FIFTH NATI0NAI< CONSERVATION CONGRESS 255 



from the mills is trimmed to odd or even lengths as is most economical. There 

 the long and short lengths are bundled together and sold for the same price as the 

 long lengths, and the odd lengths are sold for the same price as the even lengths 

 because the consumers are educated to the use of these forms. 



A member of the Committee (Mr. Odell) discusses as follows the relation of 

 the consumer to forest conservation, as seen from the viewpoint of the manu- 

 facturer of forest products: 



"In the serious study of not only Forest Conservation but of the con- 

 servation of all our natural resources, the consumer seems not to have 

 received consideration in proportion to his importance or his ultimate 

 influence on conservation. The consumer of the products of the forest, as of 

 the products of all other natural resources, has the last say. His is the final 

 and deciding influence. 



"One of the first considerations in the production and marketing of an 

 article is to meet the favor of the consumer. The consumer's favor may be 

 influenced by whim, preference or necessity, but the consumer's favor must 

 be had, whatever may influence or control it. Producers, manufacturers and 

 merchants may spend millions of dollars, years of study and labor, in the 

 production, manufacture and effort to market an article, but if this article 

 does not meet the favor of the consumer, it is money, study and labor lost 

 or wasted. 



"Necessity may, and many times does, compel the consumer to accept 

 and use or consume an article that does not meet his favor or choice, but 

 you may be sure that he will not accept or consume an article that does not 

 meet his fancy or favor one minute longer than necessity compels. Just so 

 soon as the compelling force is removed, thfe consumer will revert to fancy 

 or choice, in selection. Because of scarcity or high price, the consumer may 

 be compelled to take an article of lower quality or a substitute of some kind, 

 but only while the article of favor or choice remains so high in price or so 

 limited in supply as to be beyond his reach. 



"The general public, the utilmate consumer, has been extremely liberal 

 in criticism of the wasteful methods, the lack of conservation, of those who 

 have to do with our natural resources, with little, if any, consideration of the 

 responsibilitiy of the general public, the ultimate consumer, in this so-called 

 waste or lack of conservation. The general public, the ultimate consumer, 

 may say in all sincerity, "What part have I in the matter, but to take just 

 what is handed out to me?" In fact and reality this is far from what the 

 consumer really does. He picks and chooses to the extent of his means and 

 ability, rejecting, so far as his means and ability permit, the article that does 

 not meet his fancy or favor, because of appearance or degree of quality. In 

 this rejection lies the consumer's responsibility for waste or lack of conserva- 

 tion. If the consumer, the one whose decision is final, rejects an article, what 

 is to be done with that article other than just what always has been done 

 with it, and just what is being done with it now, let it go to waste. 



"Unfortunately, this matter of selection and rejection has a greater 

 influence on conservation or the lack of it, in the utilization of forest products 

 than of nearly any other of our natural resources. The average consumer, in 

 selecting lumber for a dwelling, a barn, a fence, or for whatever purpose he 

 may want to use lumber, naturally wants lumber that is free from knots, 

 splits, shake or decay ; in fact, if his means permit he will select lumber that 

 is free from all defects, a quality of lumber that many times is far beyond 

 his actual requirements, making his building, or whatever purpose for which 

 he may use the lumber, cost him, not only him, but others who select this 



