HARDWOOD RECORD 



streams. A good soil cover stores water in time of storms, and pays 

 it out slowly afterwards, causing a steady flow lower down. Good 

 cover likewise checks excessive washing of soil and sand into the 

 streams, and the consequent formation of bars to interfere with 

 navigation. These matters have been so widely discusFed tlirougli 

 the press and in speeches and lectures that they ;ire now very gener- 

 ally understood. 



Purcliases thus far made in New England and the Soutli iiiuli'v the 

 Weeks law include very small areas in comparison with the wliole 

 region that ought to have jirotecticm against excessive cutting of 

 timber and destructive burning. Fortunately, many holders of timber- 

 land are giving their property protection. They lumber intelligently 

 and guard as well as they can against fires. This is a valuable assist- 

 ance to the government in what it is doing. Many lumbermen, on 

 the other hand, care nothing for the land and are interested only 

 in skinning it to the last sapling, and then leaving it a prey to fire 

 and storm. It is land of this clas-s that is being purchased under 

 the Weeks law. Forests will be restored where possible, and in years 

 to come these tracts will bear merchantable timber; but if they are 

 left to the uicic'ics of fire ami storm, after the lumberman has done 

 his worst, tlie futmc will lind them barren rocks or gullied gravel 

 piles. 



Many interesting things will come to the attention of the congres- 

 sional visitors when they make personal examination of the wild 

 lands among the mountains. 



Some Startling Figures 



IT HAS BEEN AXXOl'XCED by the proper authority that the 

 manufacture of freiglit cais during the year lUl.'i will be far 

 below the manufacture of such cars during 1912. It has been 

 argued by the railroads that they needed funds to be derived from 

 the proposed increases in freight rates, and it also has been 

 argued on the other hand by shippers that such demand for 

 increases were arbitrary and uncalled for. The facts, however, 

 regarding freight car construction would indicate there is some 

 truth in the assertions of the railroads. 



According to report, the number of freight cars manufactured 

 during 1913 will not aggregate over 100,000 as ag(iinst 23.5,000 

 during 1912. According to the same report, up to September 30, 

 1913, there were but ,88,000 freight cars finished, and the indica- 

 tions are that there will not be any great renewal of activity in 

 freight car manufacture during the remainder of the calendar 

 year. 



Of course, with the decreasing use of wood in freight car con- 

 struction this condition does not have the important bearing on 

 the lumber business that it would have had formerly. Nevertheless 

 it offers a significant situation as far as general conditions are 

 concerned. 



Slowly Winning the Fight 



FOREST FIEES are not to be feared in any part of the East 

 during the remainder of this season, and thereis little danger in 

 the West. The autumn rains have wet the woods, and. the winter 

 snows will soon fall. The season's record is ready to close, and the 

 showing is excellent. Fire fighting in the woods is coming to be 

 as well organized as the saine business in cities. Progress has been 

 rapid during the past few years. The first thing learned is preven- 

 tion. That is really the most important part, though it is less 

 spectacular thnn the fight against the flames when they have once 

 gained headway. 



The battle is a good deal more than half won by simply being 

 ready for it. From one end of the country to the other missionary 

 work has been going on. That portion of the public which uses the 

 forests for business or pleasure has been instructed how to lessen 

 danger. Camp fires are not to be carelessly left burning; live 

 matches and cigar stumps must not be thrown aside where there is 

 possibility' of starting a fire ; farmers who clear land or burn trash 

 are cautioned that care must never be relaxed ' in the handling of 

 necessary fires; locomotives operating in the woods must have spark 

 arresters; and all other known dangers are poiiited out. These are 

 the precautions taken in advance. 



The second stage in readiness is to have a trained force of fire 

 fighters, and a system of attack and defense. In spite of all pre- 

 cautions, fires will start, and they must then be controlled and extin- 

 guished. Remarkable results have been achieved along that line. 

 No great fire got far Ijeyond control the pa.st season, though bad 

 conflagrations of short duration occurred in California. 



Success is not due to chance. Some seasons are drier than others, 

 and fires will then be more diflicult to control; but all summers and 

 autumns are dry enough to make fires formidable if effective measures 

 are not taken in advance to prevent and control them. 



Every forested region in the United States is now organized or 

 is organizing to handle the fire hazard. I.ess is being done in the 

 South than in the North and West ; but even in the South a great 

 deal is being done to lessen injury by fire. The advocates of better 

 protection there are slowly overcoming the erroneous belief prevalent 

 in that region that slow fires in a flat country do no damage. 



W^hen the figures representing losses during the season of 1913 have 

 been collected it is believed that the showing for the whole country 

 will demonstrate the great value of organized effort at fire fighting, 

 backed by public sontinicut. 



A New Thought Applied 



THE DISCUSSION OF THE "CONFLICT" between capital 

 and labor has been so conspicuous in recent years that the gen- 

 eral public has been led to believe that the world was in imminent 

 danger almost of a physical encounter between the so-called work- 

 ing classes and the other factors of modern society. There is no 

 question but that the relations between that branch of society which 

 I)roduces by physical effort on the one hand, and the branch which 

 produces by mental effort on the other hand, constitutes one of the 

 greatest problems which this and other countries have to face now 

 and will continue to face for years to come. 



Nevertheless considerable encouragement is seen as the years go 

 by in the promulgation and application of advanced ideas looking 

 toward a natural and equitable settlement of industrial questions and 

 a satisfactory adjustment of the relations between capital and 

 labor. 



One of the most important of these steps is seen in the creation 

 of the Commission en Industrial Eelations which was authorized by- 

 act of Congress in 1912. The creation of the commission did not 

 cause the comment that it justly deserved at the time, probably be- 

 cause it was considered, like so many other accomplishments of our 

 National body, to be but an accomplishment on paper. However, 

 recent developments indicate that this commission is actually con- 

 stituted on a basis which will ultimately effect a much more compre- 

 hensive knowledge of the conditions as affecting relations between 

 the two great bodies of the industrial world, namely the employers 

 and the employes in the industries. 



The first meeting of the commission was held at Washington, D. 

 C, last week and preliminary arrangements were perfected for the 

 active inauguration of investigations- which will start the fii-st of 

 the • year. The matter is brought more closely to the lumber trade 

 because of the announcements that the fourth branch of the work 

 will include lumbering. • This will be in charge of B. M. Manley, 

 formerly of the department of labor. Mr. Manley 's work will be 

 the investigation of unskilled labor, floating labor in lumber camps, 

 and will also include the activities of the Industrial Workers of the 

 World. 



That the work of the commission is designed to actually accom- 

 plish something is seen by the fact that it already has at its disposal 

 $100,000 to begin on, and the probability of securing $400,000 in 

 addition. According to the specifications of the law a , preliminary 

 report will be issued within one year after the" investigation is be- 

 gun, and a complete report will be published within two years from 

 the beginning of the work. 



The commission as appointed by President Wilson represents three 

 classes, namely, the public, the employers and the employes. On the 

 commission are seen the names of individuals prominent in work 

 pertaining to the industrial welfare of the country. Its purpose 

 should unquestionably result in many suggestions and changes of 

 great benefit. 



