48 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Junuar.v 2.'i, 1018 



Still Calling for Men 

 The government Is still calling tor nun. The latest call comes from 

 tile war department for lahor nmre or less skilled In various lines, and at 

 pay ranging from $800 to .$2,400 a year. Thousands are wanted for 

 eleriis, testing worli, mechanical trades, drafting, and inspection. Lists 

 of positions open, with the requirements for entrance, the pay, etc., will 

 be sent upon request, by addressing .lohn A. Mcllhenny, Civil Service 

 Commission, Washington, D. C. 



Building Permits for 1917 



The record of buildings erected in the United States for 1917 is one of 

 defeat, not an inglorious defeat, but an incident to the swift readjustment 

 of our national resources, consequent upon the war. There has been a 

 rush from building operations, Just as there is a rush from shop and store 

 in any conmnmity when some appalling evi'Ut occurs. In 101 principal 

 cities of the United States for 1917 tlie building permits received by the 

 American Vontraciur, Chicago, show a total of .f 6.31, 746,722, compared 

 with $889,884,079 for 1!)1G. a decrease of 29 per cent. The total number 

 of permits issued In these 101 cities was 198,968, as against 258,484 tor 

 1916, a decrease of 2.3 per cent. The average cost of the buildings erected 

 In 1917 was less than that erected in 1916, not because of reduced costs. 

 but because of a greater percentage of small residences built, the need for 

 workmen's homes having become acute. A few cities, 29 In fact, show a 

 gain for the year. These do not include any of the first class and the 

 gains are due mainly to special causes. 



December figures also are shown on this page. Building permits In 109 

 principal cities for December total $29,190,350, compared with $68,043,809 

 for December, 1910, a decrease of ."J7 per cent. 



American Woods for England 

 In discussing the sources of this year's timber supplies for England, the 

 London Timber Trades Journal of December 29 does not expect much from 

 America. It says : We have so much to bring over from America, so 

 many vital necessities of ail sorts, that It Is not an economical proposition 

 to Import timber W'hen we can gel what wood we require from other quar- 

 ters. We fear, therefore, that it is In the highest degree unlikely that the 

 trade will receive facilities for the importing of American wood next season. 

 Special supplies Jor the Government for aeroplane work, etc., will be 

 shipped, but even in the event ^f peace we do not anticipate any large 

 import from America for general purposes. As dunnage, and as deck- 

 loads, a little wood will be brought In from time to time, but this will be 

 about the extent of what can reasonably be hoped for. 



Ten Months of Timber Exports 



The exports of timber and lumber of all kinds from the United States 

 during the first ten months of 1917, ending with October, were of a total 

 value of $54,378,046. The total during the corresponding ten months of 

 1916 was $50,378,000. by which it is seen that the export trade improved 

 during the latter year, .\mong the items in which the improvement was 

 noticeable were the I'ollowlng, with export figures tor the Hrst ten months 

 of the two years : 



1916 1917 



Fir lumber $2,705,884 $3,236,733 



Shingles 49,180 86,606 



Wood pulp 1,900,938 2.244,105 



Spruce lumber 1,904,487 3,455,175 



Fight with a Snake 



Men who work in the woods in this country have reason to be thankful 

 that they are not in tlie Philippines. The following itoni from a I'liilippine 

 paper of last October explains why : 



Roy Barto. formerly of the Bureau of Forestry, was attacked last week 

 by a large python while he was cruising timber near Cadiz, Negros Occi- 

 dental. Barto was walking along when the python seized him below his 

 left knee and began dragging him nearer. Before the snake could throw 

 a coil around him, he managed to secure his bolo and struck It a glancing 

 blow, whereupon the pytlion released its hoi<l. Barto then cut a pole and 

 for two hours tried to kill the snake, which repeatedly charged him with 

 Its head raised two feet higher than Barto. Only by his strength and 

 agility did he avoid these rushes. The python finally retreated into its 

 den and Barto then secured a rifle and assistance. Upon their arrival at 

 the den the snake made another vicious charge and was killed. The skin 

 is 24 feet long and two feet wide, and Barto is being congratulated upon 

 his narrow escape, for had he been but a few feet nearer the snake's first 

 attack might have proved more effective. 



Germany Needs Airplane Stocks 



Evidence increases that the Germans are having difliculty in procuring 

 wood for airplanes. -\n engineering journal in England has collected data 

 from German machines that have been captured, and it Is found that 

 woods are being used that would be regarded in .America as wholly unsuit- 

 able. Among other woods they are using oak, and some of It Is of 

 inferior grade. They still can get a little ash for parts which receive 

 the greatest strain, but in order to do this they often splice two or three 

 pieces together to get the necessary length. Much yellow pine, cut In 

 Germany's forests, Is being used for this work. Some of the machines 

 contain little wood except pine. It has been noted for some time that 

 the German airplanes seemed to be deteriorating In their wooden parts. 



The motors and metal parts seem to be up to standard; but when the 

 strain comes during figlits and quick dives and turns, the wooden frame 

 often exhibits a fatal weakness. 



