38 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



December 10, 1916 



uttended a meeting of the national council o£ the Chamber of Commerce 

 of the United States which is planning to send out a referendum on 

 the proposed enlargement of the Interstate Commerce Commission on the 

 proposed plan to give the commission sole power in the regulation of 

 freight rates and on the proposed law to divert all railroad taxes to the 

 federal treasury. Mr. Townshend explained that the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Association opposed the abolishment of state railroad commissions 

 I'n the ground that the latter frequently gave the lumbermen relief which 

 was refused by the Interstate Commerce Commission. He said, however, 

 that the association was very strongly In favor of an increase In the size 

 of the Interstate Commerce Commission, tho it did not approve of the idea 

 of establishing regional commissioners. 



Henry J. Davis of Henry J. Davis & Co., Clarksdale, Miss., and Chas. 

 P. McManus. resident manager of the Probst Lumber Company, Cincin- 

 nati, were elected active members. On motion of H. B. Weiss, chairman 

 of the membership committee. Earl Palmer, who recently removed to 

 Memphis from Paducah, Ky., was elected an active Instead of associate 

 member. 



The attendance at this meeting was unusually large. The usual luncheon 

 was served. 



Northwestern Hardwood Men in Annual 



The Northwestern Hardwood Lumbermen's Association held its twenty- 

 ninth annual meeting at the West Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn., Tuesday, 

 December 5, followed by the annual banquet. The importance of the jobber 

 was emphasized by speakers. The meeting was well attended and the spirit 

 indicated progress which may make the association a larger factor In the 

 trade in the near future. 



In his annual address President Jones dealt with the future of the hard- 

 wood jobber. He spoke of the economic and business necessity of the 

 jobber, declaring it as his opinion the hardwood business could not ex- 

 ist without the jobber. "The jobber," said Mr. Jones, "is the acknowl- 

 edged sales expert and student of the hardwood lumber business. You 

 can not take the expert out of any line of business and expect that busi- 

 ness to be a success." He said talk of direct selling, elimination of the 

 Jobber, did not appeal to him as sound business policy. 



Reports of ofBcirs were next presented. A. F. Websky, for the railroad 

 committee, told of changes in rates made effective In the year, and spoke 

 of the proposed rule of the Interstate Commerce Commission Increasing 

 demurrage charges. 



Discussion of the question of proposed Increased demurrage was asked 

 by D. F. Clark, who is a member of the traffic committee of the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association. H. Booraem declared that he thought 

 higher demurrage would speed lumbermen up, but doubted if any change 

 should be made that would permanently increase the demurrage charges. 

 .1. M. Okonoskl opposed any change, stating conditions are unusual at 

 this time, but l)elieving It Is up to railroads to correct abuses. Payson 

 Smith said federal authorities now have ample power to correct such abuses 

 as shippers using freight cars for warehouse purposes. He said exercise 

 of this power would overcome all difHcultles and keep cars moving. Pres- 

 ident Jones said he hoped extra demurrage charges would not be added, 

 as the jobber now works on a narrow margin. 



A brief review of the year's work was presented by Secretary J. F. 

 Hayden. In this he asked tho members if it is the intention for mem- 

 bers to send him their prices monthly, he to strike an average and sub- 

 mit the average price list to members. 



P. M. Parker moved that the system inaugurated last year be continued 

 and after discussion his motion was carried by rising vote. 



Increase of annual dues from $5 to $10 was suggested by H. Booraem. 

 He said the association should have an assistant secretary to devote time 

 to detail work along lines that will make the organization of greater use. 

 Formal action will be taken at the January meeting. 



"The Hardwood Business, Past, Present and Future" was the subject 

 of an interesting address by Payson Smith. In his talk Mr. Smith briefly 

 reviewed the battle over rules. He said that in some eases manufacturers 

 are l>itter against jobbers for refusing to accept changes as urged by the 

 manufacturers. He hoped this feeling of soreness would not go so far that 

 manufacturers would withdraw and set up a separate association, thus 

 creating conflicting Interests. From his experiences in the manufacturing 

 field, and from observation, Mr. Smith concluded that lumbermen, largely 

 due to lack of co-operation, have received the least compensation for 

 labor, accomplished the least for effort expended and capital invested than 

 Is true of any other class of business handling a similar amount of funds 

 in its operations. 



"Our customer Is our best friend," said Mr. Smith, "and the Jobber is 

 a customer. If the Jobber is to hold his place his slogan must be 'Uniform 

 Prices, Straight Grades and Service.' The trade will prefer to deal with 

 the Jobber, rather than direct with mills, it the jobber gets and gives 

 service that Is uniform and fair." 



J. M. Okoneskl detailed some of the more important grade changes pro- 

 posed by the Wisconsin nmnufacturers. He said they are more workable 

 than changes proposed last year, but even so will be bad for the jobbers, 

 who now find too many grades for small stocks. He considered the pro- 

 posed changes will cause quite a disturbance in values, but will be good 

 for the big manufacturer and for the yard trade. 



H. Booraem spoke on "Shipping Illgh-Grarto Lumber." He said that it 

 Is especially difficult for twin city jobbers to convince buyers that while 



much of Minnesota's native hardwood is of poor quality it is not all that 

 way. He said lumber should be sold for what it really is, and when 

 stock is good say so, being as frank to admit defects when they exist. 



