the inspection. The arguments in support thereof stripped 

 of pretense and disguise amount in substance to the asser- 

 tion that if the Government would only fix and enforce the 

 grades of lumber, then the sawmill men could be compelled 

 to put fewer defects in their lumber; and that the buyers 

 could get thicker lumber and get it cheaper. An absurdity 

 to be sure ; nevertheless asserted by men themselves engaged 

 in the lumber trade. 



It is impossible to have at the same time fewer defects 

 and thicker sizes on the one hand, and lower prices and less 

 waste of natural resources on the other. The trees are not 

 made that way. The efficiency of utilization of the raw 

 material by the lumber manufacturer will keep pace with 

 the willingness of the consumer to use suitable lower grade 

 material and to pay a reasonable price for it. The solution 

 of the so-called "waste" problem lies in the hands more of 

 the buyers and consumers of lumber than of the producers. 

 The sawmill man will utilize everything that he can sell 

 without loss. The consumer can largely settle this prob- 

 lem by refraining from demanding lumber of a quality bet- 

 ter than he needs; or of sizes thicker than is reasonably 

 necessary for the purpose for which it is used. 



3. There is a considerable group of neo-socialists who 

 are uncertain whether they are near-believers in socialism 

 or believers in near-socialism who protest the private own- 

 ership of natural resources, the basis of our national wealth. 

 They are favorable in general to any measures calculated to 

 result in the return of the natural resources to the public, 

 thru Government ownership ; and they are not without sub- 

 stantial representation in Congress and in Government de- 

 partments. 



4. The respects in which the methods of distributing 

 the products of the sawmills from producer to consumer 

 are loose and defective are well known in the lumber trade. 

 Systems of grading of lumber and inspection service to in- 

 sure the proper application of the grades, and, sometimes, 

 the arbitration of disputes not otherwise settled are the gua- 

 ranties to the buyer and consumer which the lumber trade 

 now affords. 



48 



