THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 25 



CHAPTER II 



FORESTRY AND THE LUMBERMAN 



THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES 



The lumber industry is undergoing a process of reorganiza- 

 tion which reaches to its very foundations. It is so deep- 

 seated as to be almost imperceptible from outward evidence, 

 but is of pro found -significance to the owner of timber land 

 and to the public. 



Hitherto lumbering in the United States has consisted 

 chiefly of manufacturing and selling. The raw material has 

 occupied no consistent place in the equation. The value it 

 has had in fixing the price of the finished product has been 

 merely in its relation to transportation. Intrinsically it has 

 been accorded no value. This situation continued just as long 

 as there was practically free Government timber to be had by 

 opening it up. 



It continues now only relatively, however. Transportation 

 must always remain a great factor; the timber owner is still 

 obliged temporarily to meet his obligations by means de- 

 termined under the old basis. Nevertheless, the moment it 

 became impossible to get timber to manufacture without as- 

 suming the costs of producing, such as fire protection, taxa- 

 tion and interest, began an era of inevitable natural regula- 

 tion. From that time on timber began to assume a value 

 which, although affected by transportation facilities, must 

 eventually be fixed chiefly by the cost of growing other timber 

 to compete with it. 