American Lumber Prospects in England 

 .lohn n. Walker Is the first of the five American lumber commissioners 

 who were sent abroad by the United States, to make a report, so far as 

 information has reached the IIaudwood Uecokd. Mr. Walker began his 

 work in England, and under date of December 17 he wrote from London 

 a report of which a summary follows : 



One liar to larger British purchases of .American lumber has been the 

 fact that the sizes of .\nierican scantlings dilfer from those commonly 

 used in the United Kingdom. The .\merican standard sizes have been 

 evolved as those best adapted to the characteristics of Amerlcjin timber, 

 if the liullding practice in the United Kingdom could be changed to con- 

 form to the manulacturing practice in the United States, our ability to 

 assist in supplying matcTials lor reconstruction will be enormouslv increased 

 and a saving will be effected in timlier, tonnage and money. This matter 

 has been brought to the attention of the British industry and the change 

 is under consiilcralioii. 



It is estimated tliat 500,000 new houses will he required in the British 

 Isles at the conclusion of the war. This need is the result, first, of legis- 

 lation afteiting real estate, which greatly curtailed building operations 

 in the years immediately preceding the war: secondlv. of the cessation of 

 building operations during the war: and thirdlv. of a general demand 

 among the working classes for better housing, due to the prevailing high 

 wage scale and to the* education in living conditions and sanitation received 

 by tile soldiers. 



Chinese Sawmill Laborers 



The Madera Sugar Pine Company, Madera, Cal., recently published an 

 interview in a local paper in defense of Chinese labor. The company has 

 long been an employer of this class of labor, some men having lieen con- 

 tinuously In its employ eighteen years. The company declares that It 

 would be next to impossible to run its mills at the present time without 

 Chinese labor, the company having furnished fifty-three men for the army, 

 and white labor being scarce and unreliable. It has a Chinese boss, who 

 has charge of his countrymen In the company's employ. The mill owner 

 said in the interview : 



To successfully handle Chinese labor, it is necessary that the Chinamen 

 be allowed to I'cdlow their own habits of life as far as possible. For this 

 reason we have built for them their own camp, which is located entirely 

 apart from the sawmill town. The Chinese purchase their own food sup- 

 plies, hire their own cook and conduct their camp according to their own 

 ideas and standards. They are not interested in hunting, fishing, dancing 

 or automobile driving, and are not given to drinking or carousing, but look 

 to certain games of chance for their amusement. 



In all dealings with Chinese laborers we have never found any of them 

 incapacitated by dissipation. They are always able to work when called 

 upon to do so. and seem much more willing to accommodate themselves to 

 occasional hardships than any other class of people. Because of the dis- 

 position on the part of the Chinese laborer to work steadily, the Chinese 

 have proved themselves most essential to the company's operations. Many 

 of them are thoroughly skilled workmen and It would be almost impossible 

 for the Sugar Pine Company to replace them from any other known source 

 of labor supply. The company feels that production would be greatly 

 Increased if certain other classes of labor were to show the same faith- 

 fulness, loyalty and devotion to work. 



I wish to disabuse the public mind of any notion that may be had that 

 the Chinaman is. in any sense of the word, criminal in ills nature. He 

 has been found to be strictly honest and truthful in all his dealings, end a 

 valuable workman, and unless aroused by unjust treatment, is quiet, peace 

 loving and gentlemanly in his conduct, and inclined to associate only with 

 his kind. 



Unfair Competition Charged 



The first lumber case Involving charges of unfair competition was 

 recently heard by the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D. C. 

 The commission had made a formal complaint against the Botsford Lum- 

 ber Company, and about one hundred other defendants, principally retail 

 dealers, and including Piatt B. Walker, editor of the Mississippi Valley 

 Lumberman, Minneapolis, Minn. Most of the defendants live in Min- 

 nesota. The case is an outgrowth of the long fight between western re- 

 tail lumber yards and mall order houses, competing with' them. Chief 

 Examiner Chautland had charge of the case against the lumbermen ; 

 Stanley Houch represented Walker ; L. L. Brown, Charles Fowler and 

 L. C. Boyle for the lumbermen. Evidence was presented, laws were 

 quoted, jurisdiction was discussed, and arguments were presented by the 

 attorneys, and the decision of the case will be awaited with Interest. 

 The methods followed by mail order houses in securing and carrying on 

 business were brought prominently forward in the hearing of the case. 



After War Cost of Lumber 



The United States commercial attache at Paris has made a report setting 

 forth the views in France regarding the cost of various building materials 

 after the war. On the subject of lumber he says : 



With regard to wood, it should be noted that French forests have been 

 subjected to an unusually intensive and often uneconomical exploitation, 

 and that the abnormal consumption caused by the large-scale construction 

 of barracks and provisional edifices will leave a deficit In the supply. It 

 will take many years to overcome the deforestation that has gone on dur- 

 ing the war. .\s for the use of wood from the French colonies, the govern- 

 ment Is preparing a law to facilitate the importation of such woods, but 

 the cost of transportation and the increased cost of labor will very prob- 

 ably result in bringing the price of this wood to a level that will exceed 

 by at least one-third the prices prevailing In 1914. Wood from Sweden 

 and Norway, the price of which is exceedingly high, will be demanded 

 throughout Europe, and can not be furnished in sufficient quantities. Even 

 though. In spite of these factors, there should be a reduction In the price 

 of lumber, the abnormally high price of labor will more than offset any 

 such possibilities, and the price of building timbers, even though It may be 

 somewhat less than the present prices, will in any event be considerably 

 higher than in 1914. 



