Random Editorial Ramblin$s

By Jack Dionne

A lot of folks, in the past two weeks, have been wishing one another "good luck" during 1929. If you'Il note carefully the habits of this same "Lady Luck," you'll discover some very interesting things about her- She se€ms to pick her company rather carefully. She likes to associate with people that are full of 'ambition. She is very, very fre'' quently found traveling in close companionship with those who have a definite and worth-while aim in life and who are crashing and smashing obstacles in their effort to get where they're going. She seems to like to consort with folks who have courage, and pep, and punch, and staying qualities. Those who possess great vision and are her daily associates. Yes, indeed! A careful chooser is Luck' But to become her steady companion, you must do more thanwish' * * * :i

Truly, this is a land of inordinate wealth, this New Year' The next richest nation in human history was a pauper by comparison. Grab these facts: The wealth of the American nation is 400 billion dollars. Our annual income is 90 billion dollars. The rest of the world owes us 25 billions' We have 281 billions in our savings banks. Our building and loan associations have assets ol 7/a billions' Our broker loans amount to 15 billions. We have 45/s of. the world's supply of totd.

Yet we are all of us, individually and in $roups; buying our fool heads off on the partial payment irlan, anticipating our incomes for indefinite periods. It is the same way with men and witfr municipalities. Our cities bond thems!l.re" to the ears to make the improvemerrts desifed. Men buy lavishly on credit, and mortgage their incomes. Nothing like our wealth has ever been know:r in the world before. And nothing like our orgy of spending has ever before faced human consciousness. Some day economists, looking backward, will be able to dissect the situation. But no living economist today can do more than hazatd a guess at what it;all means, and how it will all end. 'i.* * {'

Truly the worl'd do move. At the close of the 5zear 1926 there was invested in aeronautics in this country about five million dollars. Today there is one hundred and fifty millions. And today's figures will appear as nothing in comparison to what we shall have invested in the flying business ten Tears hence. *

The lumber production of the United States was 2,400,000,000 feet less in 1927 than in 1926.. And the production i.or 1928 will be fully that much less than that of 1927. The figures will not be ready for some time, but that the totals will fall far short of the previous year, there can be no doubt. The passing of many large mills, and the practical disposition of the industry of late to manufacture no more lumber than the word is able to absorb, is the answer' Most of the mills that have cut out in the past year are in the South, but the Northwestern state of Washington' where timber is fast dwindling in the older milling localities, has also supplied a considerable list of casualties' While there are still 280 billions of feet of timber left in Washington, the remaining timber is very well bunched in the newer milling territories, and many of the older districts are very.short of timber, and the mills are making long hauls for what they get. rn the west sometnrtJ "r.,nl "J-. tt irrg is taking place. In almost innumerable instances the cable that dragged the logs from mountain and valley to the log road, and which wiped out all the young growth in so doing, is being replaced by the power skidding machine, generally caterpillar tractors, that haul the logs in much as the cart and wagon does in the South, with a minimum injury to the young growth. In California, Arizona, and New Mexico, this change has been particularly noticeable. And it all spells forests for the future, and econorny for the present.

It seems such a few short years ago that logging in the South was mostly done with high wheel carts, and with log wagons, drawn by work animals. Then the urge for "speed" came' and there came a great transition' Hundreds upon hundreds of mills installed steam skidding equipment, and dragged their logs in by steam power' crashing through all obstacles as they came. The mill with the wagon and cart was sneered at as old fashioned. And now the wave swings back. It was found that the steam skidder destroyed all hope of future forests by laying the land entirely waste behind them; And in thb reaction the steam skidder is being frequently scrapped, and the wagon and cart comes back, in order that the young trees may live, and that forests may gro\ t again.

Washington continues to lead as the great lumber producing state. Oregon is second. Mississippi is third. Louisiana is fourth. Alabama is fifth. California is sixth. Texas is sevbnth. In addition to these Arkansas, Georgia, and North Carolina were the only states manufacturing more than a billion feet in 1927.

Among the hardwoods, nearly all of them show a decreasing production in late Government figures. The species that showed reduction in production in 1927 under 1926 were Ash, Basswood, Beech, Birch, Chestnut, Cottonwood, Elm, Hickory, Maple, Oak, Red Gum, Sycamore. Those that showed increases were Tupelo, Walnut, and Yellow Poplar.

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