1906 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



483 



of imported oil had risen only to 3,- 

 783,472 gallons. 



Statistics for 1905 and for the pres- 

 ent year are not available, but it is cer- 

 tain that, although the production has 

 considerably increased, it has alto- 

 gether failed to keep pace with the de- 

 mand, which, on account of the great 

 activity now existing in wood preser- 

 vation' in this country, has made enor- 

 mous advances. The restriction of 

 the American production of creosote 

 in the past has been largely due to the 

 economic conditions which have re- 

 sulted in an extensive rather than _ an 

 intensive operation of all industries. 

 No restriction had been placed on the 

 private exploitation of natural re- 

 sources far beyond the present needs ; 

 and with the development of effective 

 machinery the inevitable result has 

 been a rapacious, non-intensive ex- 

 ploitation accompanied by prodigious 

 waste. Just as greater profits have 

 been secured from cutting all mer- 

 chantable timber in one operation and 

 then investing the proceeds in new 

 stumpage rather than in the practice 

 of conservative forestry, so, unless 

 the creosote were sold at a price 

 which, in consideration of the cheap- 

 ness of untreated timber, the consumer 

 could not afford to pay, greater re- 

 turns have been obtained by making 

 investments in new coke ovens rather 

 than in plants for the collection and 

 distillation of the tar. The universal 

 tendency of private enterprise always 

 to seek "personal and immediate profit 

 rather than the ultimate national good, 

 or even greater ultimate personal 

 profit at the sacrifice of present gain, 

 has received in the last half century 

 a worldwide emphasis by the unpre- 

 cedented commercial activity of the 

 period, which, in the United States, 

 has been particularly strong. To treat 

 a railroad tie with 12 pounds of cre- 

 osote per cubic foot costs about 45 

 cents, if the creosote can be obtained 

 for about 8 cents per gallon. Even 

 although railroad managers them- 

 selves may be convinced of the ulti- 

 mate economy afforded by the preser- 

 vative treatment of the ties, the stock- 



holders will, under present conditions, 

 rarely permit so large an increase in 

 the current expenses of maintenance. 

 Notable advances, however, are being 

 made. In 1905 approximately ten 

 per cent, of the ties laid throughout 

 the United States has received pre- 

 servative treatment. The larger por- 

 tion were treated with zinc chlorid at 

 a cost of about 16 cents per tie ; where- 

 as, if creosote had been used, a reduc- 

 tion in the annual cost of the treated 

 ties could doubtless have been secured 

 in most situations. The conservative 

 distrust of all innovations was also, 

 in this case, strengthened by the fraud- 

 ulent treatments given during the in- 

 troductory stages of the industry, 

 either by insufficient penetration, by 

 methods injurious to the timber, or by 

 the use of cheap and ineffective adul- 

 terants. The large demand in the 

 United States for soft pitch for roof- 

 ing has also tended to retard a move- 

 ment towards the oils of better and 

 heavier grades. On the other hand, 

 there is no considerable market in 

 America for hard pitch, whereas the 

 large demand in Europe permits the 

 distillation of the heavier oils. 



The cheapness of lumber, and the 

 ease with which it could be obtained 

 in any quantity, have also tended to 

 delay the introduction of conservative 

 methods. With apparently inexhaust- 

 ible forests, and a mechanical perfec- 

 tion in their exploitation which has 

 been unequalled elsewhere in the 

 world, lumber has hitherto been too 

 plentiful and cheap to necessitate its 

 artificial preservation. The same 

 causes which have brought about an 

 enormous consumption of wood in 

 America have also tended to discour- 

 age wood preservation as being un- 

 necessary and impracticable. This 

 tendency has been emphasized by the 

 high cost of American labor as com- 

 pared with that of Europe. These 

 conditions, however, are rapidly 

 changing. The lumber prices in the 

 United States have advanced in the 

 last ten years from 50 to 100 per cent., 

 and the rate of increase shows no 

 present signs of slackening. The sup- 



