February 10, 1919 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



Clubs and Associations 



Congress of Lumber Interests 

 Plans have l)i'i'u aniiDUiiccd lor a lunilicr <-<)iii;re.ss to assemble in Chicago 

 April 14, 1.5 anil li!. It will ininiediately i>rpcede the annual meeting 

 ot the National Lumber Manufac-turers' Assoeiatiou, and it will take in all 

 branches ot the lumber industry from logging to the selling ot the product 

 to final consumers, and the proper use of wood. Members of every branch 

 of the industry will be invited to attend the congress and take part in the 

 program. Trade extension, lumber economics, logging', manufacturing, 

 distribution, problems ot transportation, publicity and advertising, are 

 some of the subjects that will come up for consideri^ion. Though the entire 

 list of speakers cannot be announced bow, W. B. Colver, chairman of the 

 Federal Trade (^\)niniission ; H. S. Graves, chief of the forest service, and 

 li. 8. Cutler, head of the bure:iu of foreign and domestic commerce, will 

 be on the program. 



Foreign Trade Convention to Meet 



The sixth annual nieetius; of the Xatiunal Koreigu Trade Council will 

 convene in Chicago, April 24, for a three days' session. The body ot busi- 

 ness men who are expected to come together on that occasion will have 

 plenty of work before them, for the prime subject for discussion and action 

 will lie, how shall we meet our foreign trade needs? The subject includes 

 so much that it will afford abundant topics for papers and addresses for 

 the whole three days. Noted trade leaders from all parts of the country 

 are expected to be present to lend their assistance to the movement. Con- 

 certed action is needed to meet the pre-sent uncertainty of the foreign 

 trade situation. This can best be attained by assembling representative 

 men from all lines of business and every secticm of the country, obtaining 

 from them their expert opinion and then moulding this opinion into a vigor- 

 ous policy, to prevent depression during the transition period. 



Wood Preservers and Tie Contractors Meet at St. Louis 



The annual meeting of the National Wood Preservers' Association and 

 the annual conference of the tie contractors were held in the order above 

 given at the Hotel Statler, St. Louis, Mo., on .January 2G to 31. During 

 the session of the wood preservers an address was given covering service 

 tests on ties and timber, by J. H. Waterman. 



John Foley, assistant manager of the forest products section of the 

 federal railroad administration, addressed the meeting on the subject of 

 procuring and preserving cross-ties. 



The National Organization of Timber and Tie Men was formed at the 

 session on January 31, at which all the tic contractors were called into 

 conference. 



The tie men were addressed Thursday afternoon by M. E. Towner, man- 

 ager of the forest products section of the United States railroad admin- 

 istration. 



Protest Demurrage On Lumber On Docks 



The managing committee of the Baltimore I^uniber Exchange,' at its 

 monthly meeting held February 4, discussed the decision of the Merchants 

 & Miners' Transportation Company to charge demurrage on lumber as 

 if it were carried in railroad cars. The members of the committee failed 

 to see how such a charge could be equitably imposed in view- of the fact 

 that, unlike the railroads, there is no delaying of cars or other loss to the 

 steamship company involved, the lumber being put on the dock as it arrives 

 aboard the company's steamers. It is very probable that representatiiuis 

 in the premises will be made. Chief Inspector J. G. Creamer was directed 

 to augment the staff of lumber Inspectors, to the end that the work of 

 handling shipments might go forward without delay, and that existing 

 vacancies and others to come may be filled. President P. M. Womble 

 occupied the chair. 



Memphis Has Jobs for Returning Soldiers 

 "The finding of positions for the men who have returned or who are 

 returning from the cantonments in this country or from overseas service 

 is tlie most important issue confronting the business men of Memphis and 

 every other city, village and community in the United States," declared 

 Earl Palmer, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce soldier-employment 

 committee at the semi-monthly meeting of the Lumbermen's Clul) of Jleni- 

 phis Saturday. February 1. 



"We lumbermen cannot afford to turn a cold shoulder to these men 

 when they are seeking employment with us after we cheered them so 

 vociferously as they marched away to the cantonments. It is squarely 

 up to us to take care of just as many of them as we possibly can and we 

 must do it even if we have to let the women, who have been filling their 

 places, go. The place of women is in the home. If the men are given 

 employment on a profitable basis they will take care of the 'women by 

 marrying them and making homes for them." 



George C. Ehemann, chairman of the river and rail committee, called 

 attention to the big reduction in ocean freight rates on lumber and forest 

 products — from $3.50 to $1 to $1.15 per hundred pounds. 



The club, according to announcement of F. T. Dooley, chariman of the 

 entertainment committee, will give a lianquet at the Hotel Gayoso the 

 evening of February 21 to be attended by members of this organization, 

 their wives, daughters and sweethearts. Cabaret, dancing and other fea- 

 tures will characterize this function. Mr. Dooley said the dinner dance at 

 the Colonial Country Club the evening of January 31 was an exceedingly 

 enjoyable affair. It was under the auspices of the Lumbermen's Club. 



