Word: timber
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...short years, the Soviets have become the largest purchasers of Malaysian rubber. As the flag follows trade, they have opened an embassy in Kuala Lumpur. They are offering the Japanese the opportunity to share in the development of Siberia's natural riches; one deal concerning timber has already been made. In addition, the Japanese are building a canning factory that will handle the catches from a substantial part of the Russian Far East fishing fleet...
Limiting Exports. Builders blame the price problem not only on heavy domestic demand, but on rising exports to Japan, whose timber purchases in the U.S. have increased twentyfold since 1960. Last year the Japanese bought enough lumber to erect 40% of the U.S. output of one-family homes. In response to complaints that numerous small lumber mills as well as price stability have been imperiled, Congress last fall sharply limited exports of lumber harvested from federal forests. But prices have continued to rise, partly because of severe winter weather in the Pacific Northwest and the recent East Coast longshoremen...
...urging of George Romney, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Nixon three weeks ago appointed a task force to recommend remedies. Last week's action is aimed at increasing timber output from federal lands by about 10%, but the Administration clearly regards that as only a stopgap. Testifying at a Senate hearing, Romney last week warned that spiraling lumber prices jeopardize the goal of raising residential construction to 2,600,000 units a year under the Housing Act of 1968. The former auto executive and Michigan Governor criticized Democrat Robert Weaver, his predecessor at HUD, for failing...
Lack of Access. The U.S. faces no shortage of timber. National forests alone occupy an area twice the size of California. Because of federal limitations on logging operations and poor forest management techniques, the Government's holdings yield only a quarter as much timber per acre as private timberland. The Agriculture Department has long complained that Congress allows it too little money to manage better, even though the sale of timber to private lumber producers nets the Treasury substantial revenue. A lack of access roads causes as much sawtimber to be lost to storms and insect infestation...
...should help to relieve the shortage and ease prices. On the other hand, they would undercut Washington's goals of fostering free world trade and improving the U.S.'s balance of trade. In any case, Congress can scarcely overlook the need to revamp the nation's timber management policies. That is something that Washington has not done for 30 years...