THE AMERICAN LUMBER MARKET 577 



development, the purchase of automo- for depression in the business. Today 



biles instead of homes, the increased there is much better understanding 



number of apartment buildings dis- of the problem among manufacturers, 



placing houses, the 16 per cent increase but the basis of constructive effort 



in farm tenancy in 5 years which tends must be a thorough study of the question 



to lessen improvement of the property and self help by lumbermen themselves, 



all of these influences have affected Only a few of the remedies which 



adversely the consumption of lumber, should be applied will be mentioned 



To what extent they shall continue to here. Good business can only be real- 

 affect it depends upon those engaged 

 in the industry. 



EFFECT OF SUBSTITUTES ON PRICE 



In late years all substitutes have 

 declined in price, partly because of new 

 discoveries in their manufacture. In- 

 dustrial chemistry has worked wonders 

 with steel and cement. Efficiency has 

 been applied in producing and market- Publicity must remind the public of 

 ing. Some substitutes are actual and neglected uses for lumber. It must 

 some alleged economies, but at least visualize the warmth and beauty of 

 75 per cent of our lumber meets them lumber, appealing to an inherent prefer- 

 in competition. In 1911 the Boston ence for wood in exterior design, panel 

 Chamber of Commerce secured bids effects, furniture, etc. ; it must show its 

 on various types of houses according to permanent utility, its workableness, its 

 identical plans, and found that one adaptability to individual tastes, its 

 with a 12-inch solid brick wall would susceptibility to remodeling and im- 

 cost 12 per cent more, and one of provement to suit changing conveni- 

 stucco or hollow block 6 per cent more ences and customs; it must demon- 

 than a frame house. The timberman strate the safety, superiority and lower 

 says that the lumber equivalent of a cost of fire-proof, "mill constructed" 

 barrel of cement worked into concrete factories, warehouses and public build- 

 is 700 feet board measure. Therefore, ings, equipped with automatic 

 whenever the two meet on an equivalent sprinklers, and the application of the 

 use value, the price of cement will same principles in modified design to 

 govern the price of lumber. Other the house ; it must point out the efficacy 

 substitutes affect it in the same manner and reasonable cost of means to prevent 

 under similar conditions. decay in wood; and, most important 



It is easily seen that there are condi- of all, it must correct the fallacy that 



tions in the lumber business requiring lumber is becoming scarce or timber 



new and vitalized methods of procedure supply exhausted. 



if lumbering is to maintain its position By giving publicity to the distribution 



among the leading industries of the of the cost of the product, manufac- 



nation. turers will correct the erroneous impres- 

 sion that lumbermen are privileged 

 exploiters of the nation's resources and 



There are so many lumber manu- that they receive disproportionate gains, 



facturers operating under different con- The public must learn that lumber 



ditions that it would be impossible to is the product of an industry which 



secure a unanimous opinion as to the employs more workers than any other 



steps necessary to remedy existing and ranks third in the United States in 



conditions. There is no general agree- the point of capital invested. It pro- 



ment as to what is wrong, nor thorough duces two and three-quarter billion 



understanding of the economics of the dollars worth of merchandise annually, 



situation. The lumber papers of the about 80 per cent of which is represented 



country have for 2 years given much by labor. The public is interested 



space to an analyzation of the causes because of its ownership of National 



WHAT IS TO BE DONE.' 



