10 



past eight years. It also shows the ahnost steady level of prices 

 previous to 1898. 



Considerino- the impoverished sui)ply and the tremendous demands 

 on the part of all the industries for timber, there is nothing surpris- 

 ing about the increase, which seems not quite to have kept pace with 

 the increasing prices of softwoods. This is rather remarkable in view 

 of the shorter supj^ly, but is probably due to the fact that softwoods, 

 forming the main bulk of the lumber supply, have led in establishing 

 prices. 



Along with the increase of prices there has been an almost constant, 

 and an entirely necessary, relaxation of the rules by which lumber is 

 graded and sold. The latest and most significant change is that made 

 b}' the National HardAvood Lumber Association at its meeting in 

 Atlantic City in May, 1907. Heretofore only even lengths, such as 

 6, 8, and 10 and 12 feet have been upon the market. The changed 

 rules allow even lengths down to 4 feet and 15 per cent of odd lengths 

 above 4 feet. Smaller standards of thickness are also allowed. Many 

 other equally significant changes are included. It emphasizes the 

 fact that we are down to the rock bottom, and require ever}^ sound 

 piece of hardwood lumber that can be put upon the market. 



WHAT INDUSTRIES WOULD A HARDWOOD SHORTAGE AFFECT? 



Several great industries use hardwood timber mainly or almost ex- 

 clusively for their raw material. Notable in this list are hardwood 

 lumber manufacturing, the cooperage, furniture, and vehicle indus- 

 tries, and the industries engaged in the manufacture of musical instru- 

 ments, coffins, and small wooden ware. All of these would suffer 

 greatly and some would fail entirely upon the exhaustion of the hard- 

 wood supply. Other industries, such as the manufacture of agricul- 

 tural implements, freight and passenger cars, boxes and crates, use 

 immense quantities of hardwood. 



HARDWOOD LUilHER MANUFACTURE. 



Hardwood lumber manufacture affords an example of the damage 

 already done. It has been shown how hardwood lumber i)roduction 

 in Ohio Avas cut down over one-half between 1899 and 1900. The 

 decrease in products between 1900 and 1905, according to Census re- 

 ports, amounted to ST.212,345, or 57.4 per cent, and the rank of the 

 industry in the State fell from the fourth to the twentieth place. The 

 number of employees fell from 10,089 to (),442, or 40 per cent. 



In Indiana during the same pei'iod tlie lumber industry fell from 

 the third to the eighth place; the value of i)roducts decreased 27.1 

 per cent ; the number of wage-earners decreased 42.6 per cent, and 

 the wages paid decreased 30.6 per cent. 



fCir. 110] 



