FOREST LABOR 51 
prefer to work near settlements, and may demand higher wages 
on remote operations, and also where low stumps, brush disposal 
and other restrictions demand the exercise of greater care and effort 
than usual. 
(4) The perquisites offered. A better class of labor can be 
secured, with a minimum of turnover, when camp conditions 
and surroundings are made attractive for the laborers and their 
families, and when adequate hospital, accident insurance, school, 
church, and amusement facilities are provided. High-grade 
workmen seek permanent employment under attractive conditions, 
in preference to a higher wage gained by working where the phys- 
ical welfare of employees is neglected. 
EFFICIENCY 
The efficiency of labor is measured by the nimiber of one-man 
hours taken to perform a given task. The conditions under which 
logging is carried on are so diverse that there is a wide range in 
the labor requirements even in a given region; consequently, 
there is no standard for the industry as a whole. 
Among the factors influencing the labor required are the fol- 
lowing : 
(1) Topography. The more unfavorable the ground condi- 
tions under which men must perform their labor, the greater the 
labor expended in accomplishing a given task, other things being 
equal. A level or gently rolling country, with a smooth solid 
bottom free from underbrush and windfalls, offers the most 
advantageous condition. Swampy or rough bottom, heavy under- 
brush, and rugged topography necessitate added labor to perform 
a given task. 
(2) Climatic conditions. Extremes of heat or cold and an 
undue precipitation of rain and snow reduce the output of forest 
laborers, and thus increase the amount of one-man hours required 
to perform a given task. 
(3) Stand of timber per acre and size of timber. Light stands 
of timber often require more labor, to harvest a unit of timber, 
than stands running from medium to heavy, because less timber 
can be logged in a given time by a given crew. The labor cost of 
primary transportation also may be greater, because of the limited 
amount of timber available to a given set of improvements. 
(4) Size of the timber. Small timber is more expensive to 
