EDITORIAL COMMENT 339 



While this investigation is to be continued, it is already possible to 

 foreshadow conclusions. 



"It is a common belief among lumbermen that the logs they get on 

 cut-over lands come from the trees which were too small to take at the 

 previous cutting; that they can go back to an area every lo or 15 years 

 and get a profitable cut from what has accumulated by growth during 

 the interval. These growth studies indicate that this is a mistaken 

 opinion, since in the mixed forest it requires about 60 years for a 

 spruce tree 4 inches in diameter to reach a diameter of 12 inches, the 

 legal sawlog size. In addition to this, the tables conclusively show that 

 with each cut the lumberman takes an increasingly large proportion of 

 the smaller spruce trees. During the past five years a large percentage 

 of the cut, so far as the number of trees is concerned, has been below 

 the legal diameter limit for spruce. The tables also show that with 

 each cutting a larger proportion of balsam was taken."' 



A Policy that Pays 



In these troublous times of industrial uncertainty and labor turnover, 

 it is refreshing to find among lumber operators those who are able to 

 maintain their forces through social service. The Nippon Lumber 

 Company, adjacent to the Snoqualmie Forest, is the latest of these to 

 come to our attention. Hampered as they are by the fact that there is 

 no possibility of a permanent community being developed and of the 

 men establishing permanent homes because of the elevation and cli- 

 matic conditions, the company is making the most of its opportunities. 

 As many married men with families as possible are employed, and a 

 general policy of paying wages slightly higher than the average attracts 

 and holds the best labor available. This has resulted in building up a 

 force of nearly permanent employees, with an exceedingly small turn- 

 over. An annual dinner and dance are given by the company every 

 winter, and an attractive annual booklet is published, which is well 

 illustrated and gives a calendar of the events in the community, work 

 and activities of the various clubs and organizations which are encour- 

 aged by the company, the organization of the force of employees, the 

 pupils in the school, and other similar interesting features. That this 

 work is a decided success is attested by the fact that it is now in its 

 ninth year. 



The company has adopted as its creed : 



"We believe that under a free and full competition every worker of every 

 degree will receive all that he produces, and we believe that he should receive 

 the full amount of that production without deduction and without division." 



