HOW LUMBERMEN HAVE SERVED THE PUBLIC 279 



all do, let us give the credit where it belongs, to economic forces, to the 

 productive energy of the lumber industry. And don't let us blacken 

 that with a purely selfish motive either. Although financial success 

 is at the center of it there is a lot more to it, as I have tried to explain. 

 The point may be clearer if we try to imagine what things would be 

 like should the motive go out of business men and production cease. 

 How would it be either for labor or the consumer? 



Utilization is a matter that touches us closely, and now we have 

 touched on the borders of it we may well follow it a little further. 

 Some years ago numerous men of our persuasion had the habit of 

 idealizing European standards in this matter. We seem to have got 

 over that and, if only they are on the level of sound economics, to be 

 satisfied with current standards and practices, though I don't remember 

 anybody saying just why. In thinking over these matters I get myself 

 the clearest conception from primitive conditions, when the country 

 was all woods and men went direct to the source of supply and took 

 what they required. Their rule, as near as I know, was to satisfy 

 their need with the least sufficient effort and that looks like a sensible 

 rule. Now with an organized industry the price tells the same story, 

 for that measures what in the way of his own effort or product the 

 consumer will exchange for the commodity. But with prices of forest 

 products rising, as they did and as looks inevitable in the conditions, 

 closeness of use and specialization have also gained, and through that 

 means, as it seems to me, there is fulfilled the law just mentioned, of 

 need supplied with the least sufficient effort ; also economy gains with 

 advance upon the stock of our resources. 



Now I am not going to claim perfection for our commercial, capi- 

 talistic system or for the lumber industry, but I ask you to consider 

 broadly and fairly how utility and price on the one hand, and on 

 the other completeness and intensification of use, have worked together, 

 especially to consider how substitutes for lumber have appeared in 

 late years on the recent price levels, and then ask yourselves if in the 

 main these economic forces are not sound and serviceable, if on the 

 whole they have not greatly served this country, if in fact you really 

 think that centralized, designed control could on the whole and up to 

 date have provided us with any better system. 



Before I leave this topic of utilization I want to offer an illustra- 

 tion of individual interest running parallel with the general interest 

 from the field of stumpage ownership. Here, in the first place, let us 



