56 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



December 10, 1918 



The Cost of Power 



There has never been a tlnio in the history of our manufacturing In- 

 dustries when power cost was more generally oonsidored than now. It 

 matters not that you may have fuel in the form of waste for your own 

 power needs. Tlv scarcity of fuel has. advanced power costs sharply and 

 may seriously limit power consumptions in many lines before the winter is 

 over. And when it comes to limiting and shutting down industries the 

 curtailment will in the main fall on all aliiu; in a given industry. We 

 had a little touch of that last winter when woodworking plants, getting 

 t!u'ir power fuel from w-.iste, were refused permission to run when the 

 shortagi' of coal necessitated the dosing of other factories. One of the 

 lessons we should get from all this is that power is an item in cost that 

 shoulil he figured much higher than in the past, especially among plants 

 using waste for fuel. 



Spools to Be Smaller 



War regulations have hit the spools used tor thread in sewing and yarn 

 in weaving. The official announcement says that the size of spools now 

 in use for winding carpet and button threads is to be reduced by at least 

 50 per cent, without any reduction in yardage, and the number of colors 

 manufactured for stock is to he reduced as far as possible. For the manu- 

 facturing trade tubes and cones are to be substituted where possible for 

 wooden spools. One of the largest manufacturers of cotton thread re- 

 I'orts that under the plan of conservation he will save ne.\t year 407,379 

 r«ninds of wrapping paper: 9.774 pounds of twine, and 5,140.815 feet of 

 luiid)er. No estimate has been made of thi' savings in cardboard boxes, 

 nails, etc.. used in the industry. 



Resurrection of the Wooden Bridge 



War is bringing the wooden bridge back. Steel is so expensive now 

 that wood is cheaper and is getting the call. This applies chiefly to high- 

 way liridges. for wood is not strong enough for very long and large rail- 

 road structures which must carry heavy loads and sustain great strain. 

 For the ordinary highway bridge, wood Is as good as steel in nearly every 

 respect, and in some ways it is better. In the days of turnpikes, from 

 fifty to a hundred and fifty years ago, wooden bridges were roofed with 

 shingles, like houses, and the sides were weather boarded to keep the 

 timbers dry. Thus protected, the bridges stood as well as houses. They 

 nceiled occasional repairs, such as roots, paint and floors. Bridges of that 

 kind are still standing that were built seventy-five years ago. 



r.uilders of wooden bridges in the old days selected their wood from 

 the best available. Yellow poplar and white pine were favorites when 

 they could be had. Oak is heavy and for that reason it was not gener- 

 ally used ; yet heavier woods occasionally found place as bridge timbers. 

 A long bridge across the Susquehanna river in I'ennsylvania was largely 

 of locust, and it stood a long time. 



A well built wooden bridge, protected against the weather, requires no 

 more repairing than a steel structure, and the claim has been made that 

 it will last longer. The high price and great shortage .of steel beams at 

 this time ought to call attention to wood as bridge material. 



Clubs and Associations 



Prize Essays on Forestry 



The North Carolina Forestry Association will next year continue its 

 lustom of giving cash prizes for the three best essays on forestry written 

 lpy high school pupils in the state. The prizes are $10, $5. and $3 respec- 

 tively, and the subject this time will be "Roadside Trees." 



Bobsleds to Remain Forty-four Inches 



The makers of bolisleds who belong to the National Implement and 

 Vehicle Association, intend retaining the standard track width at forty- 

 four inches. This was agreed upon for the next two years, from .July 1, 

 1919. The track of forty-four inches was voted the standard at the meet- 

 ing of the bobsled manufacturers last Septembei-. 



KnoxvUle Lumbermen's Club Expanding 



The Lumbermen's Club of Knoxville. Tenn.. has taken measures to in- 

 crease its membership and extend its influence. Invitations have been 

 sent to lumber manufacturers and wholesalers of eastern Tennessee to 

 become members, and arrangements have been made to provide ample 

 <dub room. The secretary Is Henry C. Kopcke, and the committee of 

 arrangements consists of Harry Saxton, Carl F. Maples, and J. B. 

 Williams. 



British Want Oak Squares 



The Hardwood Manufacturers' Associatiou, Cincinnati, made public the 

 following information on November 23: 



The British War Mission, 1735 Equitable building, 120 Broadway, New 

 York city, is in the nuirket for the following white oak squares : 5 cars 

 IMtxlVj"', length 30 and 30" ; 10 cars 2x2", lengths 30, 32, 36, 42 and 48", 

 principally 30" ; 5 cars 2V4x2%", lengths same as 2" : 5 cars 3x3", lengths 

 28, 30, 32 and 30": 5 cars 3%x3V2", length 20": 5 cars 4, 4% and 5" 

 square, equal proportions of each, in lengths of 4i/j to feet. 