H. J. M.' Jorgensen, president of the club, announced that he would 

 attend the national waterways meet in Washington this week and was 

 authorized to appoint other delegates because of the importance of this 

 mei'tiug to the lower Mississippi valley, .including Memphis. 



Exporters Take On New Members 



At the annual meeting of the National Lumber Exporters' -Association in 

 New Orleans, January 22 and 23, the addition to the membership of sixteen 

 firms and corporations was announced, as follows : 



Ree.se-Scott Company, Ltd., New Orleans. 



Cyrus P. Shafer Lumber Company, South Bend, Ind. 



Samuel E. Barr, New York. 



W. P. Brown & Sons Lumber Company, Louisville, Ky. 



George W. Hartzell. Piqua, O. 



James E. Stark & Co.. Memphis. Tenn. 



Liverpool Hardwood Company, is^ew York. 



O. H. Sample Lumber Company, St. Louis. 



!->. I>. Murelle Lumber Company, Inc., Memphis. 



Thompson-Katz Lumber Company, Memphis, Tenn. 



Stimson Veneer & Lumber Company, Mejuphis, Tenn. 



Otis Manufacturing Company, New Orleans. 



C. L. Willey Company, Chicago. 



Pickrel Walnut Company, St. Louis. 



Cincinnati Walnut Lumber Company, Cincinnati. 



Wood-Mosaic Company, New Albany, Ind. 



Fred. .-Vrn, the retiring president, in the course of his address, severely 

 criticized the authorities at Washington for discriminating in favor of 

 cotton in the matter of through bills of lading, and withholding such 

 a concession from lumber. A special committee was named, including 

 John L. Alcock of Baltimore, to make proper representations in the prem- 

 ises and also endeavor to secure! a removal of the restrictions which Great 

 Britain continues to impose on the importation of American woods. The 

 other members of the committee are A. S. Williams of the Astoria Veneer 

 Mills & Dock Company, New York, and M. J. Dukes of the R. A. & J. J. 

 Williams Company. Philadelphia. 



Statement Regarding Ocean Rate Reductions 



The Southern Ilanlwood Ti'artic Association has issued the following 

 statement to its members regarfling the redui'liun in ocean freight rates, 

 both present and prospective : 



Shipping rates from the United States to the United Kingdom have been 

 cut from $3.50 to $1 per hundred, a reduction of 66% per cent. In the 

 past week we have been advised of three rates from New Orleans to Liver- 

 pool, $1, $1.15 and $1.25. all British liners. The United States Shipping 

 Board advises that it will equalize the New York-Liverpool rate through 

 New Orleans. In other words, if you were shipping to New York on a 

 41-cent rate, your rate to Liverpool would be $1.41 either through New 

 York or New Orleans. It will therefore be seen that the English rate is 

 better than the United States Shipping Board rate. 



The steamship managers of New York state that the rate is fixed at the 

 dead bottom, and that shippers will act wise if they contract in advance. 

 We do not agree with their views, however, as the indications are that 

 the rates will decline somewhat further. We feel that it will be quite 

 unwise to book any large amount of business on the rates quoted here 

 because, in our opinion, if a firm offer were made, the steamship com- 

 panies would be inclined to still further reduce their rates. 



We quote these rates for the benefit of our members in order that they 

 may see that there is good prospect of a stabilized and reasonable rate 

 within the near future. 



Commenting on the foregoing, Mr. Townshend, secretary-manager of the 

 association, said : 



I am inclined to think that the rate <vill drop as low as 50 and perhajis 

 as low as 40 cents In the near future. That would represent an increase 

 of 100 to 150 per cent over the pre-war rate, and this looks as if it were 

 large enough to cover any increased expense or risk brought about by 

 the war and the scarcity of ocean shipping space, which is now being 

 rapidly overcome. Every booking that is made at present rates would 

 entail loss to the shipper or to the importer, and for that reason I am 

 inclined to advise caution in making bookings at tlie current level. 



The association is rather strongly of the opinion that there will be no 

 legislation at this session of congress on railroad O'^'nership, but it Is 

 frankly afraid of the power of the railroads to initiate rates without the 

 approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission. It says on this point : 



It hardly seems probable that any general legislation will be enacted at 

 this session. It is highly desirable, however, that each meml>er write to 

 his senator and congressman urging that the power of the commission to 

 suspend advances be iiniu'-diately restored. The carriers have under con- 

 sideration several radical aihan'ces which, under present conditions, they 

 can put into effect without the approval of the commission. If the power 

 of the commission is not immediately fully restored your rates may be 

 advanced in excess of the 25 per cent increase already allowed, while other 

 commodities will not lie advanced. 



L. W. Crow Becomes President of the Chicago Association 



Through the death of C. B. Flinn, a day after his election to the presi- 

 dency by the directors of the Lumbermen's .Association of Chicago, L. W. 

 Crow, who at the same time was elected vice-president, came into the 

 presidency. Mr. Crow is an old-time member of the Chicago trade and 

 is an able and popular lumberman. He served a term as president two or 

 three years ago. 



Mr. Crow's office as vice-president is now filled by F. J. Heidler, mem- 

 ber of the board of directors. 



