HARDWOOD RECORD 



3Sc 



tliiiiK "III' lias to know to successfully cnrry on the lumbei- business. 

 Most of us have been brought up in the business and kept abreast of the 

 ago, and this association is an illustration of modern thought, putting the 

 combined knowled.ge and experience in concrete form for the benefit of all. 

 Could forestry, business and the tariff \h< completely divorced from parti- 

 san politics and put into the hands of men like those at the head of this 

 and other great business organizations, it would result in stable business. 

 increased ifliciency and greatly hssened la.\atlon. As individuals we 

 should Ik- willing to accept public office. Let the men who represent you 

 in the law-making bodies know your views : they are human and suscep- 

 tible of public opinion. If they are honest they want all the facts. We 

 need first of all high-minded men of dc-monstrated business ability to 

 legislate on business matter. "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin 

 is a reproach to any people." Labor and capital, business, banking, manu- 

 facturing, agriculture, forestry are all interlocked and neither can be 

 hurt without all the others are. directly or indirectly. Thi- same rule 

 applies to all sections : "If one member suffers 'all the members suffer 

 with it. Friday. Hay 30. a united country reposed from its labors and 

 stood with uncovered head, with song, prayer and gifted, inspired speech 

 paid a loving tribute to the men who saved the nation in the dark days 

 of 18()1 to '65. Above every soldier's grave. Nature's choicest fiowers, 

 and the emblem of the nation. I believe we can all say : 



Your flag and my flag. 



There it fles today : 

 Over your land and my land. 



Half a world away. 



Blood red, rose red. 



Its stripes forever gleam ; 

 Pure w'hite, soul white. 

 Our good forefathers' dream. 



Sky blue, true blue. 



'The stars that shine aright — . 

 A glorious guidon of the day, 

 A shelter through the night. 



Your flag and my flag. 



And oh, how much it holds — 

 Y'our land and my land 

 Safe within its folds. 



Y'our lieart and my heart 



Beats quicker at the sight : 

 Sun kissed and wind tossed. 



The red, tlii' blue, the white. 



The one flag, the great flag. 



The Flag for me and you ; 

 Glorified, all else beside. 



The red, the white, the lilue. 



As long as political lawyers and unprincipled lalior agitators make our 

 laws and control our financial and business interests, just so long will 

 agitation, instability, loss, higli taxation, and reckless, needless expendi- 

 tures continue. The business interests of tliis nation ought to rise up 

 in all their might and say to President Wilson. Congress and state legis- 

 latures that class legislation like the rider tacked onto the sundry civil 

 service bill relating to labor unions and farmer's organizations shall stojj 

 now and forever. Both have legitimate fields, and when properly con- 

 ducted are callable of doing much good, but both should be compelled to 

 incorporate under the law. and if they violate it, be ami-nable to it. It 

 means troulile and anarchy when organized bodies can do what the indi- 

 vidual, firm or corporation cannot lawfully do. 



In conclusion I ask each one of you to take an aitivr' interest in 

 political affairs: keep a vigilant watch on all slate and national legisla- 

 tion. 



Emil Guenther of Philailelpliia reported as follows for the 

 transportatioft committee: 



Report of Transportation Committee 



The past year has seen considerable readjustment of traffic problems 

 w-hich have been pending for some time. The Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission has held numerous hearings and many new important rulings and 

 decisions have been made. These matters, however, have been reported in 

 detail by the various lumber journals, and the committee believes that the 

 meml)ers are well informed. There arc several rulings, however, to which 

 the committee desires to direct the attention of the members, and cites 

 the following : 



RULING NO. 379 ; INTEREST UPON OVERCH.\RGE CL.UMS 



Upon inquiry, held, that on all unsettled claims for overcharges, car- 

 riers must pay interest from the time the charges were improperly col- 

 lected. From this it will be seen that the shippers at last have an 

 effective right which, if exercised, will do much to correct the delay in 

 adjusting claims. This one matter alone has been the cause of numerous 

 bills being introduced to Congress to facilitate prompt handling of claims 



by railroads. It is tlii' opinion of the committee that tin' railroads arc> now 

 giving more prompt and better attention to claims for ovc-rcharge. etc.. 

 due. no doubt, to the pressure which has been brought to bear, and th.' 

 criticism of their methods. 



