TI.MI'.KR CKXSl'S I\ XORTIIEASTEKX STATKS 1T9 



On the day following the signing of the armistice, the "census 

 makers" gathered in Boston and, with the joyous shouts of the peace 

 revel in their ears, decided that despite the end of the war the valuable 

 data accumulated in the census should not be lost, but that the work 

 should be carried to completion. It was left to each State to compile 

 the data and to publish them through whatever agency in the. State 

 seemed most appropriate. Then the Forest Service will probably pub- 

 lish a summary for the entire Northeastern region. 



So the matter stands at present. Conceived as a piece of war work, 

 the timber census gives promise of filling a peace need as well. Witness 

 the following resolution adopted at the Reconstruction Conference of 

 the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association in Chicago on No- 

 vember 23 : 



"Whereas, A census of standing timber classified by species, quality, location, 

 and accessibility — a census of cut-over lands that will remain temporarily or per- 

 manently in forest would secure to the lumber industry information important in 

 the conduct of its business ; and 



"Whereas, Such a census would afford a basis for the interpretation of eco- 

 nomic problems in forest and wood-using industries ; and 



"Whereas, Such a census would greatly aid the development of a permanent 

 national forest policy, with respect to timber ownership, lumber export, tariff, 

 local taxation, value of stumpage, and sundry forest problems; 



"Therei-ore, First. The National Lumber Manufacturers' Association heartil}' 

 endorses the proposal that the Bureau of the Census with the Forest Service 

 undertake such census ; 



"Second. To this end the association offers its facilities to the Bureau of the 

 Census and the Forest Service ; 



"Third. The association urges Congress to make adequate appropriation to 

 make such census complete and comprehensive." 



I would like to cite one practical result of the timber census. Only 

 a few months ago the country was being scottred for aircraft spruce. 

 "How much spruce have you ?" was a burning question. The answers 

 varied. U. S. Dept. of Agric. Bui. 544, The Red Spruce (Oct., 1917). 

 gave a total of 13,300,000 M feet board measure of spruce in New York 

 State. ]\Iany of us were skeptical that so much spruce remained. J\Ir. 

 K. M. Clark, of the Forest Service, in a report on airplane spruce sup- 

 plies (June, 1918) estimated the total standing spruce in New York 

 State at 4.000,000 M feet. The Forest Service (Sept.. 1918) revised 

 its estimate to 2.869 ^^ ^^^t — a difference of 10 billion feet in less than 

 a year ! The census has shown that there are actually about ^/j billion 

 feet, board measure, of standing spruce in New York State. 



