Page 516

516                Tle Wisconsin
CANADIAN LUMBER TRADE.
From the Ottawa Weekly Citine, Sudy 17.
Messrs. Boyd & Campbell, of Peter-
boro, arrived at Ottawa Monday, to
confer with the mill owners for the
purpose of deciding on a day on
which to hold a general conference
of lumbermen of Ontario and Quebec
to adopt measures to reduce the pro-
duction of lumber. The meeting is
to be held some time on or after the
22nd inst., and there is every proba-
bility that all the large saw-mills of
the two provinces will shut down for
the season early in August. We are
pleased to see that the lumbermen
are at length awakening to a sense of
the danger that threatens their trade,
and the loss they are causing the
country. The mill-yards everywhere
are crowded with lumber, the Quebec
and United States markets are glut-
ted. The English market is low, and
the rate of production of lumber is
fully double the demand. Mill own-
ers are running their establishments
on their credit alone, and not on the
proceeds of their sales, many of them
paying out from $3,000 to $5,000 per
week for working expenses. It is
not to be wondered at, that the banks
are becoming uneasy, and that ac-
commodation is more difficult to be
obtained. The course of the lumber-
men hitherto has been simply suici-
dal. The pineries have been cut
down, and the timber hasbeen clear-
-ed out of the country at an alarming
rate. If the lumbermen do not see
fit to adopt a wiser course, they need
not be surprised if the government
should interfere, and by placing an
export duty on lumber, check the
operations that are ruining the trade.
We hope that the mistaken " enter-
prise" of a few will not prevent the
lumbermen from arriving at a wise
-decision. If the mills are shut down
there will still be plenty of employ-
ment for the hands in saving the har-
vest, and in carrying on the public
works of the country.
a..
i~t in
01
I.,
1 r1
Lumberman.
Prom the Bobcaygon "Independent."
The accounts that arrive from the
chief points of consumption are all in
the same strain, and represent the
current prices for lumber as exceed-
ingly low and with a weak demand.
It is now quite clear that Canadian
lumber, during the present season,
sold in the American market, will not
realize prices that will cover expen-
ses. Very heavy losses will be sus-
tained by some firms, and it will be
well if no commercial disaster ensue.
The square timber trade is in a very
bad state, and is quite unproductive.
The proposal has been made, and we
understand, has been seriously enter-
tained, that the Canadian lumbermen
should not get out any logs whatever
during the coming season, and there
is a rumor that the Canadian banks,
(only five in number,) who ehiefly
supply the funds for carrying on the
lumbering operations, will decline to
advance any funds for operating in
the woods next winter. This would
be a great advantage to the trade,
and would place it on a sound foot-
ing for several years to come. What-
ever may be the result of the pro-
posed cessation of labor, it may be
accepted as certain that next year
the lumbering in the back country
will be very limited in extent, and the
settlers should make their arrange-
ments accordingly.
From the Moaitarp Wimes.
Now, it is notorious that the lum-
ber interest is entirely dependent on
the market of the United States, and
this has seldom been in a more
thoroughly unsatisfactory condition
than at present. Lower grades of
lumber comprise three-fourths of our
total production, and these grades
cannot be sold to cover cost. The
market is glutted with lumber, which
has been sentforward on low freights,
and there is no prospect of better
prices for the remainder of the sea-
son. The saw-mill interest, there-
fore, and all that depends on it, is
becoming depressed. Many of our
towns are almost supported by the
l;