i8 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



That remarkably sane newspaper, the New York Sim. has this 

 editorial comment on the recent New Haven wreck : 



Whether on the imfortunatL' Xcw England lines or en any other railroad. 

 a rear end collision is inoxplicablo and iudctVnsible on any theory of train 

 operation that includes reasonahh' discipline and intelliireni regulations. 

 No assumed public demand for speed and no clerical record of train 

 arrivals can excuse or condone a rear end collision. 



On the subject of wooden coaches, iet it be remembered that the vast 

 majority of passenj;i'rs ride safely and comfortably in such vt-hicles daily, 

 without thought of dangn . 'I'Jie composition of cars is of importance, but 

 it i« •'mpliaticaliy of ji-ss iiiii-ii-si iliiin iln- niana^enu'iit "f iraiTis 



Reported Curtailment of Census Work 



1NFOKMATION COMES tlirough unofficial channels from the 

 Department of Commerce at Washington that the Bureau of the 

 Census is about to discontinue nearly all the annual reports in which 

 lumbermen and wood-using industries generally are greatly interested. 

 Among those special reports, which have appeared annually for some 

 years, and which are now to be discontinued, according to information, 

 are statistics on crossties, wood preservation, pulpwood, tanbark and 

 tanning extracts, the cooperage industry both tight and slack, veneers, 

 poles, crossarms, brackets, insulator pins, and wood distillation. It is 

 said that the fate of the annual lumber cut report itself is in doubt. 



These constitute a pretty large subtraction to come from the coun- 

 try's lumber statistics. It will not leave any great amount, in the way 

 of information, for the government to .supply the lumberman. The 

 proposed cutting down of the Census work is doubtless planned in the 

 interest of economy; and no one will be disposed to criticize the 

 motive; but it seems pretty hard for the lumber interests to have 

 practically all of their information cut off. If the cut is to go down 

 the whole line of the country's industries in the same ratio, the field 

 of the Census Bureau will be greatly restricted, and a vast amount of 

 valuable information will fail to reach the people. 



There appears to have been little or no criticism ot the Census on 

 the part of lumbermen because of lack of economy. There has been 

 some impatience expressed on account of delay in getting the reports 

 out; but this very impatience is proof that the reports are anxiously 

 awaited. Greater speed than formerly has been recently observed. 

 The annual lumber report, which appears in this issue of H.\rdavood 

 liKrouD, is four months ahead of the time when such reports have been 

 l>ublished in recent years. This is encouraging. It is proof that such 

 reports can be pushed through; but it acts like a wot blanket to be 

 told that the reports are to be cut off altogether. 



The lumber interest is pretty large. It is difficult to say just what 

 it amounts to yearly in money, but the raw material alone, with a 

 little manufacturing in some instances, exceeds a value of $S.')0,000,000 

 a year. It is a rather large interest to be cut out of the yearly census 

 reports for the sake of economy. 



I.,et it be h(i])ed that the report of its elimination was premature. 

 At any rate, one may be pardoned for indulging the hope that no such 

 step will be taken without giving the wood-using interests a chance to 

 be heard. On the other hand, hunbermen should realize that if they 

 do not make their wishes known, their silence can justly be construed 

 as consent that the annual reports on lumber and its manufactured 

 jiroductp be discontinued. 



Lumbermen Asleep at the Switch 



TIIE NEED OF CO-OPKRATION among those engaged in the 

 lumber trade to prevent adverse legislation and to protect the 

 trade from the establishnuMit of the so-called wood substitutes is being 

 evidenced daily on every hand. The realization of the situation 

 among the lumberman will bring proper means for combatting the 

 advances of .substitute materials. While many substitutes are claimed 

 superior and less expensive than wood, they are not at all adapted 

 to the purpose to which they are ))ut. In other cases it is evident 

 that substitutes are successfully used, while probably not superior 

 to wood. Legislation in regard to the use of wooden cars, shingles, 

 etc., is assuming a threatening aspect without any apparent inter- 

 ference on the part of the lumber trade. 



