HARDWOOD RECORD 



charged at $3.00 to $3.50, according to location— a loss of $1.09 

 per M on this basis. 



This firm also received a net price of $S.6.5 for its No. 3 ash, 

 $8.42 for No. 3 elm, $6.-5.5 for No. 3 hard maple, $7.75 for No. 3 

 soft maple, and $7.86 for No. 3 birch — all produced at a cost of 

 not less than $12.00 per M. 



These are typical examples of conditions that have prevailed for 

 the last four years. For hemlock they mean that in the most 

 favorable situations the manufacturers have been getting from 

 $1.00 to $2.00 per M for stumpage that cannot be purchased for 

 less than $2.00 to $3.00, and that in other situations there has been 

 no return for stumpage. For low-grade hardwoods they mean that 

 the production has been at an actual loss of several dollars per 

 thousand. 



There are only two possible sources of lumber supply in the 

 United States, one of them being timber lands owned by individ- 

 uals such as you and I, and the other timber lands owned by either 

 the states or the national government — the public forests. At 

 present, people like you and I own about four-fifths of the timber 

 supply. Neither you nor I would produce any lumber if we could 

 not obtain the cost of production for it when we came to saw it 

 up and market it. One of our best-known foresters says: "It is 

 better to waste timber than to waste money," and this is the 

 keynote to private conservation. Human beings will always be 

 guided by that principle as long as they remain reasonable. I 

 have never seen the cost of production correctly 'figured during 

 all mj' acquaintance with lumbermen. There has been statement 

 after statement published in the lumber journals about the cost 

 of producing lumber, none of which has ever been correct ; they 

 have shown nothing but the harvesting cost. There has never been 

 a thoroughly worked out statement of what it wouM cost to pro- 

 duce a thousand feet of timber. I do not know where you are 

 going to get a properly worked out basis of cost, and yet such a 

 basis must be secured if the cost of lumber is ever to be figured 

 out right in the United States. I have no idea of what the ulti- 

 mate selling prices will be, but they must come up to the cost of 

 production or lumber will not be permanently pro<luced by private 

 effort. That is a fundamental fact. 



The real cost of production must include the growing of timber, 

 logging, sawing and marketing the product. The largest item is 

 that of growing the timber. Allowing only $10.00 per acre for 

 the cost of land stocked with seedlings, the usual charges for 

 taxes, protection, etc., and an interest rate of i per cent, it does 

 not appear that timber averaging eighteen inches in diameter can 

 be grown for less than the following stumpage prices per M feet: 



Douglas Fir $ 6 



Loblolly Pine 10 



White Pine 20 



Bed Oak and Yellow Poplar 20 



Longleaf Pine 30 



And because of this condition the efforts which are being made 

 to bring about the possibility of permanently continuing lumber 

 firoduction and conserving the timber supply should be supported. 

 We need to enlarge our conception of what a public utilitj' is. 

 In the past few years, people's ideas have been broadening in 

 regard to public utilities. It has become to be pretty clearly seen 

 that municipal enterprises like street railways, which are abso- 

 lutely essential for transportation, and water supply that is abso- 

 lutely necessary for drinking purposes, fire protection and sanita- 

 tion, are undoubtedly public utilities, as are almost to an equal 

 extent other things like lights and telephones. It is recognized 

 that these things are public utilities, that is, public necessities, and 

 that they must either be supplied by the public acting in its own 

 corporate capacity, or they must be supplied by private capital 

 properly restricted and controlled and operating in the interests 

 of the public. These necessities are being supplied in these two 

 ways all over the United States todaj\ They are absolutely essen- 

 tial to the life and health of the people. They are fundamental 

 necessities. This conception has gone far enough so that courts 

 and commissions state that when private enterprise engages in 

 the supply of these public utilities such private enterprise is en- 



titled to a reasonable profit for its undertaking. This reasonable 

 profit and the right to earn it is being very generally conceded 

 and accepted by public service commissions, by railroad commis- 

 sions and by the courts. 



We ci\n readily see that, with this conception having been estab- 

 lished regarding such utilities, an extension of the principle will 

 be applied to the entire railroad rate situation in the United States. 



Now it seems to me that we are going to go a little further with 

 that thing; I think that what we must do if we are to get real 

 conservation and real maintenance of our timber supply is to 

 apply that conception to the lumber business. We believe that 

 history shows that timber has always been a necessity. Next per- 

 haps to food, timber is of more general utility than any other com- 

 modity. We will continue to need timber; we cannot do without 

 it. Logically, then, the thing to do is to take necessary measures 

 to get it. 



So it seems to me that if we properly understand what public 

 utilities are, we will include in them the forests, which are a public 

 necessity. If this is so, then we have ample justification in ask- 

 ing for legislation which will permit the people who at the present 

 time own these forests, or who may own them in the future, to 

 manage them in such a way that they will not be wasted, and so 

 that their fullest values in the shape of commodities for the use 

 of the public will be secured. This must largely be done by pri- 

 vate effort, which must be assured a reasonable return upon the 

 cost of production. 



In carrying these conclusions into effect we must work for such 

 methods of conducting business that we shall not be compelled by 

 economic conditions to waste what we do not want to waste, nor 

 to destroy what the people need, but which will permit us to save 

 those things that need to be saved, and to maintain the things 

 that must be maintained. 



Imitation Veneer Not Popular 



There is evidence among the critical writings of people who 

 study furniture and decorations, that imitation veneer, which made 

 quite a furore a few years ago, is not popular, and will never be 

 much of a competitor with the real article. At the same time 

 there is a distinction between what is called imitation and what 

 is recognized as veneering. .\t one time veneering itself was 

 classed as a means of imitation. Today, however, it is recognized 

 as a means of decorating that improves the qualit}' of the work 

 as well as its appearance. 



It is the imitation of something that is not really supplied that 

 is losing favor now. For example, in the veneering world the 

 imitating of mahogany with some other wood is not as popular as 

 it was some time ago, because the discriminating public is realiz- 

 ing that imitation in woodwork, whether in furniture or in house 

 decorations, is like jiaste jewels. It may give the appearance of 

 the real article for a time, but, when the ethical side of the 

 question is considered, there is no satisfaction attached to its use. 



For this reason, imitation oak tables made on gum should not 

 be popular, and it would be much better for the manufacturers, 

 as well as for the trade in general, if instead of imitating oak 

 the manufacturers of such furniture would seek for some stain or 

 color scheme that would give beauty without trying to imitate 

 something else. Often the natural color tone of gum furnishes 

 more real beauty than is obtained by trying to imitate quartered 

 oak — and it relieves it of the stigma of imitation. 



Wall paper and interior decorations were made in imitation of 

 quartered oak and various other kinds of wood some time ago 

 and seemed to have quite a run for a while. Now, however, they 

 are losing favor and the prediction, made in these columns here- 

 tofore, that the imitation would simply turn attention to the 

 beauty of the wood and finally the discriminating people would 

 want the real wood, is being fulfilled and there is a better demand 

 for veneered panels for interior decorations. In this way much 

 good is being done for the veneer trade and the sentiment against 

 imitations is so strong now that there is no fear of anything of 

 this kind seriouslj" affecting the veneer industry. 



