THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 27 



terials in building. The building trades only use 60 per cent 

 of our lumber today, without considering fuel. It is unlikely 

 that the reduction of this percentage will very much more 

 than offset the growth in volume of the reduced percentage 

 due to increased population. Fifty years ago there was scarce- 

 ly a lumber user west of the Mississippi river. We know the 

 settlements, mines, railroads and cities that have developed 

 since to use lumber. It is a poor Westerner who doubts that 

 the next fifty years will see a far greater development. And 

 the Panama Canal is coming, with the certain result of mak- 

 ing our fast-producing forests able to compete successfully 

 with Eastern and European forest crops grown with less nat- 

 ural advantage. 



Moreover, we now use three and a half times as much wood 

 a year as our forests produce. Consequently the demand 

 might even fall of three and a half times and still consume 

 the product. And the forest producing area diminishes con- 

 stantly. Little as we now consider the possibilities of food 

 famine, history shows that nations rapidly increase to the 

 limit of their agricultural production or beyond, and we must 

 reckon not only on our own increase but also upon immigra- 

 tion from, and export to, nations whose pressure upon their 

 production exceeds ours. It is certain that land now consid- 

 ered too remote, rough and poor for agriculture will be put 

 to that use. We know that other countries do not to any con- 

 siderable extent devote land to forest that will grow food 

 crops at all well. 



Adjustment Only Question of Time 



Consequently it is safe to assume that within reasonable 

 limits the consumer will be glad to pay the cost of growing 

 timber when he is obliged to do so. It is also to be expected 

 that the community will desire to maintain a resource which 

 employs labor, pays taxes, and conserves stream flow. There- 

 fore, the price of lumber will be governed, as the price of 

 every staple commodity is governed, by a cost of production 



