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HARDWOOD RECORD 



September 25, 1917 



not usually hear of these accessory plans as their importance seems 

 to be rather dimmed by the more personal contact with the actual 

 mobilization work. It is authoritatively estimated though, that the 

 work outside of the actual cantonments will involve a bigger expeudi- 

 tnre and the use of more lumber than the cantonments themselves. 

 The fundamental influences working in behalf of the hardwood 

 trade are so powerful that the totally foolislj and unwarranted alarm 

 which some manufacturers are exhibiting through price cutting cannot 

 have a permanent effect on the market as a whole. Hardwood lumber 

 advances have not reached a point of inflation in prices and that 

 eonimodity is going to continue sufliciently scarce so that the present 

 mnge of values will as a whole remain in effect. 



Regarding the Proposed Eight-Hour Law 



A PROMINENT AND HIGHLY respected southern operator re- 

 cently suggested a new angle for the consideration of the 

 jffoposed eight-hour law for lumber operations. The principal of his 

 argument goes deeper than consideration of the immediate effect of 

 the law upon the lumberman of today, and rests on basic economic 

 features that should be given consideration in any open-minded argu- 

 ment on the question of adopting or rejecting the proposed legislation. 

 It has been estimated that the total manufacturing capacity of 

 American sawmills is three times as great as the average annual 

 production which is approximately 40,000,000,000 feet. If such is 

 the case, or even with the ratio two to one, the condition is very 

 apparently unsound and the lumber trade has builded upon extremely 

 shaky foundations. Totally disregarding present conditions and the 

 immediate relation of supply and demand, the operator referred to 

 maintains that sound business judgment alone would demand the 

 adoption of means whereby normal production might be maintained 

 relatively nearer to consumption. 



The adoption of an eight-hour day would mean, theoretically, a 

 cut reduced by twenty per cent. The percentage would unquestionably 

 be less than that figure as any operating crew could maintain a much 

 more consistently f^st gait for eight hours than could be maintained 

 for ten hours. This same operator tried as an experiment running 

 his mills for eleven hours a day in order to give the men a half day 

 on Saturday. Four weeks' operation on this basis showed that for 

 the same exjienditure the actual production was four per cent less 

 than on the ten-hour basis. Hence, with an eight-hour schedule it 

 can be conservatively estimated that the efliciency of the crews should 

 be increased by eight or nine per cent. In other words, while the 

 actual cost of cutting the lumber would be theoretically increased by 

 twenty per cent (through paying labor the same for eight hours as 

 for ten hours), this percentage would in practice be reduced to 

 eleven or twelve per cent through increased efiieicncy. 



But the main thing is that the country as a whole would be benefited 

 by lessened production ; the cause of conservation would be served as 

 supply would normally be maintained at a point less than demand 

 instead of more than demand as has been the common practice in 

 lumbering; the country's forest resources would be utUized with 

 much less waste as due to the stronger position in which the lumber 

 trade would find itself, a bigger proportion of the tree could be 

 marketed at a profit than has been possible. 



Any industry which shows a consistent over-production must count 

 upon a market normally strong only in the upper grades, and must 

 figure on losing money on the poorer end of its product. On the 

 other hand, automatically lessened production would overcome the 

 tendency to separate the "cream" and give away or leave in the 

 forests the "skimmed milk." Periods of heightened demand could 

 easily be met by double shifts or over-time work, which would auto- 

 matically be confined to periods when excessive demand existed, by 

 the fact that increased cost of over-time operations would make the 

 operator think twice before thus increasing his production cost. 

 Greater attention to the possibility of more economical production, 

 utilization and marketing would automatically follow the enactment 

 of eight-hour legislation. 



Hardwood Record prints these suggestions in the sincere belief 

 that the adoption of this legislation would be a good thing for the 

 lumber industry and invites comment on and criticism of this opinion. 



