298 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



come to maintain an increasing population will require increasing 

 amounts. Much could be said on ini]}rovement of methods of distri- 

 bution within the lumber industry itself as one aid to bring this condi- 

 tion about, but space does not permit. 



A few further examples of what is meant by obsolesence may be 

 given. There recently came to the attention of the writer the case of 

 a small manufacturing concern in a Kansas town. A few years ago 

 this concern built a "permanent" concrete and steel factory building. 

 Recently the business has increased and more space was needed. It 

 was found impracticable to enlarge the building at reasonable expense, 

 however, on account of the concrete and steel wall construction. The 

 concern could not afford to build another complete unit, so the busi- 

 ness remains permanently cramped. A wooden structure in this case 

 could have been easily enlarged and, moreover, if the mon^y that could 

 have been saved in the original cost of construction by building of 

 wood had been put in t^e bank it would have built the addition. 



Take another case; suppose the Milwaukee railroad in making its 

 west coast extension, completed less than 10 years ago, had elected to 

 have "permanent" construction throughout and had built concrete 

 coal chutes. Now that this extension is being electrified the loss on 

 these would obviously be large, considering the unnecessary high origi- 

 nal cost and the present heavy cost of removing these structures 

 rendered obsolete by the change in power. 



Consider another railroad case ; for instance the comparative ad- 

 vantage of creosoted wood bridges, and concrete and reinforced con- 

 crete structures. The former can be built at half the cost and in case 

 of replacement of the bridge nearly all salvaged. In the latter case the 

 salvage is nothing, but the cost of wrecking and removal, tremendous. 

 Yet, railroad bridges may become obsolete at any time through in- 

 crease in the weight of locomotives and other rolling stock. This has 

 already happened several times in American railroading and let us 

 hope progress has not yet ceased. 



Then again, looking at another point of view, suppose concrete 

 construction does increase. Some systems of concrete building con- 

 struction require more wood than would be the case if the wood were 

 to be the permanent material. This is true because the concrete before 

 setting constitutes a greater load than the permanent loads of the 

 building contents. I feel justified in enlarging upon the above and 

 similar considerations, indicating that wood will be useful and largely 



