October 10, 1922 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



35 



Tentative Victory Pleases Townshend 



But Veneer and Panel Manufacturers Will Not Enjoy Reduced Rates Until 



Order Is Issued to Carriers 



J. H. Townshend, secretary-manager of the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Association, is highly pleased with the tentative report of 

 the examiner of the Interstate Commerce Commission in the case 

 handled by this organization for the National Veneer & Panel Man- 

 ufacturers Association, involving rates on veneers and built-up 

 woods of all kinds. He says that the victory is complete so far 

 as it goes and that his organization has been able to secure recom- 

 mendation of practically everything asked. He believes, accord- 

 ing to the report that he made to the National Veneer & Panel 

 Manufacturers Association, that the I. C. C. will concur in the 

 tentative reports. He has held that present rates on veneer and 

 built-up woods are unduly preferential to shippers of lumber 

 and it is felt that, in correcting this condition, rates on veneers 

 will be lowered rather than the rates on lumber, which are already 

 very high, advanced. 



Examiner's Recommenclation 



Here is the reconimendation of the examiner: 



Veneer of all thicknesses manufactured from all woods, except 

 woods of value or figured woods, should take LUMBER RATES. 



Built-up wood manufactured from all woods, except woods of 

 value or figured woods, should take 10 per cent HIGHER THAN 

 LUMBER RATES. 



Veneer and built-up wood of all thicknesses, when manufac- 

 tured from woods of value or figured v^^oods, should take I 5 per 

 cent HIGHER THAN LUMBER RATES. 



The examiner further states, according to Mr. Townshend, that 

 the "practical test of determining the application or non-applica- 

 tion of the I 5-percent arbitrary is whether or not the Veneer is 

 cut from w^oods of value, which include mahogany and walnut." 



Mr. Townshend is of the opinion that it w^ill be several months, 

 probably, before a final decision is handed down and the lower 

 rates become effective. In the meantime, however, M. Wulpi, 

 commissioner for the National Veneer & Panel Manufacturers As- 

 sociation, says that a committee representing this organization has 

 advices that the commission will hear this case by the middle of 

 the current month and that it has good reason to believe that the 

 lower rates will become effective before the date of the next an- 

 nual meeting of the association, December 5 and 6. 

 Order to Carriers Is Needed 



D. E. Kline of The Louisville Veneer Mills, Louisville, Ky., in 

 commenting on the examiner's report said that it must be borne 

 in mind "that after the original hearing before the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission in the rate and classification matter as 

 covered by Docket No. 8131, a tentative report was made by Ex- 

 aminer Esch recommending to the Commission that the claims of 

 the shippers of veneers and plywoods w^ere just and that their 

 prayer should be granted. His conclusion was that rates as nov^r 

 published, and as shown in Mr. Townshend's letter of September 

 28 v/ere proper. Later the Commission issued a ruling confirm- 

 ing the report, but the ruling was never made effective by an order 

 to the carriers, and has therefore been ignored. 



"We are, therefore, after the second suit exactly in the same 

 position that we occupied early in 1919, and unless the Commis- 

 sion issues a ruling, and an order making that ruling effective, w^e 

 will remain in the same position." 



Mr. Kline has for years been one of the most valiant campaign- 

 ers for the enforcement of this ruling and has fought for the re- 

 classification untiringly in season and out. 



W. H. Russe, secretary-treasurer, and C. B. Allen, president 

 of the Allen-Eaton Panel Company, of Memphis, have expressed 

 themselves as highly pleased w^ith the tentative report of the ex- 

 aminer but they are just a little disappointed over the fact that the 

 reduced rates will not become effective for some time. Mr. Allen 



has taken a conspicuous part in the efforts to secure lower rates 

 on veneers and built-up woods, having co-operated actively with 

 J. H. Townshend, secretary-manager, and Norman & Graham, 

 counsel, who handled the case before the examiner. 



Cabinet Company to Enlarge Plant 



The Burdick Cabinet Co., of Milton, Wis., is planning to erect 

 an addition to its plant in that city. The new addition will be of 

 brick and concrete, one-story in height, and 80x160 ft. in size. 

 Bids are now^ being received. 



With the Evansville Veneer and Panel Trade 



George O. Worland, former secretary and manager of the Evans- 

 ville Veneer Company at Evansville, Ind., who resigned his position 

 and went to Marshfield, Wis., several months ago to accept a 

 position, is now associated with a large concern at Cleveland, Ohio, 

 and was in Evansville a few days ago arranging to move his family 

 to Cleveland. 



New Cabinet Company Incorporates 



Articles of incorporation were recently filed by the Indiana 

 Borden Cabinet Co., Borden, Ind., capital $100,000, the company 

 taking over the Borden Cabinet Co., capitalized at $25,000. 

 It is proposed to materially enlarge the plant. Directors include 

 Harry B. Payne, George McCutcheon, George McGill, Talbot 

 D. Nicholson, George McKinley, Edward Waggoner, Charles I. 

 Hoyt, Dr. Walter A. Hall and Frederick Fordyce. 



The Wheary-Burge Trunk Co. has been organized by George H. 

 Wheary, Charles O. Bergner and M. E. Walker at Racine. Articles 

 of incorporation show the capital stock as $500,000. 



Chance for Furniture to Beat Lipstick 



At a meeting of the Sheboygan Furniture Manufacturers' Asso- 

 ciation held recently R. W. Lyons, secretary of the American Homes 

 Bureau, told the manufacturers that the retail sales of lipsticks, 

 cosmetics, cigarettes, candy and similar things exceed those of 

 furniture by a considerable amount. The Bureau proposes to pro- 

 mote publicity for furniture, and Mr. Lyons stressed that advertising 

 and publicity were responsible for the large sales in other lines 

 and the idea could be just as successfully applied to furniture. 



Plan an Addition 



The Ke-No Manufacturing Co., of Sheboygan, Wis., is planning 

 the erection of a factory addition, at an estimated cost of $8,000. 

 W. C. Weeks of Sheboygan is at present engaged in drawing up 

 the plans. 



The Ward Veneer & Crate Company has been incorporated at 

 Tyler, Tex. 



The Elmore Veneer Company has moved from Elmore, O., to 

 Oconto, Wis. 



The Inland Automobile Company has moved from Indianapolis, 

 Ind., to Columbus, Ind. 



