HARDWOOD RECORD 



27 



per cent due to deterioration caused by splitting and the attaclis of 

 the teredo. 



The actual cost of operating is at least thirty per cent higher in 

 Central America, Mexico and Africa than it was ten years ago, for 

 the simple reason that food is fully fifty per cent higher in cost, and 

 that wages have increased. Furthermore, the supply of trees is 

 much more inaccessible and, as a consequence, a far greater cost is 

 «ntailed in cutting and hauling logs than formerly. It is estimated 

 that this extra cost amounts to fully $25 a thousand feet. The oper- 

 ators often have to haul their logs over a distance as long as fifteen 

 miles and when it is considered that sixteen to eighteen head of cattle 

 are required to haul one log, the expense can be more readily com- 

 prehended. But notwithstanding the extra cost of production, the 

 lumber has been selling up to recently at less than ten years ago. 

 The gentleman's point seems to be well taken. 



Shippers Granted Legal Right to Specif y Routing 



A recent ruling of the St. Louis Court of Appeals should have a 

 far-reaching and lasting effect upon the much discussed question as 

 to the right of a shipper to designate beyond the lines of the original 

 •carrier, as to the routing of his shipment. This question has been in 

 a highly unsettled state for years and has caused any amount of 

 trouble and litigation. The decision of the Court of Appeals was 

 first rendered by the lower courts and is as follows: 



' ' The right of a carrier who accepts goods for transportation over 

 connecting lines, and figures a bill of lading, specifying therein a 

 certain routing beyond its own line, to disregard the said specified 

 routing, is denied, notwithstanding the printed portion of the bUl of 

 lading specified that the initial carrier would not be liable for loss 

 accruing beyond its own lines. ' ' 



The case in question was in the nature of a test case and has been 

 strenuously fought by the railroads since its beginning. It contains 

 testimony which will prove exceedingly interesting in the ultimate 

 solution of this problem. The complainant was the Lord-Bushnell 

 Company of Chicago, which concern purchased from a Texas company 

 a car of lumber which was delivered by the seller to the T. & N. O. 

 at Hyatt, Tex., under the following bUl of lading: 



"From J. S. & W. M. Eice, Hyatt, Tex., deliver to Lord & Bush- 

 nell Company at Chicago, 111., via C, E. I. & P. at Kansas City." 



The provision for delivery at Kansas City was entirely ignored by 

 the railroad, which delivered via St. Joseph. When the company 

 received notice that the car was in Chicago on the Eock Island, it 

 had already made a sale of the same in Kansas City and, as a conse- 

 quence, had to reconsign the car to that point at an additional freight 

 charge of practically $100. The opinion of the court upholds the 

 complainant in every point. 



Weeks Reserve Bill Becomes Law 



The much discussed and much opposed Appalachian reserve bUI, 

 fathered by Eepresentative Weeks of Massachusetts, has at last been 

 signed by President Taft and will become effective immediately. Sev- 

 eral important conferences have already been held with a view to 

 providing measures for immediately carrying out the provisions of 

 this important legislation, and it is expected that the commission 

 provided for in the bill will be in a position to begin active work 

 soon after the adjournment of Congress. The commission will include 

 two members of each house, secretaries of war and agriculture and 

 the director of the geological survey. 



It is proposed to send experts from the Forest Service and the 

 geological survey into the field immediately. There is no definite 

 locality specified in the bill where the land is to be acquired, but it is 

 understood that the first action vdU be taken in the southern Appa- 

 lachians and in the White Mountains. It has been estimated that 

 the object of the bill, namely, the safeguarding of the headwaters of 

 important streams originating in these mountains, can be accomplished 

 by the acquisition of 5,000,000 acres of land in the Appalachians, and 

 1,000,000 acres in the White Mountains, for which it has been claimed 

 the government must pay about $3.50 per acre for the former and 

 $6 an acre for the latter. The policy probably will be first to take 

 over cutover lands, as these can be bought much more readily than 

 the timber sections, which will be acquired as the importance of action 

 makes itself more manifest. 



