•^ Traffic Matters Around Memphis -5^ 



It is announced that a number of jiroiiiincnt linriluiincl 

 lumber manufacturers in Mississippi luive filed a petition with the 

 Interstate Commerce Commission, styled the Bellgrade Lumber 

 Company et al. vs. the Illinois Central and Yazoo & Mississippi 

 Valley roads, through which it is sought to make the rates in 

 etfeet on gum applicable to oak and all other hardwoods. About a 

 year ago the oomnii.ssion allowed the roa<Is in question to advance 

 rates on hardwoods trom Memphis to New Orleans to twelve cents 

 per hundred pounds but stipulated in the order that the rate on gum 

 from points south of the main line of the Southern Railway in 

 Mississippi to New Orleans should be only ten cents, and that from 

 points north of the main line of the same road and south of the 

 Mississipi)i state line should be only eleven cents. The i)resent 

 petition, which is being handled by the Southern Hardwood Traf- 

 fic Bureau, through J. R. Walker, its attorney, with headquarters 

 in Washington, and J. H. Townshend, secretary-manager, with 

 offices in Memphis, is signed by a number of Mississippi firms, in- 

 cluding the following, in addition to the Bellgrade Lumber Com- 

 pany; Alexander Brothers, Belzoni, Miss.; Barr-Holaday Lumber 

 Company, Greenefield, O.; Darnell-Love Lumber Company, Leland, 

 Miss.; E. J. Darnell, Inc., Memphis and Batesville, Miss.; John 

 Dulweber Company, Cincinnati; Green River Lumber Company, 

 Memphis; Lamb-Fish Lumber Company, Charleston, Miss.; S. C. 

 Major Lumber Company, Memphis; Russe & Burgess, Inc., Mem- 

 phis; Tallahatchie Lumber Company, Phillip, Miss.; Taylor & Crate, 

 Memphis; A. N. Thompson & Co., Memphis, and Ward Lumber 

 Company, Chicago. 



After the filing of this petition, a meeting of the Southern Hard- 

 wood Traffic Bureau was held here at which it was decided that 

 an intervening petition should be filed asking that, when a hear- 

 ing was arranged in the case of the Bellgrade Lumber Company, 

 Memphis lumbermen should be given the privilege of presenting 

 evidence in favor of a rate of eleven cents on hardwood lumber of 

 all kinds from Memphis to New Orleans. This will be filed in the 

 name of the Anderson-Tully Company against the Illinois Central 

 and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley roads. As giving some idea of the 

 active interest taken in this matter, it may be stated that the 

 following well-known firms and individuals doing business here 

 have become parties to this intervening petition: 



Anderson-Tully Company, Bennett Hardwood Lumber Company. 

 Chickasaw Cooperage Company, I. M. Darnell & Son Co., Darnell- 

 Love Lumber Company, Columbia Package Company, R. J. Darnell, 

 Inc., Dudley Lumber Company, F. T. Dooley Lumber Company, 

 Gayoso Lumber Company, C. S. Gladden, Goodlander-Robertson 

 Lumber Company, Green River Lumber Company, C. D. Hendrick- 

 son Lumber Company, C. M. Kellogg Lumber Company, Kennedy 

 Heading Company, May Brothers, Memphis Band Mill Company, 

 Memphis Hardwood Flooring Company, Memphis Veneer & Lumber 

 Company, McLean Hardwood Lumber Company, Mossman Lumber 

 Company, Moore & McFerrin, Nickey Brothers & Bass, Inc., Nickey 

 Sons & Co., Inc., Nolan Brothers Hardwood Lumber Company, 

 Russe & Burgess, Inc., James E. Stark & Co., J. V. Stimson Hard- 

 wood Company, P. F. Stone, Tennessee Hoop Company, James 

 Thompson Lumber Company, Tschudy Lumber Company, Vanden- 

 Boom-Stimson Lumber Company and the John M. Woods Lumber 

 Company. 



