LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENT 197 



admitted to the Union. l Previous to the establishment of 

 the Federal government legislation regarding the inspection 

 of lumber had been enacted in all American Colonies except 

 Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia. - The 

 inspection of shingles early claimed the attention of the 

 colonial legislatures, 3 and an inspection of hoops, heading 

 and shooks was provided for in a few colonies. 4 



The very early laws regarding the quality of staves and 

 many of the later ones fixing specifications for lumber, 

 shingles, hoops, heading and staves were apparently di- 

 rected principally to the end of maintaining in foreign mar- 

 kets a satisfactory reputation for the timber products of the 

 colonies in which the laws were enacted. However, even in 

 some of the earlier acts, there are indications that grave 

 abuses in domestic commerce and purely local transactions 

 had forced legislative regulation of the timber industry. The 

 later acts prescribed with considerable detail the specifica- 

 tions of the different products and grades. Many statutes 

 indicated a determined purpose to assure the election or 

 appointment of thoroughly capable and trustworthy in- 

 spectors. 5 



Subsequent to the establishment of the Federal Union 

 statutes regulating the inspection and measurement of tim- 

 ber products were enacted in many states. The earlier 

 state laws, like those passed previous to March 4, 1789, re- 

 lated to finished products, but as the lumber industry de- 

 veloped and the practice of driving logs in the streams be- 

 came extensive, a special need arose for a standard measure- 

 ment of logs. The situation was partly met by legislative 



1. N. H. Acts Feb. S, and June 15, 1701. 



Md. Act. Dec. 22. 1792; ch. 10. 1704. 



Del. Act Feb. '.), 170f>; not June 2<i, 1820. 



Pa. Acts. Feb. 13, 1S02; Mar. 10. IS] 7. 



I, a. Act Fel). 10, 1810. 



Me. Acts Mar. 8, 1S21; Feb. 15. 1S25; Apr. 1, 1830; Apr. 1(1, 1811, sec. 7. 



Vt. Act Nov. 10, 1824. 



Cf. Inspection Ground Oak Hark, I'a., 1801: Md. 1810; N. V. 1S-HI. 

 2 Mass., 1053; Conn., 1607: X. II., 10S:j; K. I.. 1731; l>a. 1750; N. C. 1770; N. 

 J. 1772; Va. 1780; X. Y., 17SS. 



3. Mass., 1005; K. 1., 1731; S. C., 1738; Va.. 1752; N. C.. 1770; N. J., 1772; N. 



H. 17S5; Conn., 17SO; N. Y., 17SS. 



4. Mass. 1743; N. .)., 1772; N. IT., 17,85. 



5. Soo discussion of such laws in Forest Legislation in America Prior to March 4, 



1789; Kinney, pp. 381 lo 387 (published as Bulletin No. 370, Cornell Uni- 

 versity Agr. Exp. Station, January, 1010.) 



