May 25, 1917 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



31b. 



Adopt Resolutions on Death of George Burgess 



The American Oak Manufacturers' Association recently adopted resolu- 

 tions on the death of George D. Burgess of the Memphis firm of Russe 

 & Burgess, Inc., as fallows : 



Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to call from our midst George 

 D. Burgess of Memphis, Tenn., whose death occurred on the twentieth day 

 of April, 1917, and 



Whereas, In the death of Mr. Burgess, the hardwood lumber industry 

 of our country has lost one who for many years has been numbered among 

 its most prominent and respected representatives ; his community, one of 

 its best citizens ; his family, a kind and loving husband and father ; 

 therefore be it 



Resolrcd, by the American Oak Manufacturers' Association, That we feel 



with great sorrow his passing from us, and that we extend to bis family 



our sincere expressions of sympathy in their great loss ; and be it further 



Resolrcd, That these resolutions be spread upon our minutes, and that 



a copy be sent to the bereaved family. 



Memphis Appeals f6r Government Manufacture of Cars 

 The industrial division of the Chamber of Commerce has adopted reso- 

 lutions appealing to Congress to take up the questiou of building cars 

 for the handling of freight in much the same manner that it has entered 

 into the plan for building a vast fleet of ships for handling ocean carrying 

 trade. It has thus backed up the Lumbermen's Club of Memphis which 

 recently petitioned the United States Chamber of Commerce to send out 

 a referendum with a view to ascertaining the sentiment of business 

 interests of the country regarding the building by the government of 

 something like 200,000 freight cars to be leased to the carriers on a per 

 diem basis. Lumbermen and other shipping interests of Memphis partici- 

 pated in the meeting at the Chamber of Commerce at which these resolu- 

 tions were adopted. 



It was pointed out by the lumber interests that the situation is so 

 serious that, if congress or some other agency does not furnish early re- 

 lief, all of the hardwood mills in the southern producing territory will 

 have to close down. These mills have a pay roll of approximately $4,000,- 

 000 a year. W. H. Russe of Russe & Burgess, Inc., said that Memphis 

 faces a serious condition if something is not done immediately looking 

 to relief of the car shortage. He declared that the mills had mwi-e orders 

 than they were able to take care of, and that, even with this flattering 

 condition with respect to demand, it was urgent that government officials 

 should furnish prompt means of relief. 



Following the adoption of these resolutions, W. C. Johnson, president of 

 the Chamber of Commerce, sent copies thereof to the 740 organizations 

 which hold membership in the United States Chamber of Commerce and 

 appealed to them to urge the government to get behind this movement 

 to provide freight cars to prevent collapse of the industrial fabric of the 

 country. He also pointed out that the plan was a war measure and that 

 as such it should receive the cordial support of business interests every- 

 where. 



The resolutions follow : 



Whereas, The volume of business of the United States has now reached 

 such vast proportions that the equipments and instrumentalities of the 

 railroads are inadequate to care for the same, every class of business is 

 suffering by reason of the inefficient delivery service by the railroads. The 

 failure to furnish cars and undue delays in transit through lack of motive 

 power not only costs shippers and receivers of freight thousands of dol- 

 lars in loss of profits, but creates a higher level of prices than the com- 

 modity situation would warrant under normal delivery conditions ; and 

 Whereas, The government is now placed in a preferential position for 

 buying materials — lumber, steel and other raw material entering into the 

 construction of this equipment — it can build cars at a lower price than 

 private interests which for tliis reason is looked Upon as an entirely feas- 

 ible suggestion by this body ; therefore be it 



Resoli:ed, That a united petition be made to the proper department of 

 the t'nited States government to consider at once the feasibility of build- 

 ing or purchasing freight cars and locomotives in the volume shown neces- 

 sary by the reports now on file with the Interstate Commerce Commission 

 which was, approximately, on .\prLl 1, 14o,000 cars short on orders placed 

 with the carriers by shippers for loading. The funds to be taken from the 

 appropriation made for public defense and the cars allotted to the various 

 lines where needed, rental to be charged upon a per diem basis or other unit 

 to be determined upon as fair and equitaole to both the carriers and the 

 government and enough to bring the government ample interest on the 

 investment and to pay the necessary expenses of administering their use. 



Lining Up for Rate Fight 



An executive session of the committee of six appointed by the Southern 

 Hardwood Traffic Association to handle the opposition to the proposed 

 advance of 15 per cent in rates on hardwood lumber before the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission was held in Memphis several days ago. It was at- 

 tended by J. V. Norman, attorney for the association, and by E. A. Haid. 

 former general counsel of the St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) Kail- 

 way Company, who has been retained by the association to help in this 

 case. 



It is announced, following this meeting, that James E. Stark, president, 

 and J. H. Townshend, secretary, of the association, together with George 

 Land, traflSc manager of the Lamb-Fish Lumber Company, and Walker 

 Wellford, president of the Associated Cooperage Industries, will present 

 the preliminary testimony before the commission about May 30. Mr. 

 Norman will represent east side shippers hnd Mr. Haid will look after the 

 interests of the west side shippers and they will, at some time between 

 May 23 and May 30, cross-examine the witnesses for the railroads who 

 have already presented their evidence. 