There is another mattiu' which seems to be commonly misunderstood 

 with regard to the rights of the consignee accepting delivery of goods from 

 points other than noted on routing in.structions. In several Instances, it 

 appears that shipments, made with instructions for delivery on the tracks 

 of one carrier, were misroufed. and arrived at destination on tracks of 

 another carrier : however, they could have been switched to the proper 

 delivery tracks without unri-asouable delay at the expense of the carrier 

 at fault. Instead of instructing file railroad to do thi.s. the consignee 

 drayed the shipment to his plant expecting to collect charges for drayage 

 from the railroad on account of their error in making delivery on the 

 wrong track. The railroad refused to consider tlie charges, and the matter 

 was taken before the Interstate Commerce Commission, which ruled that 

 reparation for t,he cost of the drayage could not l)e allowed, inasmuch as 

 the consignee liad the right to compel the railroad to make delivery on 

 tracks as specified by routing instructions, but. failing to exercise this 

 right, waived all claims for additional expenses incurred. This is accord- 

 ing to rulings No. 2:U. 2.S3 and 2.S(J— "D." overruling Xo. 25. 



In regard to the question of rates, this matter is the source of growing 

 agitation and disciLssion. There is no doubt that the railroads will soon 

 make a concentrated effort towards a general advance, and whether or not 

 the business of the country can stand advances, is a question that must 

 sooner or later be definitely decided. It is a well known tad that the 

 volume of traffic has greatly exceeded the growth of the facilities of the 

 railroads and extensive additions and improvements will have to be made 

 promptly in order to give any effective relief. The railroads claim that 

 the present rati-s do not give sufficient returns to enable them to maki' 

 such improvements, due to the fact that expenses have gone up rapidly 

 during the last few years. Increased wages, legislation, both federal and 

 state, has had an important influence upon expenses, and the railroads 

 claim that a general increase of rates is imperative. The recent bulletin. 

 Lssued by the Bureau of Railway Economics at 'n'ashington, 1). ('.. shows 

 by statistics compiled, that the capital value of railway properties is in- 

 creasing less than half as fast as the capital values of cither the agricul- 

 tural or manufacturing industries, and also that the percentage of the net 

 return on capital in manufactures is over twice as high as on railways. 

 The shippers will liave to be well prepared to present their side of the 

 case strongly, in order that a standard of fairness for all concerned may 

 l>e maintained. In regard to this matter, the committee desires to adhere 

 to Its former policy, that nothing is to be gained by antagonizing the rail- 

 roads, and that it will be best for all Interests to discuss the matter 

 thoroughly, and test it out fairly in a friendly manner, rather than 

 assume an aggressive, belligerent attitude. That the majority of carriers 

 have made an effort to gain the good will and favor of the pulilic is I'vi- 

 dent. and to accomplish this they have devised several plans which have 

 really done much towards the improvement of general conditions. 'I'ho 

 railroads have recently i>ndcavored to show that they are at the service 

 of the public, and in some instances officials of authority have accom- 

 panied special trains in order that any grievances in the community visited 

 could be immediately brought to the attention of the proper offici.ils and 

 adjusted at once. The committee feels that this attitude expresses a will- 

 ingness to cooperate with the public, and a desire for a reasonabli' hear- 

 ing to acquaint the public with their needs which should be reciprocated 

 by the shippers. It is to he remembered, however, tliat the shippers have 

 rights which must not be waived or overlooked, and that tiny .ire pre- 

 pared to protect their interests. 



The railroads have already attempted to raise rates in several instances, 

 but protests were filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission, and sus- 

 pension of the tariffs providing such advances were ordered until full in- 

 vestigation could be made. In connection with this matter a communi- 

 cation was received from one of our members in regard to the proposed 

 advance of rates in file southern territory, which the committee referred 

 to the Interstate Commerce Commission, and believe that thi- matter will 

 be settled shortly. 



In conclusion, the committee is very much gratified with the support 

 and manner in which the mi'mbers have received the various ri'commenda- 

 tions that have been made, especially so with regard to placing com- 

 plaints directly before the Interstate Commerce Commission, which, no 

 doubt, is the cause for a considerable decrease in the volume of corre- 

 spondence formerly received relative to these matters. The free and more 

 extensive use of the privilege granted by the Act To Regulate Commerce 

 has probabi.v been the greatest factor in eliminating friction anti restoring 

 harmony, and the efforts of the committee to keep the members informed 

 have been well rewarded and considerable benefit derived. 



It has always been the aim of the committee to maintain a conservative 

 and friendly attitude with the railroads and avoid the aggressive and 

 critical arguments which were rife so short a period as four years ago. 

 Xothing of lasting benefit has ever been accomplished in the heat of angr.v 

 discussion, and the change to more friendl.v relations which have latel.v 

 been evidenced points to a new era of understanding which argues well 

 for the accomplishment of more permanent good to all parties concerned 

 than ever before, 



Follo'wing Mr. Guciitlier's report, the meeting adjourned until 2:30. 



