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HARDWOOD RECORD 



August 25. 1922 



dition, those affected invariably ask for re-instatement as soon as 

 they have recovered their financial equilibrium. 



Norman Urges Finish Fight 



J. V. Norman, general counsel, in urging the lumbermen to stand 

 for a "finish-fight," however much it might hurt, told members 

 of the association that they are facing the most acute car shortage 

 in the history of the industry, whether the railway and coal strikes 

 are settled now or whether they are still further prolonged. He 

 said that such a transportation situation meant increased prices for 

 lumber but that it also meant inability to get commodities to mar- 

 ket, with the result that high prices would help little. "The 

 shortage will be acute all winter," he said, "and will pinch hardest 

 in September and October. He urged personal representation at 

 Washington on the part of heads of firms identified with the asso- 

 ciation as the best means of securing the industry's share of avail- 

 able equipment. 



Mr. Carnahan indicated that the railroads in the East have won 

 the shopmen's strike and that substantial progress in the same 

 direction is being made in other sections of the country. He said 

 that less headway had been made in the South and Southwest than 

 in any other grand divisions. This he attributed to lack of man 

 power on the railroads, which is now being partially relieved, and 

 failure of the interstate commerce commission to set up any ma- 

 chinery for the interchange of empties. In this connection, he said 

 that it would be impossible, because of congestion of trafiic and 

 bad condition of the Louisville & Nashville, Norfolk & Western, 

 Southern Railway and some other lines, to secure empty cars via 

 Potomac yards and Cincinnati but he suggested that thousands of 

 cars might be scciirod through the St. Louis gateway for use in 



thf territory on each side of the Mississippi. 



Priority Orders to Stand Long 



Mr. Carnahan gave the reasons for the priority orders of the 

 interstate commerce commission and indicated that these would 

 probably remain in effect for an indefinite period, even if the coal 

 and railway strikes should be settled at once. He showed that pro- 

 duction of coal is now running, on the basis of about 3,700,000 tons 

 per week, that about two-thirds of this is required by the railroads 

 and one-sixth by the public utilities, leaving only one-sixth for all 

 other purposes. 



He cited figures showing heavy increase in car loading of all 

 commodities with the exception of coal as belying claims of strik- 

 ing shopmen that the transportation system of the country had 

 broken down. He pointed out that loadings during the week end- 

 ing July 22 reached 861,124 cars and that if the deficit in loading of 

 coal, amounting to approximately 120,000 cars were added, the 

 total would be greater than 1,000,000, a figure reached only twice 

 in the history of this country. 



He declared that the car shortage so long predicted had actually 

 arrived and that, it would become very acute in a short time owing 

 to the rapid increase in car loadings and owing to the rapid absorp- 

 tion of the surplus equipment. He said that one member of the 

 interstate commerce commission is predicting the most severe 

 shortage in the history of the country and that it is up to shippers 

 of lumber to secure their share of cars not assigned to preferential 

 commo lities. His recommendation was that the jiersonal equation 

 be used to its fullest extent as the best means of protecting the 

 interests of members of the hardwood lumber industrv. 



Hardwood Movement Cut 25 Per Cent 



Here is the latest analysis of the transportation situation as 

 affecting the hardwood lumber industry as outlined by J. H. Towns- 

 hend, secretary-manager of the Southern Hardwood Traffic 

 Association: 



Embargoes on outbound shipments of hardwood lumber and 

 forest products are in effect on the following railroad systems: 

 Louisville & Nashville, Chesapeake & Ohio, Carolina, Clinehfield 

 & Ohio, Frisco east from Memphis, Southern Eailway and Mobile 

 & Ohio. 



The provision for cancelling routing and using open routes is 

 teing taken advantage of in the movement of hardwood lumber and 

 forest products originating on the Louisville & Nashville, the Mobile 

 & Ohio and other roads which have embargoes on north and east 

 bound movements. This is helping the situation to some extent 

 although it necessitates long hauls in some instances. 



Southwestern or west-side lines, which are not embargoed and 

 which are not under the priority orders of the commission, are giving 

 very poor service in almost every instance. They appear to be short 

 on cars as well as on motive power. 



Curtailment of the movement of hardwood logs and lumber is 

 approximately 25 per cent as compared with the quantity offered for 

 leading. The movement of hardwood lumber and forest products is 

 very little short now of what it was in July, but this is due to the 

 fact that business itself is substantially heavier than at that time. 

 If there were enough cars to move all logs and all lumber promptly 

 the volume of shipments would show an increase of 25 per cent 

 above the average actually being maintained. 



Present indications are that the railway and coal strikes will be 

 definitely settled this (week ending August 26) week. But, even if 

 they are, there will be little relief for the hardwood industry from 

 the growing car shortage. There is a probability that there will be 

 some increase in flat ears for handling logs to the mills but very 



little increase is indicated in the numljer of box cars tliat will be 

 available for handling outbound shipments. This is due to the fact 

 that box cars are now being diverted in large numbers to the grain 

 belt, that the rice and sugar movements are close at hand and that 

 the movement of cotton will .shortly assume large proportions as 

 the new crop begins to move to market. It is also emphasized that 

 the enormous amount of bad-order equipment will tend to prevent 

 settlement of the strike from being reflected in the lumber industry 

 and in other industries where traffic docs not occupy a preferential 

 position. 



The real pinch of car shortage and transportation difficulties is 

 likely to come during the months of September and October and 

 it will be distinctly worse than at present if the railway and coal 

 strikes are not settled as now promised. 



Institute Headquarters Established in Chicago 



The Hardwood Manufacturers' Institute established its national 

 headquarters in Chicago on Monday, August 21, discontinuing the 

 office at Memphis, Tenn. The headquarters offices are at 1020 

 South Wabash avenue. 



The opening of the headquarters of the Institute in Chicago was 

 determined upon at the meeting in Louisville, Ky., at which the 

 organization was launched, as the leaders desired from the very start 

 to establish the headquarters in a central position, so as to give a 

 practical demonstration of the national scope of the Institute. 

 Through location of the Institute headquarters in Chicago it will be 

 nearly equally accessible to the members of all sections of the coun- 

 try, and national, as opposed to any narrower regional, interests will 

 be more readily served. The ofBces at Memphis were from the first 

 only temporary and were abandoned as soon as space could be 

 secured in Chicago. 