Mr. Townshend will leave for Washington Sunday, and he will prob- 

 ably be accompanied by George Land. The other gentlemen, with the 

 exception of the attorneys, who will go with Mr. Townshend, will make 

 the trip to Washington later, but in plenty of time to perform the duties 

 assigned to them. 



The board of governors and other members of the association have 

 been quite busy during the past ten days getting up the necessary data 

 and evidence to support the contention of the lumbermen that lumber 

 is paying its full share of transportation cost and that luere is no justi- 

 fication for saddling a further advance on this commodity on top of all 

 the increases made during the past three or four years, amounting to- 

 approximately thirty-eight per cent. 



Evans'ville Club Adopts Resolutions 



At the recent meeting of the Evansville Lumbermen's 'Club resolutions 

 were unanimously adopted opposing the proposed fifteen per cent increase 

 in freight rates as asked by the railroad companies. The resolutions, how- 

 ever, declared that the lumbermen in Evansville are not opposed to some 

 ad%'ance in freight rates and several addresses were made by prominent 

 lumbermen in which it was stated In their opinion the railroads are en- 

 titled to some increase. The resolutions said that the matter should be- 

 carefully investigated by the Interstate Commerce Commission, and then 

 if the railroads were able to present "indisputable evidence that they were 

 entitled to some Increase" it should be granted them. The resolutions 

 declared, however, that the increased rates should not apply to old con- 

 tracts but should affect only business written after the increase had be- 

 come effective. Mr. Keller, traffic manager, reported that in his opinion 

 the car situation in the Evansville territory has cleared up some during 

 the past few weeks, but it is still far fr.om satisfactory. 



Detroit Club Elects Officers and Directors 



The Detroit Hardwood Club. Michigan, held its last regular meeting 

 on May 21, at which the following members were elected to serve for one 

 year: 



C. W. Leech, president ; W. E. Brownlee, first vice-president ; J. M. 

 Clifford, second vice-president ; G. I. McClure, third vice-president ; H. E 

 McClure, secretary ; J. S. Trevor, treasurer. 



Board of directors, J. 1. Butcher, E. Sicklesteel, W. N. Kelley. H. C. 

 Dow, C. H. Weedon. 



Grand Rapids Has Big Meeting 



The eighth annual meeting of the Grand Rapids Lumbermen's Associa- 

 tion being held today. May 25, will go down in history as one of the big 

 events of the association. The program shows a fine banquet to be held 

 in the Colonial room of the Pantlind hotel. There will be numerous talks 

 and toasts and much else in the line of entertainment. Reports from 

 Grand Rapids indicate that a record crowd will be on hand. 



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With the Trade 



Memorial to C. C. Crane 



Resolutions on the death of the late Clinton C. Crane, Cincinnati's most 

 prominent and beloved lumberman, were passed by the Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association of the United States at the Sinton Hotel last week. 

 Mr. Crane was one of the founders of the big association. 



Market conditions were discussed by the open price committee mem- 

 bers during the afternoon business session. 



Drastic Measure to Move Lumber 



In an effort to better the desperate car shortage which he says is choking 

 the lumber industry, especially of the Gulf States, Walter P. Cooke, presi- 

 dent of the Great Southern Lumber Company and of the New Orleans, 

 Great Southern Railroad, announced that his road had taken 100 of Its 

 all-steel log cars, of the most modern type, and will run them in two 

 solid trains of fifty ears each direct to Chicago, carrying lumber ship- 

 ments. Special ofllcers will accompany the trains and bring the cars 

 back, preventing any possibility of their being used elsewhere. The 

 Great Southern has over 90,000,000 feet of lumber ready for immediate 

 shipment, much of which is government stuff. 



Organize Forestry Regiment 



Gifford Pinchot, formerly chief forester of the United States, will head 

 a regiment of foresters, woodsmen, lumbermen, loggers and others experi- 

 enced in woods and lumbering operations to do service in France. The 

 work of organizing is now proceeding. The regiment will form a unit of 

 the Engineer Corps now teing recruited to be sent abroad as soon as it 

 can be formed and equipped. 



The organization of this regiment is the result of a suggestion made 

 by the British Commission. Similar forces have been raised in Canada 

 and are rendering valuable services. The object of the American forestry 

 regiment, it is said, will be to convert available timber into material 

 suitable for bridges, railroads, trenches and other construction work 

 with the least passible waste. The cutting will be done under the super- 

 vision of technical experts in co-operation with the French foresters, thus 

 providing the needed timber without permanent damage to the forests. 



The lumbermen will be organized In units capable of handling all kinds 

 of woodwork and will include a number of portable sawmill outfits. It 

 will be officered by trained foresters and expert lumbermen who are 

 thoroughly familiar with producing and delivering lumber. The classes 

 of men desired comprise axemen, teamsters, tie-cutters, millwrights, saw- 

 filers, sawyers, portable sawmill men, farriers, blacksmiths, lumber jacks, 

 cooks, carpenters, as well as motorcycle and motor truck operators. 



