July 10, I'JIT 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



17 



it is difficult to see how a change of management would improve 

 the situation. The change would probably do harm by displacing 

 experienced and competent railroad managers by government men 

 of more or less doubtful ability coupled with lack of experience. 



Stfll another suggestion is that the government build k large 

 number of freight cars and put them into service on the railroads 

 under an arrangement which would guarantee the roads a fair re- 

 turn for their service. The merit of this plan is that it provides 

 means for increasing the quantity of freight carried. That would 

 provide a remedy so far as it goes. If the roads could and would 

 build that many additional cars, instead of waiting for the gov- 

 ernment to do it, the result on transportation would be beneficial. 

 The government has not yet undertaken to build cars. 



Who Is Responsible for I. C. C. Decision? 



THE DEMAND by the Interstate Commerce Commission of the 

 railroad's plea for a fifteen per cent increase in freight rates 

 was expressed in such certain terms and leaves so little room for 

 doubt as to the Commission's views on the subject that there has 

 been a good deal of interested surmise as to whose arguments were 

 responsible for the decision. The strong and intelligent fight which 

 the Southern Hardwood TraflSc Association put up has maintained 

 interest in the hearings at a high pitch and sustained hope that the 

 new demands by the roads that the government fulfill its share of 

 the nefarious Adamson bargain would not count. 



So enthusiastic have the southern lumbermen been over the work 

 of their pet association that when the announcement of the de- 

 cision came out they began to look for the earmarks of their work. 

 And they did not have to search far — the official opinion shows on 

 its face the effect of the association's arguments. Not only does 

 it use these arguments but it uses them in their exact phraseology 

 in many places. 



This, if nothing else, is strong argument in favor of co-ordinating 

 and concentrating effort under intelligent and active management. 

 Specialized association work is the rule of the day, only because the 

 application of a definite force to a definite object has been proven 

 logical. 



Some Interesting Facts on Loading 



NEVER BEFORE HAS THE QUESTION of maximum loading of 

 freight cars been so thorouglily agitated as it is in these days 

 of stress. Of all suggestions for ameliorated shipping difficulties for 

 providing means of moving freight more expeditiously, the one 

 suggestion that appears most logical is that loading capacity be 

 more fully utilized. 



It is merely in conformity to the usual progressiveness of the 

 Southern Hardwood Traffic Association that that body is responsible 

 for a movement which has already had distinct effect in expediting 

 shipments from that territory in the southern hardwood belt. The 

 association has instituted a semi-official competition among hard- 

 wood shippers in points around Memphis which has led them to 

 vie with one another for a place of honor. The association figures 

 that the nearest practicable approach to actual capacity loading 

 is about ninety per cent of marked capacity. It checks up weekly 

 on shipments going out from that territory and publishes a list 

 of firms that have entered this friendly competition showing the 

 percentage of possible maximum which each has loaded during the 

 preceding week. 



The record so far is eighty-seven per cent of the possible one 

 hundred per cent and the practicable ninety per cent, thus showing 

 that the association 's estimate is easily possible of attainment. 

 Many other firms were well above the eighty per cent basis. 



Just to prove the real importance of utilizing as much loading 

 capacity as possible the traffic association cites some interesting 

 figures based upon two actual shipments, one made by a progressive 

 and the other by a man who does not yet know that war was de- 

 clared among European nations some three years ago. On page 

 37 of this issue these two shipments are illustrated, the one show- 

 ing a load of 110,400 pounds in a oar marked for a capacity of 

 100,000 pounds and the other showi3ig a load which probably does 



not exceed 40,000 pounds in a similar car. This means in actual 

 figures that the working ability of that one car loaded above 

 capacity is increased about ninety per cent over its average utility, 

 the average load being approximately 60,000 pounds. But in addi- 

 tion to that feature there is the additional reason for loading to 

 capacity, that a capacity load increases the railroad's revenue 

 without additional expenditure and thus if the movement became 

 more general, this practice would eliminate any argument the rail- 

 roads might advance for increased freight rates. 



What One City Is Doing 



IN THESE strenuous days with hardwood stocks shot to pieces 

 and buyers not knowing where to turn for what they want, it 

 occurred to one group of prominent lumbermen that if they could 

 work out some centralized and concentrated means of keeping 

 the buying trade informed of the trend in their market, it would 

 be of tiefinite service to the buyers. In this case, considering the 

 fact that lumber is sellinj; itself, selfishness can hardly be named as 

 the prime purpose behind the above mentioned movement. 



The manufacturers referred to are those located at Memphis, 

 Tenn. Memphis, which is responsible for a hardwood production 

 in excess of 000,000,000 feet annually, naturally feels that the woes 

 of the buyer will be materially reduced if he is able at all times 

 to see what is being offered from this hardwood metropolis. To 

 accomplish this end, Memphis manufacturers called in the co-opera- 

 tion and assistance of Hardwood Record and the result of this 

 working together is shown on pages 8b-12. This directory of the 

 Memphis trade, which will probably be augmented in the next 

 issue so as to show a complete roster, is designed to show to the 

 buyers twice a month a definite and complete list of all of the cur- 

 rent items in the hardwood metropolis — the hardwood offerings 

 that are ready for immediate shipment, thus enabling the buyer 

 to size up the whole situation in the Memphis district and keep 

 posted on current offerings. Memphis standing behind this service 

 has proven herself to be in the forefront among progressive hard- 

 wood communities, and it is to be hoped that the buyers will find 

 a definite measure of assistance in this co-operative effort. 



Substitution of Wood for Steel 



ADVICE HAS BEEN SENT OUT by the National Chamber of 

 Commerce to manufacturers, builders, and others to substitute 

 wood and other materials for iron and steel when it can be done. 

 The reason assigned for this course is that steel and iron are needed 

 in such large quantities in prosecuting the war that enourrh to meet 

 the ordinary needs of other business cannot be depended upon, but 

 wood is available and will continue to be available to meet all busi- 

 ness needs, where this material is suitable. 



It is fortunate that we have our forests. It is a resource which 

 will serve the country well in this crisis. The need of timber is so 

 great in some of the countries at war that almost a clean sweep is 

 being made of all trees. That is true particularly in England, Scot- 

 land, and parts of France. Ornamental groves, shade trees, and 

 private timber of all descriptions, are being cut to meet the call 

 from the front. Nothing is spared for the sake of sentiment. It is 

 an emergency that recalls Shakespeare's question: "Who in a sea 

 fight ever thought of the price of the chain that beats out the brains 

 of a pirate?" 



The American forests are able to meet the call. The war cannot 

 last long enough to exhaust our timber, even after using it as a 

 substitute for steel wherever possible. There is enough iron in the 

 ground, but it cannot be mined and manufactured fast enough to 

 supply both war and private business; but, fortunately, there is 

 timber enough and reserve saw mill capacity sufficient to take care 

 of the needs of the country in this emergency. It has been a subject 

 of comment, and often with a note of discouragement, that too 

 many sawmills had been built. If they operated to capacity, there 

 was danger of an over-supply of lumber. Perhaps the daj' is at 

 hand when it will be considered fortunate that there are so many 

 mills, and that they are able to speed up production almost with- 

 out limit. 