The Memphis and Mississippi firms have joined hands on the 

 issues involved in this contest and believe that it will be possible 

 to secure the lower rates sought. It is pointed out that Memphis 

 is only a few miles above the Mississippi state line and that, if the 

 gum rate is applicable to oak and other hardwoods, giving a rate 

 of eleven cents to New Orleans, there is no reason why Memphis 

 Should have to pay one cent more for the additional haul. There 

 is a large amount of money involved in the contest and the fight 

 promises to be a rather strenuous one. 



J. H. Townshend, secretary-manager of the bureau, is just in 

 receipt of information that the officials of the Louisville & Nash- 



villi' road will shortly issue tariffs in conformity with the ruling 

 of the commission about a year ago dealing with transit arrange- 

 ments. The other roads affected immediately jmt in tariffs provid- 

 ing that refunds on shipments of logs could bo had regardless of 

 the kinds of logs shipped in or the kind of lumber shipped out. 

 The Louisville & Nashville, however, insisted on holding back 

 the refunds unless the recipient of gum logs shipped out gum 

 lumber. The bureau was preparing to file a petition with the 

 commission seeking to compel the compliance of the Louisville & 

 Nashville when this news was received. May Brothers, Nickey & 

 Sons Co., Inc., Nickey Brothers & Bass, Inc., the Memphis Veneer 

 & Lumber Co., and several other prominent firms here are directly 

 affected by the tariffs soon to be issued. 



The printer has just completed the annual reports of the South- 

 ern Hardwood Traffic Bureau and copies of these can be had upon 

 application to the general offices of that body in Memphis. 



J. H. Townshend has returned during the past few days from 

 Washington where he went to appear before the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission in protest against the proposed advance of five 

 per cent in general freight rates. He and James E. Stark, one of 

 the board of governors of the Southern Hardwood Traffic Bureau, 

 were the representatives of this body before the commission. Mr. 

 Townshend is of the opinion that the commission will allow some 

 relief to the railroads but he doubts if this will come in the shape 

 of any general advance in freight rates, especially as affecting lum- 

 ber and forest products. He thinks that there will be new orders 

 covering the handling of business at the more important terminals, 

 switching charges, handling of reconsignments and other service 

 performed by the roads. 



Logging Conditions Around Memphis 



Prospects are a little more favorable for an adequate supply of 

 timber at Memphis and elsewhere in this territory. This is due 

 to the rise in the Mississippi and its tributaries and the conse- 

 quent more satisfactory stage for the handling of ■ logs by water. 

 Rafting is now possible and the higher water is enabling log' 

 owners to reach timber that has heretofore been inaccessible.. 

 The river mills have been put to their wits ' end to secure enough 

 timber to keep them in operation and they heartily welcome the 

 change. The river is some twenty feet lower than at this time 

 last year, but lumbermen in this city and section are much better 

 pleased with the current stage than with that of last year. There 

 are prospects of higher water in the near future, owing to the 

 heavy rains and snows in the upper valleys of the Mississippi, 

 Missouri and Ohio rivers, but nothing suggesting a repetition of 

 flood conditions prevalent during the spring of 1913 and 1912. 

 So far as rail receipts of timber are concerned, these show quite 

 a pronounced shrinkage compared with last year. The shortage 

 since January 1 is estimated at 700 to 800 cars, and an official 

 of the Valley Log Loading Company is authority for the state- 

 ment that the outlook is for smaller arrivals by rail in March this 

 year than during the same month in 1913. The winter, however, 

 has been quite open and a great deal of timber is being prepared 

 for shipment, with the result that prospects point to a heavier 

 movement after April 1 than was witnessed during the preceding 

 season. Altogether the mills are congratulating themselves on the 

 improved outlook in this respect. 



Waiver of Delay in Delivery 



A buyer 's acceptance of goods after the date when the seller has 

 contracted to deliver them waives any right to rescind the contract 

 on account of the delay, but does not prevent the buyer from making 

 a claim for damage resulting to him through the seller 's failure 

 to make the delivery within the stipulated time. (New York Su- 

 preme Court, Appellate Term; Molin vs. New York & Pennsylvania 

 Smokeless Coal Company; 145 New Y'ork Supplement 116.) 



