20 Miscellaneous Circular 39, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 
the answer must be yes, sawdust. controlling forest utilization. It is 
What, then, is the cause, or causes, probable that only further refinement 
that lead to waste in this case? As and scientific research can aid in modi- 
with the logger, the chief trouble is fying this handicap. It can never be 
economic. In lumber, as in most completely removed. 
stable lines of manufacture, the pro- In the sawmill then we find waste 
ductive capacity is much greater than due to economic conditions, caused by 
our normal consumptive capacity. It the inherent peculiarities of the indus- 
must also be noted that lumber manu- try, by excessive productive capacity, 
facturing differs greatly from most by lack of scientific knowledge, by 
manufacturing industries in that the poor trade practices, and by adverse 
lumberman must provide in advance laws. It must also be admitted that 
many years’ supply of his raw ma- what President Coolidge recently said 
terial, with a correspondingly greater of the farmer applies with equal force 
burden of investment. The pressure to the lumber manufacturer—too much 
of these large carrying charges, and concentration on the economy of pro- 
of constantly increasing taxes, espe- duction, and too little on good mer- 
cially on timberlands, is a persistent chandising. Good merchandising, as a 
urge toward continuous lumber pro- rule, means good utilization. In the 
duction, with little or no reference to Vermont vernacular, both interests 
actual consumptive needs. The re- have been “saving at the spigot and 
sult is a vicious circle of rapidly wasting at the bunghole.” 
fluctuating prices, attended by a We now come to the retail branch. 
fluctuating degree of forest utilization. I touch lightly on this part of our in- 
“Uncle Sam” helps to aggravate this dustry for fear of reprisals. The re- 
situation by promoting still greater tailer should have a general knowl- 
production through sales of forest edge of the products of the sawmill 
reserve timber when the consuming and should be of great assistance in 
public is already full supplied. This finding outlets for material now wholly 
procedure does not result in any bene- or in part wasted. Conservation can 
fit to the consumer. The thousands not function until there is a market 
of mills cutting from privately owned for the materials sought to be con- 
forests are sufficient to insure him served. For such service the retailer 
the lowest possible prices. It should should and would be compensated. He 
be said, however, that these timber has the contact with the consumer, 
sales are mainly due to causes largely and knows how to best supply the 
beyond the control of the executive real needs. All this demands close 
branch of the Government. Permit cooperation between the retailer and 
me, however, to here suggest that the manufacturer. 
sound public policy is opposed to the The retailer will advise you that he 
conversion of publicly owned timber also has a loss or shrinkage in the 
except to save an over-ripe forest or to process of his merchandising that 
supply a real public need for lumber. reaches considerable proportions. 
Both Federal and State statutes make Next we come to the architect and 
impossible any action in the direction engineer. Here we have a most im- 
of making the supply correspond with portant factor in the matter of reduc- 
the actual demand. Even if the laws ing wood waste. The ultimate con- 
permitted complete freedom of ac- sumer buys lumber of the dimension, 
tion, there would be small possibility species, and grade prescribed by the 
of bringing about any such condition technical adviser. Are these prescrip- 
because of the widely scattered nature tions based on the information neces- 
of the sawmill industry and the thou- sary to make for the best utilization, 
sands of sawmill units involved. How- and hence for ultimate economy? 
ever, this situation demands some Waste in lumber is an unsound eco- 
consideration. nomically as waste in steel, cement, 
Again, trade practices of to-day do brick, wall board, or any other build- 
not permit the saving that might ac- ing material. The difficulty has been, 
crue from the use of odd lengths and and is, that those who make wood 
odd widths, and the use of short specifications have been instructed 
lengths occurring in ordinary manu- only in the inherent qualities of differ- 
facturing process has never been con- ent wood, and have not been advised 
sidered from a utilization standpoint. as to the supply of the various species 
The latter in fact serves chiefly as a of timber and the product of the manu- 
source of irritation and dispute be- facture thereof. : 
tween manufacturer and retailer. We now come to the precess of con- 
Distance from consuming markets is version into form for final use. Obvi- 
naturally one of the leading factors ously this includes building construec-