March 10, 191" 



Developments in the South 



The Southern Hardwood Traffic Association is one of the busiest 

 organizations in the South identified with the lumber industry. It is 

 having niunerous problems to solve in connection with rate advances 

 as well as with the facilitating of traifie under the present car 

 shortage and embargoes in almost all directions. Lumber mills in 

 the southern hardwood producing territory are facing forced curtail- 

 ment in the near future unless some relief can be found, and the 

 Southern Hardwood Traffic Association is the organization upon which 

 falls the task of trying to promote such relief. 



J. H. Townshend has recently made two trips to Washington in 

 connection W'ith rate matters and the shortage of cars, and two com- 

 mittees have held conferences, on behalf of members of the association, 

 with officials of the west side lines and with those of the Hlinois 

 Central within the past fortnight with a view to securing relief from 

 emliargoes and also with a view to securing, if possible, a postponement 

 of the effectiveness March 16 of rate advances from southern produc- 

 ing points into Central Freight Association and Western Trunk Line 

 territory. Appeals have likewise, as jjreviously reported in Hakdwood 

 Record, been made direct to the Interstate Commerce Commission 

 for relief from present intolerable traffic conditions as affecting the 

 southern lumber industry. 



Mr. Townshend, who has returned from Washington during the past 

 few days, reports that the Interstate Commerce Commission has a 

 large force at all 'of the more important eastern terminals and that 

 every possible effort is being made to rush empty cars westward to 

 relieve the shortage felt all over the West and Central South. He 

 believes that these efforts will result in some relief in the near future, 

 but he says that there is comparatively little improvement in the 

 situation. This is indicated by the statement on his part that, despite 

 the strenuous work of the association in behalf of shippers, some of 

 the latter are on the point of having to suspend the manufacture of 

 lumber because of the congestion which is resulting from present 

 car shortage and from embargoes. 



F. B. Larson, who came to the association several months ago from 

 the position of traffic manager of the Liunbermen's Bureau at Wash- 

 ington, has been appointed assistant to Secretary Townshend, suc- 

 ceeding Paul J. Fischer, who died a few days ago, and Mr. Larson is 

 now devoting all of his time to taking care of the more urgent needs 

 of the lumbermen in the way of cars and in the way of securing 

 special permits from the carriers to make shipments. He is securing 

 daily reports from members of the association regarding their more 

 jiressing needs for cars, as well as for bills of lading, and he is then 

 taking up with the carriers the supplying of cars as well as the 

 issuance of bUls. He has been able during the past, few days, by 

 tackling the problem in this systematic and vigorous manner, to 

 meet some of the more urgent needs of manufacturers of lumber in 

 this territory, but the seriousness of the situation is manifest when 

 it is pointed out that only emergency eases are being handled. 



Meantime, indications are that southern shippers are going to lose 

 their fight for a postponement of the effectiveness of the advances 

 in hardwood rates from Helena and a few points west of the Missis- 

 sippi and from all points east of the Mississippi to destinations in 

 Central Freight Association and Western Trunk Line territory. The 

 west side lines interested in these advances agreed that they would 

 be governed by the action of the Illinois Central. The conference of 

 a committee from the association with officials of the IllLnois Central, 

 however, has resulted in failure up to the present time, as the manage- 

 ment of the Illinois Central has, after taking the subject under 

 advisement, declared its unwillingness for any postponement. Officials 

 of the association are stUl bringing aU possible pressure to bear to 

 prevent the advances going into effect at the date indicated, but they 

 are not particularly optimistic over the outlook. Appeal to the Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission in this connection, it would seem, is out 

 of the question because of the expiration of the time beyond which 

 that body can order a further suspension. The effectiveness of this 

 advance is being resisted by the lumbermen to the last degree because 



of the loss involved in making deliveries of lumber, sold on the basis 

 of present rates, at the higher rates. The lumbermen contend that 

 their deliveries of this lumber would have been made without difficulty 

 while the lower rates prevailed but for failure of the carriers to fur- 

 nish the necessary facilities for such deliveries. 



Mr. Townshend is in receipt of advices from the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission at Washington that the proposed advances in 

 rates from Helena and all points east of the Mississippi river to 

 destinations east of Pittsburgh and Buffalo, including all Canadian 

 and New England points, have been suspended for four months. 



Southern Loggers Face Discouraging Conditions 



Weather conditions have been quite unfavorable for logging during 

 the past fortnight throughout the southern hardwood producing terri- 

 tory. Heavy rains have occurred all over this section and the ground 

 is so thoroughly water-soaked that it will require a considerable period 

 of dry weather to make possible substantial progress in work in the 

 woods. The amount of timber being cut and prepared for use at the 

 mOls is extremely light and the question of log supply is looming up 

 somewhat larger than for some time. The shipping situation, so far 

 as liunber is concerned, is still highly unsatisfactory, as detailed else- 

 where in this issue of Hardwood Eecord, and this makes the scarcity 

 of logs a rather less serious phase than it would be if the raUroads 

 were able to handle all liunber shipments freely and if the mUls were, 

 as a result of such shipping facilities, able to operate on full time. 



In addition to the unfavorable weather for logging, it may be noted 

 that the time is close at hand when lumber interests throughout the 

 valley territory must contend with more or less serious high water 

 in the Mississippi and its tributaries. The stage of the Mississippi 

 at ijresent is some ten feet below the danger line or flood level, but 

 there is necessarily a vast amount of water from the upper valleys 

 of the Mississippi and other streams flowing into it to be taken care 

 of. The Mississippi has not failed in recent years to develop flood 

 conditions at some time during the late winter or spring season, and 

 it is anticipated that there will be a repetition of history in this 

 respect within the next few weeks unless all signs fail. Appreciating 

 this, lumber interests have done everything they could for some time 

 in getting out timber, and there is a fair amount awaiting loading for 

 the mUls.- An official of the Valley Log Loading Company, Memphis, 

 said recently that it would require at least two more months to load 

 the logs now in sight on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley line of the 

 Illinois Central and the Memphis-Mariaima cut-off on the St. Louis, 

 Iron Mountain & Southern. But he said in the same connection that 

 there was very little timber now being placed on the right of way of 

 either of these roads and that, when present logs were loaded, there 

 woidd be a period of relative dullness in the log loading line. What 

 is true of the Valley Log Loading Company is likewise largely true 

 of firms and individuals who look after their own loading of logs. 



There' is no complaint on the score of demand for southern hard- 

 woods, and prices are well maintained, being largely in the sellers' 

 favor. The fact remains, however, that, even with these conditions, 

 the volume of business is small. This is the direct result of the 

 shortage of cars and the refusal of carriers to issue bUl of lading to 

 many destinations in the North and East, factors which are greatly 

 restricting the movement of lumber and forest products. The situa- 

 tion, from a transportation standpoint, is admittedly bad, and, whUe 

 steps are being taken to bring about prompt relief, the outlook is 

 regarded as quite threatening. The demand is particularly active for 

 gum in all grades and prices are unusually firm. The box factories 

 are taking aU the low-grade gum offered, while the higher grades are 

 finiling ready outlet. There is a fair movement of oak and, taken 

 as a whole, the Memphis market may be described as wholesome. It 

 is fully recognized, however, that the volume of business must neces- 

 sarily be determined in the near future by developments in connection 

 with the traffic situation. Unless it is made possible to ship lumber, 

 the condition of the market means nothing. 



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