LUMBER CUT OF UNITED STATES, 1870-1920. 
5 
This persistent decline in lumber production is the more worthy 
of attention because the population of the United States has increased 
by 15 per cent in the last decade. There now exists an amount of 
unsatisfied demand for construction unequaled at any previous 
period in our history. Xormally, under such conditions, considerable 
increase would be expected. It is possible, of course, that with the 
increase of urban residence, under building restrictions, more brick, 
stone, steel, and concrete are being used for modem types of dwell- 
ings. It is also tme that the best grades of the most desirable species 
are no longer so readily obtainable. The substitution of other 
materials is probably one reason for the decreasing use of wood by an 
increasing population. But there is at least one other cogent reason, 
and that is the.steadily increasing cost of lumber to the consumer. 
Other tilings being equal, the annual per capita consumption of a 
commodity affords a measure of its abundance, and a declining per 
capita consumption indicates an increased economic burden. If 
supplies are relatively ample, the average person can use the com- 
modity freely. As the supply decreases, rising prices tend to restrict 
this use. 
Figure 2 shows the per capita lumber consumption of the United 
States continuously for 100 years, contrasted with partial data for 
other countries. The average consumption in the United States has 
declined rapidly and constantly from 500 feet or more per person in 
1907 to 316 feet in 1920, a decline of 37 per cent in 13 years, or nearly 
3 per cent a year. The decline began when the Southern States 
passed their maximum production, the Central States, the Lake 
States, and the Northeast having passed their peaks 10 years before. 
(See Fig. 6.) As soon as national production began to decrease, the 
steadily increasing population caused the per capita curve to take a 
do^vnward slant considerably steeper than the one followed in the 
upward movement previous to the peak. Canada and the United 
States show the largest per capita consumption in the world because 
of their great forest possessions in combination with advanced 
standards of living and means for rapid exploitation of natural re- 
sources. The per capita consmnption of each is decreasing. The 
United States now occupies a position very little above that of New- 
foundland. Then come Sweden and Russia, followed by Germany 
and France. Practically the total supply of the latter two comes 
from man-made forests grown upon areas very much restricted 
because of the pressing need for the use of aU agricultural lands. 
Next below comes England, which imports practically all of the lum- 
ber used, and last of all is Japan, also a heavy importer. If the curve 
continues to fall at the same rate, the amount of timber used in 1930 
by each person in the United States ^^'ill be below that shown for 
Russia. It is not a cheerful prospect for Americans who desire to 
build homes. 
A reason why Americans are not buving and using more lumber is 
indicated m Figure 3, in which A " illustrates the great increase in the 
mill value of the lumber consumed by each person subsequent to 1915. 
The decline from the peak reached in 1906 coincided with the financial 
panic in 1907. ''B" shows the same values reduced to the basis of 
the purchasing power of money, computed with the figures of 1913 as 
100. The average American is using about the same amount of lum- 
ber as he did in 1866, fully one-sixth less than in 1890, and 40 per 
