THE EUROPEAN WAR AND THK U'.MBER TRADK 885 



turn over his property to his creditors, and the sole means of earning a live- 

 He, therefore, attempts to secure ready lihood for the citizens. Under these 

 money to continue his business by conditions an added hardship is laid 

 marketing his product at a price below upon the woods or mill worker who 

 its actual worth. He can rarely secure finds himself without employment. It 

 loans from banks when markets are is greatly to the credit of many lumber- 

 depressed, because banks then refuse to men that today they are operating 

 loan in sufficient amounts on satisfac- their plants at least on partial time, 

 tory terms. Overhead charges are an chiefly to provide employment for their 

 important item in the cost of placing workmen who have been faithful to 

 lumber on the market, and a curtail- them, although it means a financial 

 ment of cut or a total cessation of opera- loss to do so. 



tions seldom reduces this to a marked Another reason why the large lumber 

 degree, hence a large deficit rapidly manufacturer who caters especially to 

 accumulates and may ultimately mean the domestic trade cannot cease to pro- 

 bankruptcy, duce lumber is that he has built up his 



The manufacturer in some sections trade and customers demand some 



of the country, such as the Northeast lumber even during periods of financial 



and the Lake States, often transports depression. If the manufacturer ceases 



his logs to the mill by water, cutting to produce lumber, buyers seek out 



the timber during the fall and winter other sources to supply their needs and 



previous to the sawing season the the seller may lose in a short time many 



warmer months of the year. He must, desirable customers. A resumption of 



therefore, anticipate market conditions business on the part of the producers 



months in advance, and having invested means the development anew of trade 



his money in logging and in placing the connections, since old customers who 



timber in the stream he feels forced to have been lost seldom return in normal 



manufacture the logs into lumber, both times. 



to save themfrom deterioration and to Extremely low mill prices, such as 



get them into marketable form. prevail today, mean greater waste both 



Even with railroad operations it is in the forest and in the mill, since the 



costly to close down since a large poorer grade of lumber cannot be sold 



amount of valuable equipment becomes at a price that will even approximate 



idle and must be cared for at consider- the cost of manufacturing and selling it. 



able expense, even though it is not earn- It is of direct interest, therefore, to 



ing anything for the ow r ner. each and every citizen of the United 



A large labor organization is essential States that some steps should be taken 

 for the operation of a big lumber plant, which will make it possible to market, 

 and an efficient force may be the result without loss, the poorer grades. Poor 

 of several years' effort on the part of grades can be marketed only when the 

 the operator. A cessation of operations supply of all grades is not in excess of 

 means the dissipation of the crew, who the demands of the country. In times 

 are either forced to remain idle or else of business depression this means a cur- 

 seek employment elsewhere. It is tailment of cut on the part of the larger 

 usually the case that a total or partial operators, as well as scientific marketing 

 cessation of operations is general of the product, both of which are largely 

 throughout a section and all industries dependent on close cooperation among 

 are more or less affected, hence the manufacturers. This does not exist 

 labor supply exceeds the demand and today because the members of the lum- 

 there is but little opportunity for even ber industry and lumber trade associa- 

 a good workman to earn a living. Many tions of the country have been harassed 

 lumber manufacturing plants are lo- during recent years both by courts and 

 cated more or less remote from the by the Federal Government, with the 

 large centers of population, and fre- result that such cooperation as formerly 

 quently the lumber manufacturing plant existed has largely been destroyed and 

 is the only industry of the community both the industry and the public have 



