20 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



October 25, 1918 



Important Announcements from Washington 



By H. C. Hallam 



Government Wants Articles of Wood 



It looks as though some woods and some woodworking industries 

 are coming into their own, in view of war conditions and the cur- 

 tailments and changes that grow out of them. For instance, the 

 first government order for wooden beds is believed to be in sight. 

 It will be for the United States Housing Corporation. The demand 

 is for only a limited number of wooden beds as yet, the housing 

 authorities preferring to get metal beds when they can get them. 

 However, the ice seems to have been broken. The beds wanted 

 are understood to be somewhat similar to the mission type of day 

 bed. It has been rumored that the government was about to buy 

 30,000 wooden beds, but this has not been confirmed. 



To a western manufacturer liaving a contract for 15,000 hos- 

 pital beds, who complained that lie could not get steel enough to 

 make them of metal, it has been intimated at the War Industries 

 Board that wooden beds might be substituted. 



Samples of wooden file cases and wooden lockers have been sub- 

 mitted by the furniture manufacturing interests for consideration 

 by the government departments, in view of a recent order that 

 wherever practicable office furniture should be bought in wood. 



However, the priorities division of the war industry has an- 

 nounced that by filling certain conditions priority certificates will 

 be given for certain purposes to concerns engaged in the metal 

 beds, cots, couches and bunks industry and the wire bound box 

 industry. 



Each of these industries, says a special circular, issued by the 

 priorities division, can supply essential needs if it can obtain cer- 

 tain limited quantities of materials and if such materials are 

 properly distributed among the manufacturers in the industry with 

 a view of balancing and equalizing stocks. No guaranty vidll be 

 given the industry that the materials called for in any priorities 

 certificate issued can be supplied. 



A manufacturer to obtain the certificate must file with the 

 priorities division a statement of stocks on hand, in storage or in 

 transit owned by such manufacturer his 1917 consumption of 

 materials and output of product; and quantities of materials needed 

 to balance stocks to manufacture reduced outputs ordered. 



The manufacturers must pledge themselves, also, to observe regu- 

 lations as to curtailments, economies and substitutions of materials; 

 to devote products to essential uses; not to furuish products for 

 resale to dealers without obtaining a similar pledge from them. 



The curtailments ordered for the last four months of the present 

 year require the metal beds, etc., industry, to reduce its production 

 of metal beds, etc., to a basis of not exceeding 50 per cent of four- 

 twelfths of its 1917 output of such products. 



One wood using industry that has prospered as a result of the 

 epidemic of Spanish influenza is that of making caskets. There has 

 been such a shortage of caskets in this part of the country that 

 local woodworking plants have had to take up their manufacture 

 in addition to the receipt of many carloads from established fac- 

 tories. This local work has caused postponement of work on a big 

 government order for blackboards which it has been proposed to 

 hang in each meat shop with standard official meat prices displayed 

 on it. 



The Spanish "flu" has gotten the goat of representatives of the 

 lumber industry in Washington. Practically the entire personnel 

 of some of the pine bureaus have been hers de combat, while Bob 

 Allen of the fir bureau has been laid up for repairs in Congress 

 hotel, Chicago. 



On the other hand, there has been rejoicing in certain lumber 

 circles over the recent arrival of babies in the families of Major 

 A. Mason Cooke of the office of the director of lumber and L. D. 

 Tanner, manager of the North Carolina Pine Bureau. Major Cooke 

 is proud of his red-haired daughter while Mr. Tanner speaks of 

 his heir as a prospective lumberman. 



West Coast Men Seek To Move Side Cuts 



There has been no change in the fir lumber and log prices fixed 

 by the government, which are to remain effective until January 15. 

 A delegation of fir men here October 11 to talk the matter over 

 with the price fixing committee of the War Industries Board did 

 not even ask for an increase. 



Some of the west coast men discussed with government people 

 the situation as regards the sidecuts produced in manufacturing 

 airplane and ship lumber, with the result that they said they had 

 assurances that the government would do the best it could to help 

 move the side cuts. 



If the mills are to be kept loaded up with this stuff and take 

 chances on selling it at low prices after the war, Mr. Burnside 

 opined that they would be better off if they were shut down as non- 

 essential, as has been suggested as a government policy for some 

 time with reference to little mills. If the government wants to 

 shut them down the mills will not kick, one man said. 



In view of prospective improvements in the sidecut situation, 

 it is understood that Senator Chamberlain of Oregon will not for 

 the present press his plan for a congressional investigation of the 

 matter. 



In connection with the proposed movement of side cuts and the 

 lumber embargo, some southern lumbermen say they are getting I 

 along well under a so-called rationing system which allows each 

 bureau to ship a limited number of cars per day to each military 

 camp in supplying which it may be interested. 



Regarding The Embargo 



Offices with authority to issue permits under the lumber embargo 

 have been established as follows: 



W. L. Barnes, assistant manager, oar service section. United States 

 Railroad Administration, Huriington Building, Chicago, 111., will issue per- 

 mits covering delivery in Wisconsin. Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. 



H. B. Sargent, special representative of car service section. United 

 States Railroad Administration, Union Central Building, Cincinnati, O., 

 will issue permits covering delivery in the state of Ohio. 



F. E. Dewey, special representative of car service section, Unitetl States 

 Railroad .Administration, South Station. Boston, Mass., will issue permits 

 covering delivery in all New England states. 



R. R. Russell, chairman of the freight traffic committee. Jurisdiction 

 of North .\tlantlc Ports. 141 Broadway, New York City, will issue per- 

 mits covering delivery in New York City. 



R. R. Blydenburg, chairman of domestic section, freight traffic com- 

 mittee. Broad Street Station. Philadelphia, Pa., will issue permits for 

 Philadelphia and the .\llcgheny region. Permits, however, for same terri- 

 tory may he secured through the central office, of the car service section, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Edwin S. King, chairman of the freight traffic committee, B. & O. Cen- 

 tral Bldg., Baltimore, Md.. has authority to issue permits covering de- 

 livery in Baltimore. 



E. S. Willcox, committee of freight traffic control, Southern Railway 

 Bldg., Washington, D. C. has authority to issue permits for Washington 

 and has control of traffic through Potomac gateway. 



For all other delivering points within the territory affected by the 

 embargo permits will lie issued from the central office of the car service 

 section, W. C. Kendall, manager, 718-18th Street. Washington, D. C. 



The Wholesale Lumbermen's Bureau here submits the following: 

 Points to be noted carefully in making requests for permits : 



a. Consignee's signature and explanation of need. 



b. Delivering Line .-Vgent's signature and approval. 



c. Name of Originating Line. 



d. If so desired, your own name may be inserted as shipper rather 

 than the mill. 



Blanket permits will not be Issued for retail yard and other large con- 

 sumers. 



Under certain conditions permits will be issued for cars of lumber and 

 shingles now at Minnesota Transfer, in storage, enroute, and received 

 since embargo became effective. 



Requests for permits filed with our bureau office are in the hands of 

 the car service section same date as received by us, and in certain cases 

 we can secure permit number immediately. 



We suggest our forms being used not only through the bureau but direct 

 with division offices as they have been very favorably commented upon. 



