A NATIONAL LUMBER AND FOREST POLICY. 



The policies of ilie Government and the States during the next few 

 years in matters relating to forests and lumber will be of far- 

 reaching importance. Conditions created by the war present certain 

 problems of urgent interest to the lumber industry that will require 

 definite action by the Federal Government. Among them are prob- 

 lems of railway transportation, exports, ship tonnage, taxation, labor 

 relationships, and special questions relating to the orderly transi- 

 tion to peace-time conditions. There are other conditions and situa- 

 tions, however, which both from the standpoint of the lumber in- 

 dustry and of the general i^ublic welfare demand constructive action. 



VITAL INDUSTRIAL AND PUBLIC INTERESTS INYOLYED. 



The fundamental economic situation that has heretofore kept the 

 lumber industry in a state of unstable equilibrium still exists. Labor 

 problems, in considerable part due to the unsound industrial situa- 

 tion, loom up with no permanent adjustment in sight. The dissi- 

 pation of our forests goes on with no let up, and still for the most 

 I)art without any provision for the continuance of the forests after 

 lumbering. Exhaustion of local forest supplies, the closing of in- 

 dustries dependent on them, the embarrassment for supplies of the 

 pulp mills and other consumers using special classes of forest prod- 

 ucts, the generally mounting prices to consumers, are other factors 

 which are calling sharp attention to the effect of forest destruction, 

 and are causing increasing public uneasiness. 



Lumbermen are giving thoughtful study to the needs of the in- 

 dustry; and they recognize that many things of a helpful and con- 

 structive character can be done within the industry itself in the way 

 of cost accounting, adaptation of nianufacture to the needs of the 

 trade, scientific merchandizing, economies in manufacture, conserva- 

 tism in finance, diffusion of information about production, markets, 

 price movements, existing stocks and shipm.ents, and so on. I judge 

 that progressive steps are very generally under way in such matters, 

 and that lumbermen are going as far as they can to improve the 

 internal situation. There are other things that can be accomplished 

 through cooperation with existing public agencies, as in economic, 



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