the government, particularly upon the Forest 



Service, on account of its policy of closing the avenues by which 

 large companies and corporations formerly came into possession 

 of valuable timber areas, mining districts, and water power sites, 

 without duly considering the public interest. A change has taken 

 place in recent years. When the western timber lands were turned 

 over to' the Forest Service for administration, they were held for 

 development, not exploitation. Attempts to gain control of val- 

 uable resources, by the old methods, failed. Then began attacks 

 for the purpose of breaking down the policy, discrediting it, and 

 opening the old avenues again. These assaults have continued 

 several years, and have failed to accomplish what was intended. 

 The latest turn has been an appeal to state's rights. The doctrine 

 is now advanced that those resources, the timber, pasture, water 

 power, and minerals, belong to the states in which they happen 

 to lie, and that the government should turn them over to the 

 states. 



The purposes back of this demand are not difficult to fathom. 

 Those who have endeavored to secure control of these enormous 

 sources of wealth, which belong to the whole people, have not 

 succeeded. Between them and what they wanted stood the Forest 

 Service. Their attempts were hindered, blocked and defeated by 

 that branch of the government into whose keeping the resources 

 have been placed. This explains the demand that those resources 

 be taken out of the Forest Service's hands and given to the 

 respective states. The powers that have been trying to get hold 

 of them believe that better success will attend their efforts if 

 they are permitted to deal witli state legislatures. 



They doubtless know what the}' want. More than one stale 

 legislature has been captured in the past. With the government 

 out of the way, the chances of getting control of resources of 

 great value will increase and the corporations which are grabbing 

 for those resources know it. Hence the sudden agitation of the 

 state's rights doctrine in certain quarters. The government should 

 hold, administer, and take care of what it has, for the benefit of 

 the people to whom it belongs, and when it parts with ownership 

 of any of it, let the ownership go, as the laws specify it shall go, 

 to small o'WTiers who want to use it, and not to states or to large 

 corporations. A result of the adoption of this latter policy would 

 mean unregulated grazing of the ranges, with a renewal of the 

 stockmen 's wars, and the securing of the best pasturage by the 

 large owners, and the crowding out of the small; lax enforcement 

 of mining laws,' enabling promoters to fleece the public with 

 wildcat mines, and acquire valuable timber under false pretenses; 

 the rapid passing of large timber areas to private ownership, 

 and thence to corporate ownership; the removal of cutting restric- 

 tions so that timber property could be stripped at onee instead 

 of developed on a basis of permanency; and the rapid settlement 

 of lands without regard to their agricultural fitness, in order that 

 railroads and other promoters may profit. 



Forestry in the Philippines 



The annual report of the Director of Forestry in the Philippine 

 Islands for the year ending June 30, 1912, has been issued. It was 

 prepared by W. F. Sherfesee, who is acting director in the absence 

 of Major George P. Aherns. The report deals principally with the 

 business matters of the department, and not with the resources in 

 detail. Some of the matters discussed are of interest to lumbermen 

 in the United States. 



More foresters who have had training in the United States seek 

 work in the Philippines than can be employed. This is a change 

 from conditions a few years ago, when it was difficult to induce 

 competent foresters to go to the Philippines. 



The islands now have a forest school of their own, and twelve 

 students, educated in the school, are now in the service. It is the 

 policy to employ natives in the forest work, as far as practicable. 



Deforested land in the Philippines, or land which never had 

 forests, aggregates 68,000 square miles; and one of the big problems 

 to be worked out is, how to plant this large area in trees. 



The Philippines are preparing an exhibit of their commercial 

 woods for the Panama Exposition to be held in San Francisco two 

 vears hence. 