Something of a Jolt 



With headquarters in the Monadnock building, Chicago, there 

 is located a gentleman whose official title is "Commissioner," 

 He has in charge the statistics and analysis of the affairj of the 

 manufacturers of coffins, caskets, dining tables, parlor tabJes, etc., 

 and is not afraid to get after his clients on any and all subjects 

 which he thinks would be for the betterment of the various indus- 

 tries that he represents. If he really issued the card in connection 

 with his business that he should, it would read: 

 M. WULPI, 

 Dealer in 

 Brass Tack Facts and Aiky Persiflage, 

 Chicago. 

 Here is a specimen of one of his "jolts" to his clients: 

 Circular No. 31-Joint. 

 SOME MANUFACTURERS' ENTERPRISES VS. GEESE 



FARMS. 

 To Members. Gentlemen : 



The glowing visions of profits held out by promoters o£ 

 new casket and furniture plants reminds the writer of the 

 famous goose farm you may have heard about. It was an 

 enterprise that was figured as follows ; 



Stockholders necessary, three. One hundred dollars share 

 of stock each. 



Entire stock invested in purchase of geese at .$1 per : 

 making a total of 300 geese. 



No salary to be paid to officers or directors. 

 No expenditures for promotion or good will. 

 Every cent to go into stock (geese). 



Bach goose to lay three eggs per week. Three hundred 

 geese equals 46,800 eggs per year. 



Three years equals 140,400 eggs, all to be incubated and 

 hatched. 



Allowing 40,400 bad eggs, result 100,000 live geese for 



Market Results 



3 pounds feathers per goose, 300,000 pounds, at $1. .?300.000 



100.000 pair goose livers at 60 cents 60.000 



Two buttons per goose bill at 1 cent 2.000 



100,000 dressed geese at ?1.50 150,000 



Total income $512,000 



Estimated operating expense $172,000 



Original capital invested 300 



.$172,300 



Total profit $339,700 



Profit per share $113,255.33, or 37,744 per cent. 

 I fear that some established plants are operating on lines 

 almost as senseless as these. 



It is remarkable the amount of money there is invested 

 in the casket and furniture manufacturing business that 

 is being operated with but little knowledge of conditions : 

 and what is more lamentable, little desire to know condi- 

 tions. Someone has said "Know thyself." How true this 

 admonition is. Respectfully. 



M. Wulpl, Commissioner. 



The satire involved in this circular is just as apropos to a lot 



of direct and indirect enterprises engaged in by the hardwood 



lumber fraternity as it is to the manufacturers of caskets and 



furniture. It covers the general line of schemes from eucalyptus 



promotion to the establishment of new coffin factories where none 



are needed, and which have no earthly show of commercial success. 



Exit Ballinger 



As a satirical paragrapher says — "Ballinger has, but is not re- 

 signed. ' ' 



It has taken a long time for the president and ex-secretary to 

 awaken to the fact that the latter was an undesirable member of the 

 cabinet, and despite Mr. Taft's unshaken confidence in the ex-secre- 

 tary, the latter 's connection with the administration has become too 

 heavy a load to carry further. It is a good thing that Mr. Ballinger 

 has at last stepped out and there is a belief that his successor, Walter 

 L. Fisher of Chicago, will be an acceptable appointee. 



On conservation the new secretary swings far from his predecessor. 

 He is a friend of Pinchot, Roosevelt and Garfield. It is noteworthy 

 that, unlike his predecessor, he is not of a crusading type. His work 

 in life has not been to arouse men to great dreams of splendid visions, 

 but it has been to make such dreams practical, efiicient and useful in 

 daily life. It seems as though Mr. Fisher might become a most 

 logical secretary of the interior department. 



Mr. Fisher has the reputation of being a cool, able, right-minded 

 man, thoroughly fitted to meet the demands of the president and the 

 people. He has shown evidence of his fitness to make conservation 

 a going concern by working out a logical plan that he presented at 

 the last convention of the American Conservation Congress. Another 

 quality possessed by the new incumbent is personal integrity. 