The Conference on Car Stakes 



THF: GENERAL MEETING to be held under the auspices of the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' Association at Chicago next 

 month, at which the question of adequate allowance for car staking 

 will be the one subject for discussion, may not appear on the surface 

 to have the significance in lumber circles that other meetings have 

 carried with them. This is a natural result of the fact that the sum 

 involved in each case does not seem to be large nor does it seemingly 

 invite a direct outlay of cash. Figures might awaken a more general 

 interest in the question and insure definite and positive action. 



Any man can figure just how vitally the question is of interest to 

 him by considering the number of cars he ships for which he has to 

 provide stakes in connection with the following figures and data given 

 by a practical lumber shipper, covering the cost of staking cars in 

 the South. Referring to standard type of gondola car, the require- 

 ments are as follows: 



12 stakes 4x5x8' 168 feet 



8 cross braces 1x5x12' 40 feet 



G top braces 1x5x10' 25 feet 



Total 233 feet 



No. 2 common oak is usually the grade that goes into ear stakes. 

 Occasionally No. 3 oak is used and sometimes gum is used instead of 

 oak, but when gum is used the grade is invariably No. 2 common. A 

 fair estimate of the value of lumber used in staking ears would be 

 $15 per thousand feet. On this basis the value of the lumber alone 

 for staking the standard type of gondola would be $3.50. 



Where green oak is used a conservative estimate of weight would 

 be six pounds to the foot, making the total weight 1,398 pounds. As 

 an allowance of 500 pounds is made for tonnage, (this very frequently 

 being forgotten), the difference of 898 pounds is left on which 

 weight the shipper pays freight. The average freight rate of the 

 man giving this data is twenty-two cents per hundreil pounds and his 

 company would therefore pay on an average, $1.98 for dead weight for 

 each car. 



The cost of labor, nails and spikes would amount to approximately 

 50 cents per car, making a dead loss on this particular shipment of 

 $5.98, and it must be borne in miad that staking gondola cars is 

 nmch cheaper than staking flat cars. 



For flat cars this ship])er gives the following figures for lumber 



which he says is ordinarily re(iuired to equip flat cars for lumber 



loading: 



16 stakes 4x5x8 224 feet 



Side and top braces 100 feet 



Total 324 feet 



Figuring in the same manner as on gondola cars, the loss would b« 



as follows: 



324 feet of lumber at .$15 per M $4.8G 



Dead freight 324 feet (fi) C lbs. to the foot. 1944 pounds, 

 less .500 lbs. allciwanee. leaves 1444 lbs. at an aver- 

 age of 22 cents 3.18 



Nails, spikes and labor ■ 50 



?8.54 

 Illustrating the attitude of the average carrier toward stake allow- 

 ance, this shipper quotes the following letter : 



We have never regarded the allowance in weight for stakes and sup- 

 ports as a proper one and our present tariff providing tor same was issued 

 under prutpst. These stakes and supports are necessary for protection 

 of the load and the weight of same represents a part or our service for 

 which we feel we are entitled to compensatlou. 



In refuting this argument we can do nothing better than quote this 



same shipper, who says: 



(_if course this argiiinent is too at>surd to be given serious consideration. 

 If a shipper were prepared to light weigh an open car, with the stakes 

 in poslticTii or loaded aboard the car, and show .surh light weight as the 

 tare, then- is < ertainly no doubt about such tare weight appl.ving, providing 

 same is pruperly weighed and the scales in order. 



The meeting above referred to as announced in detail elsewhere 



in this issue, is the best possible means for securing vigorous action 



on the part of the lumber trade on this aggravating question, which 



has cost the lumber trade many thousands of dollars. If the lumber 



trade is willing to continue such contributions to the railroads, it is 



only necessary to withhold support from this meeting. On the other 



hand, if the trade at large is interested in cutting cost corners, one of 



the best means of accomplishing this would be to give whole-hearted 



attendance at and support to the Chicago conference. 



