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(Continued from Page 28) capacity of our pulp forest by the same percentage. Witness the practical advancement in the manufacture of alcol,ol from wood waste. Witness the research, and very costly private research it was, which resulted in the developmnet of commercial bark produ,cts. These are only a few lines along which the prohlem is being attacked.

"The point is that there is no easy answer. There is no one 'new' outlet which can begin to absorb the byproducts of the industry. It is estimated, for example, that theh total wood by-products developed in Oregon and Washington in 1944 are the equivalent of 579,180,000 gallons of alcohol. This is vastly more industrial alcohol than is now consumed in the entire United States, and the estimate does not take into consideration the wood byproducts available in other lumber-producing areas of the country.

"These same by-products, it is estimated, would produce 2,413,250 tons of fodder yeast, plus an equal tonnage of lignin. This is a lot more fodder yeast and lignin than anyone knows what to do with."

Simpson went on to point out that more is involved than the mere discovery of new wood uses.

"Any inje,ction of wood as a raw material into new markets must be achieved on a competitive basis," he said. "Present manufacturers of products with which it will be forced to compete are by no means eager to assist in the reduction of wood waste by going out of business.

"It is physically possible, of course, to put every ounce and'scrape of wood 'waste' to some use. We could turn out enough axe handles so that droves of second generation W.P.A. workers would be kept busy breaking them. With a sufficient number of plants operating, we could wreck the alcohol market in a month or two. We could swamp the,country with fertilizer or fodded yeast or toys.

"Trouble is, who would pay for the privilege of doing any one of these things ? The value of the product would not be sufficient to return the cost of labor and equipment.

"Still, every efiort is being made to use wood by-products in the manufacture of established products as well as new products. While these can be counted on to contribute to fuller wood use, it is probable that any substantial improvement must come from a change in attitude toward lumber itself.

"After all, lumber is the primary product of the forests. Because of the volume involved, anything which reduces the loss or waste of lumber is of tremendous importance.

"There can be no denying that there is today waste in the use of lumber. In a great many cases we are using better lumber than the job requires.

' "This means waste in two ways. Full value is not received from the wood thus used. In the second place, many low and medium grade logs must be left in the woods because the consumer has not been made aware of the qualities of the lumber they will produce.

"Sooner or later we are going to realize the wisdom of proper lumber us€we are going to use lumber that is plenty good for the job, but not too good. When we do, waste will be substantially redgced in every phase of woods and mill operation."

PAMUDO PI.,YWOOD

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