170 



BULLETIN 711, U. S, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



or lever man, used in connection with the guy-line loading method, is 

 sometimes paid as high as $5 per day. The success of this loading 

 method depends largely on the skill of the lever man, and the num- 

 ber of really skillful lever men of this class is limited. 



The cost per thousand feet of operating labor depends to a great 

 extent on the output. The method used and the wages paid also 

 influence this cost. The total labor cost per day of a loading crew, 

 however, is to a great extent fixed. A certain crew has to be em- 

 ployed regardless of the output, and it follows that the operating- 

 labor cost per thousand feet will be high or low in large measure as 

 the output is high or low. This is illustrated in Table 24 and accom- 

 panying discussion. 



Table 24. — Operating labor cost per thousand feet for loading. 



Case. 





Time. 



Year. 



Cost per 



thousand 



feet. 



Location. 



1 







1912 



fl912 



\1911 



1912 



$0,217 

 .112 

 .152 

 .247 



Columbia River district, Oregon. 

 ^Columbia River district, Washington. 

 Do. 



2. ... 



do... 





3 



do 













Case 1 .—The method of loading is shown in Figure 61 . The output per day averaged about 67,000 feet 

 The timber was small, the logs averaging about 600 feet in volume. The crew and daily wages were as 

 follows: Engineer, S3.50; fireman, S2.50; head loader, S5; second loader, $3.75. 



Case 2.— The method of loading is shownin Figure 61. The output per day averaged about 71,000 feet. 

 The timber was large, the logs averaging about 1,900 feet in volume. At times the logs contained six, seven, 

 or eight thousand feet, necessitating the use of slings instead of hooks, also the transference of the tail 

 hold from the gin pole to the load. The crew and daily wages in 1912 were as follows: engineer, $3.25; 

 firenxan, S2.75; head loader, $3.75; second loader, $3.25 to $3.50. During part of this year oil was used as 

 fuel, making a fireman imnecessary . Then at times it was not necessary to employ a second loader, the 

 regular chaser of the yarding crew doing the work whicliis ordinarily done by a second loader. The out- 

 put in 1911 averaged about 75,000 feet per day. 



Case 3. — The method of loading was the same as that used in the previous case. The average output 

 per loading day was about 57,000 feet, the logs averaging about 600 feet in volume. The crew and daily 

 wages were as follows: head loader, $4; second loader, $3.50; engineer, $3.25; fireman, $2.75. 



LANDINGS. 



As a general thing the cost of landings per thousand feet is not 

 classified in cost statements of logging operators, being included in 

 the cost of either yarding or loading. Sometimes, of course, the 

 cost cf yarding and loading is segregated under one heading, the 

 cost of landings being included in the cost of this combined step. 

 Many operators, hoAvever, keep a landing account. 



Landings are necessary with ground yarding and with some 

 sy.stems of loading. In the past landings were more of a factor in 

 loading than now, which resulted in landings being associated with 

 loading rather than yarding, and this association still continues. 



In collecting and analyzing data dealing with the cost of landings 

 care has to be exercised to determine what is included in the cost. 

 It may include only the labor cost, or it may include the labor, ma- 



