198 OUR USE OF THE LAND 



land lower than the tax on other types of property. The amount 

 of reduction is based on the number of years the timber has 

 been standing. The longer it stands the greater the reduction. 



MARKETS AND USES FOR TIMBER 



Like everything else the uses of wood products depend on 

 markets and the effect of markets on the forests is very much 

 the same as the effect of markets on minerals. When lumber 

 brings a high price, a lot of it is cut. When it is low, only the 

 best is cut and the medium and poor is wasted. Today in the 

 magnificent forests of the Northwest, a good 75 per cent of 

 the timber is allowed to rot on the ground because at present 

 only the very highest grade timber can be sold at a profit. 



As far as the saving of the forests is concerned, the lumber 

 companies are now caught in a vicious circle. They have in' 

 vested a lot of money in land and machinery. The tax and fire 

 protection expenses are high. At the same time, lumber does 

 not bring a high price. This means that if the lumber com' 

 panies are going to make enough money to keep going, they 

 must cut more timber, and the more timber they cut, the more 

 the market is flooded and the lower the price, and the lower 

 the price the more timber must be cut, and so on. 



One reason the market for timber has shrunk is the fact that 

 so many wood substitutes have been developed. For instance, 

 wood is no longer essential for construction purposes. Steel 

 and concrete have taken its place. 



To offset this, new uses for wood are now being discovered. 

 For instance, a great many species of trees are now used to 

 produce pulp for newspaper and fibre'board. In addition to 

 this, scientists are also discovering ways to use wood waste. 

 Sawdust at one time was thrown in great heaps beside the saw 

 mill and burned in special converters built for the purpose. 

 Today a certain amount of this sawdust is being pressed into 

 blocks to be burned in fireplaces. Other sawdust is being made 



