April 10, 1919 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



30a 



A special committee of the National Lumber Exporters' Associa- 

 tion, including R. S. Huildleston, of the HudiUeston-Marsh Mahog- 

 any Company, New York; Wm. E. Weakley, W. M. Rittcr Lumber 

 Company, Columbus, O. ; John L. Alcoek, John L. Alcock & Co., Bal- 

 timore; Wm. H. Russe, Kusse & Burgess, Inc., Memphis; Fred A. 

 Arn, J. M. Card Lumber Company, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Fred. W. 

 Mowbray, The Mowbray & Robinson Company, and Harvey M. 

 Dickson, secretary of the association, held a conference April 3 in 

 New York with the Transatlantic Associated Conferences, an organi- 

 ■ zation of steamship men, to discuss prepayment of inland and ocean 

 freight, through export bills of lading, and stabilization of ocean 

 freight rates. 



Practically all the steamship lines operating between North 

 Atlantic ports and Europe were represented and every one of the 

 pending questions was discussed at considerable length. 



The question of prepayment of freight, being so intimately con- 

 nected with that of through ocean bills of lading, was left open 

 till the latter issue can be adjusted. C. E. Spens, of the National 

 Railroad Administration, who was present, announced that he had 

 conferred with the steamship men and had given assurances that 

 the Railroad Administration would meet the transatlantic lines half 

 way, cooperating to the end that the matter of prepayment can be 



adjusted upon a mutually satisfactory basis. Mr. Spens is to see 

 the railroads again and ascertain just what they are prepared to do, 

 reporting their decisoiu to the steamship representatives. Included 

 in the settlement of this issue is an extension of free time on 

 exports. Assurances were given that the restoration of through 

 bills of lading was sure to come in the near future. 



On the subject of stabilization of rates, the lumber ex]iorters 

 stated that the trade had been subjected to serious losses as a result 

 of the frequent important fluctuations in rates, which were reduced 

 froin $3.50 per 100 pounds to $3, and then to .$1, being thereafter 

 increased to .$1..50 and $1.75. The steamship men gave assurances 

 that there would be no further wide changes and that every effort 

 would be made to maintain rates at definite figures. It was agreed 

 that in the future the difference between the rates on hardwoods 

 and on softwoods should not be more than ten per cent, thus get- 

 ting down to the pre-war basis, when the charge on oak was 20 

 cents and that on poplar 22 cents. It is now $1.50 on oak and $1.75 

 on poplar. 



In a general wa^- it is to be said that the results of the conference 

 are viewed by the exporters with much satisfaction as making for a 

 termination of the uncertainty that has prevailed in the trade. 



Estimated Lumber Cut in 1918 



A total lumber production of 32,760,000,000 feet is the estimated 

 cut for the year 1918, on the basis of partial returns received by 

 the Forest Service, of the United States Department of Agriculture, 

 from 731 sawmills, each one of which cut 5,000,000 or more feet in 

 the years 1917 or 1918. 



In 1917 the total production amounted to 36,000,000,000 feet. The 

 decrease in 1918 is not confined to any one region but is general. It 

 is largest in the southern and eastern states and least in the western 

 states. 



The attached summary shows the production liy states, the number 

 of mills reporting and the reported cut. 



Xo. (if Reported 



State — Mills Cut (feet) 



Alabama 20 252.248,000 



Arkansas 39 655,121,000 



Florida IS 291,924,000 



Georgia 13 134,688,000 



Louisiana 91 1,674,662,000 



Mississippi 55 929,444,000 



Texas 31 560.987,000 



North Carolina '. 26 287.783,000 



South Carolina 15 197,819,000 



Virginia 8 77,794,000 



Michigan 37 412,249,000 



Minnesota 16 418,751,000 



Wisconsin 45 682.439,000 



California and Nevada 38 951,367,000 



Oregon 68 2,004,882,000 



Washington 139 3,226,169,000 



Idaho IS 548,469,000 



Montana S 281,620,000 



Arizona 4 76,652,000 



New Mexico 5 48,854,000 



Tennessee 4 47,751,000 



West Virginia 16 160,117,000 



Maine 9 82,430,000 



Missouri 8 90,018,000 



Two trees that bear the name mahogany occur in the Rocky Moun- 

 tain region and westward, one designated as valley and the other 



1 



as mountain mahogany. Neither is any kin to mahogany, and the 

 only claim to the name is that the wood is reddish. Neither attains 

 large size and, so far as known, ever goes to the sawmill. 



The Nation's Cut-Over Lands 



The aggregate area of cut-over land in the United States is placed 

 at 228,509,000 acres, the ten states having the largest areas being, 

 in the order named: Georgia, Alabama, Minnesota, Arkansas, Wis- 

 consin, Mississippi, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, and Mich- 

 igan. Cut-over land is understood to mean ground from which the 

 timber has been removed but farming has not been developed. 

 Nearly half of the states are not credited with any cut-over land, 

 though every state has a little. Among those not credited with 

 any are Massachusetts, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, 

 Arizona, and Utah. Swamp and overflowed land is not included 

 in this list. The three Pacific coast states have more than ten mil- 

 lion acres of cut-over land, and the New England states over nine 

 million acres. 



Fashion rules in many small items of wood utilization. The use of 

 applewood for the handsaw handle is an example. It is a good wood 

 for that purpose, but others ought to answer as well. The custom 

 of using it became habit, and habit became fashion. 



The wood of tame cherry is as handsome as that of the wild trees. 

 Large trees from superannuated orchards are occasionally cut into 

 saw logs and sent to mills. The heartwood is the valuable part, and 

 none but large trees are worth much. 



One of the most prolific fruit bearers of all wild trees is the 

 service or shad bush; but unfortunately no use is made of the fruit 

 because it is too soft to ship. In the northwestern part of the 

 United States the berry is dried for domestic use the same as the 

 huckleberry sometimes is in the eastern states. 