President T. T. Jones declined re-election, and the officers were elected, 

 upon recommendation of the nominating committee consisting of F, H. 

 Lewis, A. H. Barnard and Harry P. Sutton, as follows : 



President — P. M. Parker. 



Vice-President — Payson Smith. 



Secretary — J. F. Hayden. 



Treasurer — V. H. Lewis. 



Arbitration Committee — T. T. Jones, F. M. Bartelme, J. M. Okoneskl. 

 N. C. Bennett and Harry P. Sutton. 



Membership Committee — D. F. Clark, H. Booraem and D. E. Stanton. 



'V {WMaim!!;i^»i;iTOM)tlM!!WBWtlil^^ ' 



With the Trade 



Geo. C. Brown & Co. in Big Transaction 



Geo. C. Brown & Co., with headquarters at Memphis and mill at Proctor. 

 Ark., have disposed of 5,000 acres of cut-over lands in St. Francis county, 

 Arkansas, and have likewise purchased 6, GOO acres of timberland in Chicot 

 county, Arkansas, and 7,000 acres of timber and stumpage in Calhoun 

 and Grenada counties, Mississippi. Announcement of the completion of 

 these transactions has just been made by L. E. Brown, president, and 

 H. B. Weiss, secretary and treasurer. Both of these gentlemen stated in 

 this connection that the company has options on other large tracts with 

 view to future operations of the mill of the company, which Is located at 

 Proctor, and of the other mills which are to be established later. One of 

 the stumpage tracts purchased in Mississippi consists of 4,000 acres 

 owned by the Provlne family. This is said to contain the finest body of 

 white oak timber In Mississippi. Another tract of 1,400 acres of timber- 

 land which also lies near the Provlne tract has been secured from the 

 Lesh Land & Lumber Company of Jackson, Tenn. The company has options 

 on other timberlands and stumpage in that particular section, and Mr. 

 Brown is authority for the statement that the company intends. If it is 

 able to secure sufficient timber to justify the expenditure, to build a 

 standard gauge railroad either from Grenada, on the Illinois Central, or 

 from Calhoun City, on the Southern Railway, into the timberlands, and 

 to erect a sawmill with about 40,000 feet capacity either at Grenada or 

 Calhoun City. The railroad, if built, will be thirty-five miles long and 

 will open up a rich territory not nt present served by any line. This road 

 is to be a common carrier and tlie contemplated improvements are to l)e 

 made within a year if present plans carry. 



The Arkansas timberlands purchased by the company consist of 6, BOO 

 acres in Chicot county, near Lake Village. There are 5,000 acres cov- 

 ered with virgin hardwood timber, principally oak. The property was 

 acquired from J. M. Goff of Memphis. The company owns other stumpage 

 near the Chicot county tract and plans to erect a mill at Lake Village 

 in the near future. 



lu disposing of its cut-over lauds, one tract of 1,100 acres was sold to 

 1,. tJ. and J. 11. Mallory of Memphis, who will clear the tract and put it 

 in cultivation. Another, amounting to 2,500 acres, was sold to R. G. 

 Uobbs of Memphis, and a third tract of 1,440 acres was sold to W. K. 

 Canaday. also of Memphis. Prices ranged from .$20 to $25 per acre. 



Geo. C. Brown & Co. have about 5,000 acres of cut-over land near 

 their sawmill at Proctor, Ark., and it Is suggested that this will be re- 

 tained, cleared and put Into cultivation. The company has been putting 

 some land into cultivation every year and has met with remarkable suc- 

 cess, producing during the past year almost a bale of cotton per acre. 



Geo. C. Brown & Co. some time ago doubled their capital stock, and 

 this increase was made with a view to the expansion policy they are now 

 carrying out in the purchase of additional timberlands and In the move- 

 ment looking to the erection of additional mills in the southern hardwood 

 producing territory. 



Churchill-Milton Lumber Company Building Big Mill 



Announcement has been made by the Churchill-Milton Lumber Company 

 concerning its plans for its new mill at Greenwood, Miss. This mill will 

 be of the two-band type and of large capacity. The location is excellent, 

 with double railroad and river connections and on the forks of two small 

 streams. Work on the l)uilding has been started, and the macliinery will 

 follow the switches in. Tho mill will be ready to operate about March 

 1, giving the company two plants In Mississippi, the other being at Glcn- 

 dora. The company has already made arrangements to purchase a 

 steamer for handling logs in the river at the new iilant. 



Cabinet Factory Suffers Heavy Fire Loss 

 The large factory of the Ballman Cabinet Company, located at 530 

 Livingston street, Cincinnati, O., was practically burned out December 2. 

 The loss on the stock is estimated at $30,000, consisting of much fine 

 hardwood lumber and manufactured and finished product. The damage 

 to the building will reach a little over $15,000. The fire started on the 

 first floor and burned through the four floors. The loss is only partially 

 covered by insurance. 



Sayres & Scovill Company Enlarging 

 Plans for the financing of the new plant and expansion of business of 

 the Sayres & Scoville Company were announced last week. It Is proposed 

 to Increase the capital stock from $150,000 to $650,000 and to erect a 



