JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



Vol. XV APRIL, 1917 No. 4 



THE PRESENT CONDITIONS IN THE LUMBER 



INDUSTRY^ 



By Wilson Compton 



Federal Trade Commission 



I am grateful for this opportunity cordially extended to me to 

 speak to you upon a subject in which I have a deep interest, 

 and upon which I beg to say I have spent considerable thought during 

 the past several years. I desire neither to harass you nor embarrass 

 myself by reading a lengthy paper at this time. At best one can touch 

 only the prominent features. And in the suggestion of a remedy for 

 an unfortunate industrial situation one can only join hands with the 

 lumbermen in groping for a solution that is consistent with the 

 interest of the public. 



At the outset I desire to relieve the discussion of the consideration 

 of exceptional and non-typical cases and to confine attention to the 

 general conditions which are representative of the average lumbering 

 operation. One may at any time with ease cite specific cases that are 

 at variance with the general characterization of the industry. Out of 

 more than 40,000 mills of all descriptions and more than 35,000 retail- 

 ing establishments, innumerable exceptions can be cited. But these 

 tend only to emphasize the facts attributable to the majority. The 

 security and the reasonably conservative use of a basic natural re- 

 source is dependent upon the general rather than upon the exceptional 

 conditions. And no solution is adequate which fails to provide for 

 reasonably conservative utilization of standing timber. Emphatically, 

 the present condition in the lumber industry is inconsistent with con- 

 servation. 



Read before the Society, January 25, 1916. 



387 



