About 80 per cent of the lumber cut in Montana was sold in the state. The 

 rest was sold in the eastern states, some going to the Atlantic seaboard and to 

 Canada. Most of the outside market was in the middle states. 



Montana mills supply only about 52 per cent of the lumber consumed within 

 the state. It is estimated that S0,000,000 feet came from Idaho mills, 213,000,000 

 feet from the Pacific Coast mills and approximately 1,000,000 feet of hardwoods from 

 various eastern states. Theoretically, the Montana lumber market should be supplied 

 by Montana mills, but there is a certain amount of white pine, cedar and some 

 Douglas fir clears and large timbers which could not be furnished by Montana mills. 



Pulp Mills Needed Here. 



It is believed that several more small mills and a number of medium sized band 

 mills could be profitably operated in the state. The open field appears to be in the 

 pulp industry. It is believed that the state can supply at least one and possibly 

 two good sized pulp mills for at least fifty years, if not indefinitely. 



There are 456 retail lumber yards in the state and 143 other concerns which 

 handle more or less lumber. From 12 to 15 per cent of the railroad tonnage of the 

 state is lumber and forest products. 



An estimate of the number of people employed in the industry is as follows: 



Men emploj r ed in woods 7,000 



Men employed in mills 2,000 



Men employed in retail yards 1,200 



Miscellaneous 1,800 



Total 12,000 



The men employed in the woods include loggers, pole and stull makers, and 

 tie cutters. Other laborers include cruisers, wood cutters, post makers and foresters. 

 Only a small percentage of the woods workers are married but a large percentage 

 of mill workers have families. It is therefore estimated that between 25,000 and 

 30,000 people in the state are supported directly by the lumber industry. 



Protection From Fire. 



The value of the lumber industry and the forests has become more generally 

 appreciated in the state the past ten years. Accordingly there has grown up a 

 system of fire patrol during the dry seasons, in which the federal foresters, 

 owners of timber and the state forestry department and the state game wardens 

 co-operate. The regulations as to prevention and control of fires are strictly en- 

 forced. So well have these organizations worked that the losses have grown appre- 

 ciably less year by year. 



