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Show UTAH'S LUMBER IS RAPIDLY INCREASING An interesting condition is revealed reveal-ed in a recent Government publication, publica-tion, entitled, "Lumber Cut of the United States 1870-1920," says District Dis-trict Forester R. H. Rutledge. Looking Look-ing back to the earliest statistics presented, the cut for Utah in 1870 amounted to 19,741,000 board feet, exceeding a total for Idaho, Wyoming Wyom-ing and Arizona together. Ten years later in 1880 the cut was 25,709,000 board feet, still far in excess of most of the surrounding states. At the present time, the average cut is about 8,000,000 board feet; only about one-third of what it was in 1880. The cut of Idaho exceeds this over a hundred times. On the face of matters, it seems as though Utah had passed the peak of lumber prosperity pros-perity long ago, and her lumber industry in-dustry was a thing of the past. Those who know Utah's forests best do not believe this to be a fact, however. The high cut in 1870 and 1880 was due to the rapid development of this state as compared to surrounding state sand the difficulty of importing import-ing lumber prior to the construction of railroads. Since the completion of railroads throughout this region, cheaper and better lumber from the Northwest has driven the local products pro-ducts out its market. Eastern buyers buy-ers are now finding it impossible to get enuogh eastern and southern timber and are bidding sharply for northwestern lumber. Prices of imported im-ported lumber are accordingly rising ris-ing to a point where local products again promies to find favor in the Utah market. The present small local production as compared to that of fifty years ago, is not caused by the exhaustion of timber suplies within the State. The indications are, that the National Nation-al Forests of of Utah are capable of producing about 17,000,000 feet a year from lands readily accessible, while less attractive areas are capable cap-able of supplying 50,000,000 feet a year in addition. There are virtually no timberlands outside the National Forests. Under the circumstances, we can expect an increase in the lumber industry in the State of Utah |