October 25, 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



2? 



R. B. Goodman on the "Co-Operation of the Timber Owners," which address 

 is based on an exhaustive investigation of the status of timber holdings in 

 the association region and the bearing of these holdings with respect to 

 sawmill operations. 



Meeting Memphis Club 



Very little business was transacted at the regular semi-monthly meeting 

 of the Lumbermen's Club of Memphis held at the Hotel Gayoso Saturday, 

 October 14. The attendance was large, sixty-nine members and visitors 

 being present. S. M. Nickey occupied the chair, while the usual luncheon 

 was served. 



Geo, C. Ehemann, chairman of the river and rail committee, called the 

 attention of the members to the forthcoming decision in the case involving 

 proposed higher rates on hardwood lunilier from southern producing points 

 iuto Central Freight Association and Western Trunk Line territory. Read- 

 ers of the Hardwood Record are familiar with the fact that this case not 

 only involves higher rates on hardwood lumber, but that it brings cotton- 

 wood and gum to the same basis of rates as other hardwoods. 



Mr. Ehemann also called attention to the importance of the conference 

 scheduled between representatives of the Southern Hardwood Traffic .\ssoci- 

 ation and other lumber organizations dealing with the car shortage and the 

 alleged discrimination on the part of the railroads against lumbermen in 

 favor of cotton and other shippers. He said that his committee considered 

 this the most important subject to be handled at the present time and 

 expressed the hope that every member of the Lumbermen's Club of Memphis 

 would participate in this meeting. A full account of the conference is 

 given elsewhere in this issue of the Hardwood Record. 



Three new members were elected : Sam Thompson, manager of the 

 lumber department of the Anderson-Tully Company : Fred Furgason, south- 

 ern manager for the M. B. Farrin Lumber Co., Cincinnati, with headquarters 

 at Memphis, and N. M. Nichols of the Lansing Wheelbarrow Company. 

 Parkin, Ark. 



The Official Hand-Book, National Association 



The National Hardwood Lumber Association has just issued a new ofScial 

 hand-book, which is Volume 24. The handsomel.v-gotten-up booklet contains 

 everything indicating the fixed forms of procedure according to the composi- 

 tion of the organization. It is pointed out by Assistant Secretary Fuller 

 that the list of members contained in the present hand-book is the strongest, 

 both in principle and numerically, that has ever been shown. 



Southern Shippers Propose Drastic Action on Car Shortage 



The conference of representatives of four lumber organizations held in 

 Memphis October 20 developed the fact that there is a shortage of at least 

 forty per cent in the number of cars furnished by at least twenty-flve 

 southern railroads, over which they ship, and that this shortage is directly 

 due, In the opinion of these representatives, to the fact that the railroads 

 do not own a sufficient number of cars for the mileage which they control. 



Resolutions were adopted in which these facts were brought out and in 

 which it was provided that legislation be promoted requiring southern roads 

 to operate a sufficient number of cars to handle the' business offered them 

 by the lumbermen. 



John W. McClure, president of the Southern Hardwood Traffic Association, 

 presided at the conference. Other organizations represented, besides the 

 Southern Hardwood Traffic Association, were the Southern Pine Association, 

 Cooperage Industries, the Gum Lumber Manufacturers' Association, and the 

 Lumbermen's Club of Memphis. The delegates came from Alabama, .Arkan- 

 sas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and presented the conditions 

 prevailing on twenty-five different lines of railway in the hardwood and 

 yellow pine territory of the South. 



While the conference decided upon taking steps looking to the securing of 

 legislation that will improve conditions, immediate relief is to be sought 

 through recourse to the Newlands congressional committee and the Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission. 



The Interstate Commerce Commission will be asked to put into effect by 

 November 1, for the imposition in congested districts, rules providing for 

 higher demurrage charges tlian those now in use. It is desired that these 

 proposed regulations remain effective until February 1. 



The demurrage rules to be asked are : That after the first forty-eight 

 hours the charge shall be $2 : that on the third day the charge shall be .$3 : 

 that on each succeeding day the charge shall be $5 ; that these rules shall 

 apply on cars in use for export shipments after the expiration of the usual 

 ten days' free time. 



A claim of southern lines that their cars are being held by northern roads, 

 which continue to use them, instead of returning them to their owners, will 

 also be presented to the commission. 



These recommendations were embodied in a resolution prepared by a sub- 

 committee, which provided further, however, that all other shippers' associ- 

 ations of the country be interested in a concerted movement to present the 

 measure to the Newlands congressional committee in November. 



George C. Ehemann, chairman of the river and rail committee of the Lum- 

 bermen's Club ; S. B. Anderson, a director in the Chamber of Commerce of 

 the United States ; Walker L. Wellford, president of Cooperage Industries, 

 all of Memphis ; W. H. Dick of Phillips, Miss., and H. H. Snell, Birmingham, 

 Ala., of the S'outhern Pine Association, composed the sub-committee which 

 drafted the resolution. 



Mr. McClure, as chairman of the meeting, was empowered in a resolution 

 and motion presented by Mr. Wellford to appoint all necessary committees 



to shape these resolutions and have them presented to the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission and the Newlands committee. 



In the meantime steps will be taken to obtain the co-operation of the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, the Chamber of Commerce of 

 the United States and other organized agencies, in this effort to relieve the 

 scarcity of cars. 



