Michigan In The Front Rank

Has Largest Number of Lumber Mills in the Country

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A GREAT INDUSTRY

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Which Employs 283,260 Wage Earners and Has a Capital of Over 600 Millions of Dollars

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The Twelfth Census gives the following interesting statistics of the lumber industry of the United States, showing Michigan to stand first in the products of saw mills and in the manufacture of rough lumber:

"The lumber industry of the United States, taken as a whole, was in 1900 the fourth among the great manufacturing industries of the country, being exceeded in value of products only by the iron and steel, the textile and the slaughtering and meat-packing industries. There were 33,035 establishments, with a total capital of $611,611,524. They employed 283,260 wage earners, exclusive of the administrative and clerical force, an average of 8.6 employees per establishment, and paid in wages $104,640,591. The average wages per wage earner was $370, and per establisment (sic), $3,171. The cost of material used was $317,923,548, and the value of products was $506,832,984. The product per establishment was $17,177 and per employee $2,003. The amount of lumber produced by the mills was 35,084,166 M feet, B. M. The average product per mill was slightly in excess of a million feet.

"In 1900 Michigan had 1,705 establishments, representing a capital of $67,379,698. The average number employed in Michigan institutions was 26,199, and the wages paid amounted to $11,122,080. The cost of material used was $29.439.931, and the value of the products was $54,290,520.

The revival of business near the close of the decade is illustrated by the fact that 7,913 establishments, or nearly one-fourth of the total number of 33,035, commenced operations during the census year.

"Studying the subject with reference to individual states it appears that, as a rule, the older lumber states contain the smallest milis. The greatest number of mills is found in Pennsylvania, which has, however. a low product per mill. In the three great lumber states about the lakes- Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota- Michigan still contains the largest number of mills, and Minnesota the smallest. In product, Wiscongan (sic) and Minnesota in the order named: gan (sic) and Minnesoat (sic) in the order named. The lumber industry commenced in this lake region in the state of Michigan and has moved westward, so that Minnesota represents the latest stage In the lumber movement in this region. The mills are smallest in Michigan and far the largest in Minnesota. At present the pine is largely cut from Michigan, and the industry is moving away from that state. Wisconsin appears to be enjoying the height of its prosperity as a lumber state, while Minnesota has not yet reached its maximum.

"The number of saw mills was 31,833, with a total capital of $305,785,226. Wage earners numbered 229,717, and wages were $82,634,951. The miscellaneous expenses here given include those of associated timber camps and planing mills, since they can not be separated, but it is believed that they comprise not over 10 per cent of the total amount. The value of product was $422.812,001, and cost of materials, $226.138,092, leaving as the net product of the sawmill industry, $196,073,069. "In value of product of sawmills, Michigan stands first, and Wisconsin second, with Pennsylvania third, and Minnesota fourth.

"Thus, in logging and in the manufacture of rough lumber, Michigan still holds first rank among the states, its relegation to second place in the total lumber industry being due to the large planing mill output of Wisconsin.

"Of the stand of white pine remaining we have estimates in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but none in Michigan later than that of Professor Sargent made in 1880, when he estimated that the amount of pine standing in Michigan was 35 billion feet, at the same time placing that of Wisconsin at 41 billion feet. In 1897 an estimate was made of the standing timber of Wisconsin by Dr. Filbert Roth, of the United States Department of Agriculture, in co-operation with the geological survey of Wisconsin. He found 15 billion feet of white pine standing in the state at that time. Several estimates of the stand in Minnesota have been made, the earliest one which comes under my notice haring been made by Professor 'Sargent in connection with the' United States census of 1880. His figures gave a total of 8,170 million feet then standing. In 1896 Gen. C. C. Andrews, state fire warden, estimated the amount at 10,849 million feet, or a little more than double that made by Sargent sixteen years earlier. Three years later, in 1889, Mr. H. B. Ayres, acting for the United States Geological Survey, estimated that there were standing 11,190 million feet, his estimate agreeing closely with that of General Andrews. There is probably 50 billion feet of white pine standing in the country. The total amount reported as owned by lumbermen is 16,352 million feet, and the cut in the census year was approximately 7,500 million feet, showing ihat the holdings of lumber companies, so far as reported, are sufficient to supply the cut for two or three years only."