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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



their relative value for specific purposes. 

 The second section is that of engineer- 

 ing, and has to do mainly with design 

 work. Whatever is accomplished in 

 cutting down wood waste in any line 

 will depend in great part upon the effi- 

 ciency of the machines which will be 

 designed to do the work. This section 

 is consequently a very important one. 

 Third in this group is the section of 

 maintenance, which looks out for the 

 general maintenance and unimpeded op- 

 eration of the laboratory. 



Each section is in charge of a trained 

 man who has under him the necessary 

 assistants. Over all the sections, and 

 in charge of the laboratory is the di- 

 rector, Mr. McGarvey Cline. He has 

 as assistant direcors Mr. H. F. Weiss 

 and Dr. H. S. Bristol. 



OTHER WORK OF THE BRANCH OF 

 PRODUCTS 



Correlated with the Forest Products 

 Laboratory is the Office of Wood Util- 

 ization, with headquarters in Chicago. 

 Its work is statistical, while the work 

 of the laboratory is altogether experi- 

 mental. The Office of Wood Utiliza- 

 tion makes no tests, but is constantly 

 gathering facts and figures which will 

 promote economy in the use of wood. 

 It makes studies of the wood-using in- 

 dustries of cities and states, learns their 

 requirements, and aids them in finding 

 supplies of cheap and abundant woods 

 to take the place of scarce and costly 

 ones. It finds out what the waste is 

 and proposes methods for its reduction. 

 It is also gathering a record of whole- 

 sale lumber prices at the mills and in 

 the principal distributing markets. 

 These are base lines run through the 

 lumber industry, by which prices in one 

 region or market may be compared with 

 those in another, and by which may be 

 determined in a broad way what influ- 

 ences operate to raise, lower, or hold 

 steady the prices of lumber. This is a 

 good thing, both for the public and the 

 lumber industry. In charge of the 

 Office of Wood Utilization is Mr. H. S. 

 Sackett, with offices in the Fisher 

 Building, Chicago. 



The laboratory and the Office ot 

 Wood Utilization are represented by 

 branch offices in Washington, Denver, 

 San Francisco, and Portland, Oreg. 

 These carry on the work in certain dis- 

 tricts. The office which has admin- 

 istrative charge of all the several lines 

 of work, already mentioned as the 

 Branch of Products, has hitherto been 

 in Washington, but on June I was 

 transferred to Madison, from which 

 place the assistant forester in charge 

 will report to the forester in Wash- 

 ington. 



All work conducted by the Branch of 

 Products is done in close contact and 

 cooperation with the lumbering and 

 wood-using industries. It aims for prac- 

 tical ends which are linked with the 

 processes of those industries and which 

 can only be accomplished through the 

 improvement of their processes. Con- 

 sequently, it must keep in close touch 

 with the industries to succeed at all. 

 even in a minor degree. The industries 

 do not resent this policy, but appreciate 

 and favor it. They are anxious to see 

 its objects accomplished. As an ex- 

 pression of their spirit in the matter, lei 

 me quote a part of a resolution adopted 

 by the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association at its meeting held in New 

 Orleans in April of this year : 



"And, further, since the elimination 

 of waste is as truly conservation as the 

 growing of trees, we heartily approve 

 the efforts of the government, through 

 the Forest Service, to develop methods 

 whereby material now wasted may be 

 put to use, or for prolonging the life 

 of forest products, and urge a continu- 

 ation of such research and a liberal ap- 

 propriation by the government for their 

 support.'' 



With this sort of spirit prevailing 

 among the industries which are mainly 

 concerned and with facilities such as 

 are afforded by the new laboratory, it 

 may be expected that valuable results 

 will be accomplished. It is the deter- 

 mination of those who make up the 

 working force that the great opportu- 

 nity which is presented shall be im- 

 proved to the fullest extent for useful 

 work. 