During the meeting charges that certain railroads are favoring the cotton 

 and other industries in preference to lumber shippers in the matter of car 

 supply were discussed informally. 



Mr. McClure Comes Out for Single Standard of Inspection 



In his letter of acceptance of the ebairmansliip of the inspection rules 

 committee of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, John W. McClure 

 of M'emphis, expresses himself definitely that in his opinion the time has 

 come for uniform and universal inspection rules for hardwoods, in order to 

 end the controversy which has brought confusion in the past. He says 

 further, it is necessary to make some changes in the present rules with that 

 end in view. 



Mr. McClure's letter to John M. Woods, president of the association, 

 follows : 



Dear Mr. Woods : Your request that I serve as chairman of Inspection 

 rules committee has had my most thoughtful consideration. Mv previous 

 service on the committee under the chairmanship of both John'Pritcbard 

 and Hugh McLean gives me a full realization of the scope of work and the 

 burden of duties which you are asking me to assume. For both business 

 and personal reasons. I can ill-afford just now to give the time and thought 

 necessary for the accomplishment of this important work. Many of my 

 friends have advised me to decline the appointment, stating that '"It is a 

 hopelees and thankless task." I do not believe it is either hopeless or 

 thankless. I feel that our membership fully appreciates the splendid service 

 and great personal sacrifices which the chairman and members of this com- 

 mittee have given in the past and which has resulted in building up the 

 present system of inspection rules and inspection service, the kcvstone to the 

 success of our great organization. This very success has led our members 

 to be cautious and slow to adopt new ideas or changes in our inspection rules, 

 but I cannot believe that the work of the previous committee has been lost 

 through the rejection of their report at the last annual meeting. On the 

 other hand, their report and the discussion which followed has brought about 

 more thought and careful study of the rules and the principles involved than 

 ever before. I believe our members feel that the time has come for uniform 

 and universal inspection rules for hardwood lumber in order to end the con- 

 troversies which have brought confusion to the trade in the past, and that it 

 is necessary to make some changes in our present rules with that end in view. 

 The very broad and liberal views which you expressed at the beginning of 

 your administration and the hope which you expressed for uniform inspection 

 rules for hardwoods are worthy of the endorsement and support of our entire 

 membership. 



It is apparent that you have put much time and thought into the selection 

 of the new rules committee. They are a splendid body of men, representing 

 every section and every branch of the hardwood lumiier trade. Every one 

 of them is a man of experience and sound judgment, an enthusiastic worker 

 and a sincere, thoughtful man. Every one of them is a broad-minded 

 thinker, capable of dropping all selfish, local or sectional interests in consid- 

 eration of the best interests of the whole trade. With such a committee, the 

 work of the chairman will be niade both pleasant and successful. It is 

 indeed an honor to be asked to lead this committee. 



.AH of these considerations, together with my enthusiastic interest in 

 uniform inspection, and my sincere desire to assist to the extent of my 

 ability in the success of your administration and the advancement of our 

 organization, has decided me to accept your appointment. I trust the whole 

 membership of our association will lend the committee the sympathy and 

 support which is so necessary to the success of our work. With such sup- 

 port we hope to bring about a unity and harmony in the ranks of our organ- 

 ization which will enable it to go forward to greater things. 



With kindest expressions of personal regard, I am, 

 Sincerely yours, 



J. W. McClure. 



Meeting of Cincinnati Lumbermen's Club 



President Christie of the Cincinnati Lumbermen's Club at the October 

 meeting appointed C. C. Hagemeyer, S. Earle Giffen and Samuel W. 

 Richey a committee to look after the club's interest in the reclassifica- 

 tion proposal now before the Interstate Commerce Commission, especially 

 with reference to reconsignment privileges. 



The club decided to heartily co-operate with the Chamber of Com- 

 merce and the Lumber Exchange in inviting the 1917 convention of the 

 Ohio Retail Lumber Dealers to meet in Cincinnati. 



New Book on Pecky Cypress 



The pocket library on cypress gotten out by tlie Southern Cypress Manu- 

 facturers' Association, through its energetic secretary, George E. Watson, 

 has been augmented by a book telling all there is to know about pecky 

 cypress, which, according to Mr. Watson's unique phraseology, is the "eter- 

 nalest" part of the wood eternal. He avers on the cover of the booklet that 

 tb^ wood is homely, but honest. 



The book is literally full of the "pep" of Mr. Watson's personality. It is 

 based on autlioritative information on the subject of pecky cypress, but this 

 Information is conveyed to the. reader in a palatable form. The real theme 

 of the book is that the peculiar condition of pecky cypress is not rot but is 

 the result of a transformation of character which makes it immune to rot for 

 all time. The purpose of the book is to convince those interested of this 

 fact. 



Roads Secure Restraining Order to Overcharge Suit 



.\ temporary restraining order was recently issued by the Uniied States 

 district court of Little Rock against the Railroad Commission of Arkansas to 

 prevent it from filing suits for penalties for overcharges in an effort to 

 enforce its Standard Freight Distance Tariff No. 5, so far as it relates to 

 rates on lumber, logs and bolts and on rough rice. The restraining order 

 was granted upon the request of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern 