A recent instance- of legislation, wliii-h imss".! wUhoft nhiection 

 from lumbermen until the law was about to become effective and 



is now in effect, occurred in Milwaukee, Wis. A good many days 

 after the building ordinance was passed by the common council and 

 just before it became effective it was ' ' discovered ' ' that the use 

 of combustible shingles was prohibited on "new or altered buildings 

 and also when roofs were re-covered." The ordinance was drawn 

 by the Milwaukee Building Code Commission. While Building In- 

 spector Harper, who is inclined to defend the new measure and says 

 that it is progressive legislation copied after the ordinances of other 

 cities, insists that there was no intention of fooling anybody in 

 embodying this provision in the ordinance, lumber dealers and whole 

 salers of Milwaukee are inclined to feel that they have had an unfair 

 deal "slipped over" on them. In fact, many aldermen of the out- 

 lying wards were awakened to the fact that they voted and passed 

 an ordinance which prohibits absolutely the covering of roofs in 

 any part of the city with wooden shingles. The general opinion 

 semed to have been that this was to apply only to buildings within 

 the fire limits. 



Milwaukee lumber dealers, especially those who have large stocks 

 of shingles on hand, are protesting because they will suffer financial 

 losses if the law is allowed to stand as at present. Amendments 

 are being proposed which would permit wooden shingle roofs on 

 buildings not over 24 by 40 feet and otherwise apply only on buildings 

 within the fire limits of the city. At present, wooden shingles arc 

 to be used 'only if fire-i)roofed. Present wooden shingle roofs can 

 be patched with wooden shingles, according to opinions on the 

 ordinance. 



State Subsidy for Merchant Marine 



C.M.IFORNIA AM) L0U1S1.\A"A have taken the bull by the 

 horns in the matter of merchant marine. They want ships to 

 carry conmierce to and from their harbors, and have grown weary 

 of waiting for the government to offer such inducements as will 

 encourage the building and sailing of merchant vessels. Louisiana 

 has taken off all state tax on ships sailing between her ports and 

 foreign countries. It is believed this action will stimulate foreign 

 trade. 



California has offered to do still nuire. A bill has been introduced 

 in the state legislature providing for a board of five merchant marine 

 commissioners, one from the resident ship-builders, one from the 

 resident shi|)-owncrs, one from the shijjijers of domestic goods, one 

 J'-om the consignee of foreign goods, and one from the sailors' union. 



This board is to have authority to pay five per cent per annum 

 upon one-half the building cost of ships engaged in foreign and 

 domestic commerce from California jiorts and to help on the payment 

 o: the difference between building and operating such American-built 

 ships with American workmen and American officers, and the cost of 

 building and operating with foreign workmen and officers. 



Closed Shop Illegal in Indiana 



A STRIKE OF LO.Nf. STAXDIN'G in Indianapolis against the 

 Keyless Lock Company has been settled by a court decision, as 

 far as such a decision has power to settle it. Judge W. W. Thornton 

 handed down the decision in the circuit court July 9. He held that a 

 strike for the purpose of compelling an employer to establish a closed 

 shop is unlawful. The strike had been called for that jnirpose as was 

 shown by a letter addressed to the company by the secretary of the 

 labor union, in which the company was warned that if it continued 

 to employ non-union men (three such were working ;it th.it time) a 

 strike would be called at the end of two weeks. The company did not 

 accede to the demand and the strike was called, the plant was picketed, 

 and violence resulted. 



The court's decision granted an injunction against tie labor organi 

 zation concerned in the matter, forbidding interfererce in any way 

 with the operation of the lock factory, or with employes who choose 

 to work there. It was further adjudged that the coiiipany had been 

 damaged in the amount of .liG.OOO, and had a right to recover that 

 sum from the labor organization that had ordered and engineered the 

 strike with its attendant violence. This decision establishes for the 

 first time the illegality of the closed shop in Indiana. 