They require strictly prime quality stock, uniform thickness and width, 

 to l)e full thickness and width wben dry. It will be necessary to have 



the stock put up in bundles securely tied with wire. Stock will be ac- 

 cepted either dry or shipping dry. 



Prices are required per one thousand feet, f. o. b. cars with shipping 

 rate of freight named to New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston and 

 New Orleans. 



Persons Interested in this inquiry will please quote prices direct to the 

 British War Mission at the above address, marking quotations for the 

 attention of R. S. Courtney, deputy director of purchases, referring to 

 .Section "I.," Punnage, .ippllcation 13S5. 



Hardwood Manufacturers' November Stock Report 

 The Hardwoo<l Manufacturers' Association of the United States has sent 

 to its members a detailed statistical table showing the status of green and 

 dry stocks on hand October 1 and November 1. 1918. The figures give 

 73,821,000 feet as the amount of green hardwoods on hand October 1, with 

 70,170,000 feet for November 1, while the dry stocks for the corresponding 

 months were : 207,045.0(10 feet and 250.107.00i> feet respectively, making 

 the decrease in all hardwoods reported 14.5.*<1.00O feet. 



Status of the Bulkheading Measure 



The traffic committee of the National Luinliei- Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion has urged that immediate steps be taken to bring the bulk heading 

 matter to an issue before the railroad administration and in the event 

 that an agreement cannot be reached with that body to submit the entire 

 matter to the Interstate Commerce Commission before being put into 

 effect : that the necessary legal proceedings be taken to protect the in- 

 terests of the lumber industry. 



Trade Policy Urged 



The National Foreign Trade Council, with headquarters in New York, 

 has formulated one of Its policies in the shape of resolutions which have 

 been widely published. One urges the completion witliout abatement of 

 the construction program of the United States Shipping Board, and the 

 other urges the closest coordination between the army, navy, the War 

 Trade Board, the United Shipping Board, and the Food Administration, 

 in order to minimize the disadvantageous effects of the war restrictions 

 upon exports and imports, pending complete removal of such restiictlons. 



Recommend Return to Competitive Prices 



John M. Pritchard, secretary manager of the American Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association, who attended a recent conference with the forest 

 products section of the United States railroad administration, says that he 

 and others who took part therein recommended to the ofllcials in charge 

 of that department the return, as soon as possible, to purchase of lumber 

 for the use of the government on pre-war terms and prices, which were 

 determined by the laws of supply and demand. 



He says the officials took the recommendation under advisement, but 

 that they have not communicated to him any decision they may have 

 reached. , 



Seek Through Bills for Export 



Officials of the Southern Hardwood Traffic Association are expecting 

 more definite advices from Washington regarding through bills of lading 

 on shipments of hardwood lumber and forest products overseas and regard- 

 ing removal of restrictions on exports of these commodities. 



Through bills of lading are not obtainalile at present, and there is note- 

 worthy shortage of steamships for the handling of cargoes of lumber and 

 forest products overseas. The export department of the association Is 

 looking after charter of sailing and other vessels, but comparatively little 

 progress is being made for the reason that there are so few boats obtain- 

 able. 



There are indications that through bills of lading, with certain notable 

 reservations, will be nuxde in the immediate future on exports of cotton, 

 but there Is nothiug reaching this point suggestive of such action In connec- 

 tion with exports of hunber and forest products. 



Conditions Forecasted at Baltimore 



The forty-fourth annual meeting of the Lumber Exchange of Baltimore 

 was held at the Merchants' Club on Monday, Decemlier 2. Parker D. Dix, 

 president of the exchange, gave an analysis of prospects for lumber. He 

 commented on the present quiet condition, stating that we are but await- 

 ing the command to come forward and that there are Imsy times ahead 

 for all. He said that both domestic and foreign demand will be heavy. 

 According to Mr. Dix. mill stocks are below normal and badly broken, and 

 with the winter coming on there is little chance of restocking completely. 



Mr. Dix reviewed the past year's business, commenting on the new and 

 varied experiences resulting from war conilitions and government control 

 of industries and shipping. In spite of all this difficulty, the year appears 

 to most operators to be a comparatively satisfactory one. 



John L. Alcock spoke at the banquet following the meeting. He declared 

 that reconstruction would take every ounce of energy of the association. 



Ridgaway Merryman, chairman of the inspection committee, reported 

 that 00.700.210 feet of lumber hatl been inspected by the exchange during 

 the last year, this being 17,000,000 feet less than the year before. Of this 

 quantity hardwoods furnished 3.998.808 feet. 



According to the report, the seeming decline in the volume of business 

 was contrlbutable to the long period during last winter when the Chesa- 

 peake Bay was frozen over and vessels could not move and to the embargoes 

 of the last few months. Mr. Merryman reported that there was not a 

 single dispute on any of the association's Inspections. 



