A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1571 



FOREST RESEARCH BY QUASI-PUBLIC AND PRIVATE 



AGENCIES 



The estimated annual expenditures for forest research by quasi- 

 public and private agencies, discussed in the section " Privately Sup- 

 ported and Quasi-Public Forest Research," indicate that nearly 90 

 percent of all the forest research now conducted by such agencies is 

 being done by the various wood-using industries. The estimates for 

 the several groups are as follows: 



Industries $2, 500, 000 



Scientific institutions and arboreta 230, 000 



Privately supported forest schools and university departments 120, 000 



Total 2, 850, 000 



The largest share of the forest research being conducted by indus- 

 tries is carried by the pulp and paper industries, with estimated pres- 

 ent expenditures of $2,000,000 a year. Other wood conditioning and 

 manufacturing industries, including the lumber industry, are con- 

 ducting forest research at an expense of perhaps $500,000 a year in 

 the present period of depression. Much the larger part of this is for 

 experiments in manufacturing and processing forest products rather 

 than in growing them. 



There is reason for a large expansion of industrial forest research 

 in both the manufacturing and the productive field. Eighty per cent 

 of all industrial forest research expenditures appear to be on pulp and 

 paper, the form of product for which competition from materials 

 other than wood is least serious. In the fields where competition is 

 keen the research on wood seems to be very inadequately supported. 



Research is one of the most effective weapons at the disposal of the 

 lumber and other forest-dependent industries which are now fighting 

 the competition of other materials. As was stated previously, by 

 using research the competitors of wood force similar action upon the 

 forest industries. Research is the means for showing in what respects 

 and for what uses wood is the most satisfactory and cheapest material, 

 and how it should be handled and used. Just as in all other forms of 

 industry, research in the manufacture of forest products offers oppor- 

 tunity for cheaper and more effective methods and processes, reduc- 

 tion of waste, and hence a competitive advantage in price and quality. 

 It offers the opportunity to exclusive rights through patents for im- 

 proved processes and superior products. The individual manufacturer 

 or timberland owner cannot depend upon Government, State, or 

 university research organizations for all the forest research he will 

 need. Such organizations cannot be created or developed rapidly 

 enough. 



If forest research is to be conducted by industries on a scale at all 

 commensurate to the needs it would appear to require at least a 30 

 or 40 percent increase over the present expenditures, or the building 

 up during a period of, say, 10 years of an annual expenditure amounting 

 to $3,500,000. These expenditures would, of course, be made in 

 different ways. Organization of special research staffs would be prac- 

 ticable in some instances; consulting experts can be called in periodi- 

 cally; contributions can be made as cooperative funds to research 

 institutions at universities, to State organizations, or to the Federal 

 Government ; or research organizations may be supported in industrial 

 associations from proportional contributions. 



