HARDWOOD RECORD 



17 



specific purpose of inspecting all railroad scales throughout the 

 country. The matter was brought to the attention of the Depart- 

 ment through the Interstate Commerce Commission investigation, 

 that commission having called attention to the fact that the rail- 

 roads annually collected about $2,200,000,000 from shippers all over 

 the country on scales which belong to and are operated entirely by 

 the railroads. 



Inasmuch as Congress at the last session gave the Bureau of 

 Standards $25,000 for the purchase of a test weight car equipment, 

 it seems highly probable that the matter wUl be worked out to the 

 entire satisfaction of the shipping element. It is anticipated that 

 this car will be delivered by July 1. The equipment is different 

 from any heretofore used, being designed to give greater accuracy 

 in results. The tests will begin on the eastern railroads and the 

 car will gradually work its way west, probafcly arriving in the 

 Illinois territory in the early fall. It is anticipated that the an- 

 nouncement of these proposed tests by the government will result 

 in a great many of the railroads examining their own scales without 

 delay. Hence the moral effect of the government's decision seems 

 likely to be wholesome. 



It has never been claimed that railroads intentionally maintained 

 incorrect scales, but it is a well-known fact that scales are incorrect 

 and it is pretty generally conceded that it is merely due to careless- 

 ness. The new bureau, equipped as it is with facilities and author- 

 ity, puts the question of freight weighing on an entirely satis- 

 factory basis. 



Estimate of Lumber Consumed Annually by 

 Railroads. 



VV/IIILE THE FOEEST SERVICE and other government depart- 



•' ments have collected some mighty valuable information 

 showing consumption of various raw materials in different indus- 

 tries, so far they have not compiled statistics in any way indicating 

 the total consumption of all lumber in the United States by the 

 various railroad systems. Kor are there statistics compiled by any 

 organization or individual showing specifically the vast consumption 

 of forest products by this important branch of the consuming trade. 



This question was recently put to H.wdwood Record. Being 

 totally impossible to locate specific statistics, it became necessary 

 to make an estimate based on reasonably accurate figures of the 

 various railroads in conjunction with the per cent of mileage 

 represented by those roads. Representative lines in all parts of the 

 country were taken, each line being fairly typical of some section of 

 the United States. 



The total mileage of these eight roads was 51,567 miles, and 

 showed an approximate average consumption of 7,600 feet per 

 mile for all purposes exclusive of ties, poles and piling. On that 

 basis the total of the United States would be 1,854,400,000 feet. • 



The estimates of woods used in car building by railroads and 

 other companies building cars for railroads, based on statistics for 

 thirteen states, indicate a total for the United States of 

 1,800,000,000 feet. 



The annual board feet consumption of ties, based on thirty-two 

 board feet for each tie, was 4,404,680,000 feet, while poles used b.y 

 steam roads annually are estimated to contain 70,000,000 feet board 

 measure. Thus the total consumption of all kinds of woods would 

 be 8,139,080,000 feet, which does not include piling. 



There may be considerable duplication in the figures showing 

 "lumber" and "ear building," but it is not known ho%v much 

 duplication there is. As a rule railroads buy their cars from car 

 building companies, in which case there is little or no duplication. 



It might be interesting to note that the total number of cars in 

 use in the United States on steam roads is 2,408,580, and that the 

 total mileage in 1911 was 244,089 miles. 



Car Statistics 



•yHE REGULAR STATEMENT OF CAR SURPLUSES and short- 

 ■'■ ages as compiled by the American Railway Association shows a 

 considerable increase in surplus from May 31 to June 14, without a 

 correspondingly increased shortage betweeji those two dates. 



The figures show that on May 31 the total surplus was 60,291 cars, 



as against 71,126 cars on June 14. The shortage, on the other hand, 



was 7,199 cars on June 14, as against 9,383 cars on May 31. This 



would indicate that the reported laxity in trade in various lines 



during the past couple of weeks has been concrete rather than 

 mythical. 



In addition figures for June 20 a year ago show very much the same 

 as figures for this year. 



The Need of Forestry in Tropical America 



I T IS VERY MUCH TO BE HOPED that a scientific investigation 

 of the tropical American forests will be made under the direction 

 of technical foresters who have a good knowledge of forest con- 

 ditions and the timber. It is certain that much valuable informa- 

 tion would be obtained from a study of this nature. A great deal of 

 American capital is now used in various parts of Mexico and Central 

 America in exploiting the timber and in supplying a want in thi& 

 country. The best timber is now being cut, and this material, 

 although apparently inexhaustible, is speedily diminishing. It is 

 very important that the cutting be carried out upon some regular 

 system, which will permit the young trees to grow up and replace- 

 those cut down, which is the first principle in rational forestry andl 

 conservation. 



The exploitation of timber in tropical America is even more waste- 

 ful than it was in this country in the past, for the reason that the 

 concessionist has absolutely no interest in the future growth of 

 timber on the cut-over areas. It is almost as vital to the people of 

 the United States to have the timber preserved in the territory lying 

 just south of her as within her own limits, for she has been drawing: 

 timber from these virgin forests for more than two hundred years 

 and will be obliged to depend upon them for all time to come. The 

 population is constantly increasing and the native forest resources 

 are rapidly diminishing. We depend on tropical America for kinds- 

 of timber we cannot grow in this country. Mahogany, cedar, lignum- 

 vit^, ebony, fustic, logwood and rosewood are a few of the woods 

 which are essential to American wood users, and it is important that 

 a constant supply is made available. These are a few of the standard 

 kinds that have been exploited for many years and brought to this 

 country. While the United States cannot take steps to practice for- 

 estry in regions outside of its own domain, it does seem proper to 

 offer technical aid or advice to the respective countries from which it 

 now draws forest products, and to superintend the felling and log- 

 ging in order that these two operations may be carried out in the 

 least wasteful manner. 



The logging season is short in many parts and men are required to- 

 cut the largest amount of wood in the shortest possible time. The- 

 men have no idea of the value of the trees they are cutting or of their 

 associated species. The forests which are nearest to the water 

 courses and easiest to cut are repeatedly culled, taking out the best 

 timber and allowing the inferior species to occupy their places. 

 Should this practice be continued, it is certain that in the next two 

 decades the forests will greatly diminish in value. Very little is 

 known now about the tropical American timbers. A number of tim- 

 ber cruisers have passed through the best timbered areas in Mexico 

 and Central America, but they are ignorant as to the vast majority of 

 trees, because they are usually in quest of only one or two kinds. 



Among the 500 or 600 species of valuable trees found in tropical 

 America there are a good many kinds, besides the few standard 

 kinds, that can be profitably exploited and used in place of our 

 rapidly diminishing supply. Many good and serviceable timber trees 

 can be discovered which may be cut together with the other kinds 

 having an established value. In this way the forest will be opened 

 suflSciently for the better kinds to gain a footing and have an equal 

 chance to compete with the less valuable. 



In many parts of tropical America the only means of transporting 

 the logs now cut is by floating them down the rivers. Many woods 

 will sink in water, and, therefore, cannot be floated, as is the case 

 with mahogany and cedar. By installing the proper means of trans- 

 porting logs and lumber and by cutting all merchantable trees yield- 

 ing useful woods, a large source of revenue will result and an unpor- 

 tant timber trade will arise. 



