November 10. 1017 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



except grain and coal doors, unglazed or glazed with oommnn window" 

 glass or glass given tbe same rating as common window glass In tbe 

 classlflcatlnn governing the tariff; doors, screen, with or wltliiiut wire; 

 frames, blind, door, screen, and window, s. u., with or without pulleys ; 

 grille work, house trimmings, n. o. s., Interior or exterior, k. d, ; Jambs, 

 panel ; newels, ornaments, gable and post ; panelwork, pilasters, portiere 

 work, railings and rails, risers, rosettes, sash, s. u., unglazed or glazed, 

 with common window glass or glass given the same rating as common 

 window glass In classification governing the tariff ; screens, door and 

 window, IncluiUng wired ; scroll work, shelves, k. d. ; spindles, store fronts, 

 treads, turned work entering Into the construction ot buildings, wainscot- 

 ing, panel. 



(If the foregoing Items are shipped from the Pacific Coast the rate 

 will be 15 per cent above lumber.) 



Wooden water pipe. 



Lumber Rate Plus 15 Pek Cent 



Built up wood when made from figured veneers or woods of value. 

 Under this definition "woods of value" are: 



Boxwood; Spanish cedar; cherry; cocobolo ; ebony; granadilla ; iron- 

 wood ; lancewood ; llgnum-vlta? ; mahogany ; rosewood ; sandalwood ; satin- 

 wood ; (eakwood ; vermilion ; walnut. 



Lasts, not further finished than rough turned ; various Items of miUwork 

 take the lumber rate plus 1,"> per cent when made of woods of value; dowel 

 pins ; curtain poles turned but not further finished ; veneer when figured, 

 from wood of any kind ; wheelbarrosv material, sawed, planed, turned, 

 bent, bored, mitered, turned, but not primed, painted or ironed. 



Lumber Rate Pus 10 Per Cent 



Built u;> wood when made from figured veneer or from woods of 

 value: 



Cooling tower material, consisting of staves and other wooden parts 

 used In the construction of cooling towers, and also iron or steel fixtures 

 (the weight of the iron or steel articles not to exceed 20 per cent of the 

 entire weight of load) ; cores for paper rolls ; ice can and wash tub covers : 

 cresting and cribbing; sucker rods not further finished than sawed, planed, 

 or turned, without attachments ; rollers, not further finished than sawed, 

 planed, or turned to shape: ladder material; silo material, consisting ot 

 staves, doors, and other wooden materials used in the construction of 

 silos; and also door hangers, iron bands, hoops, lugs, bolts, and other 

 Iron or steel parts (the weight of the iron or steel articles not to exceed 

 20 per cent of the entire weight) ; closet tanks ; tank material, consisting 

 of staves and other wooden parts used in the construction of tanks or 

 vats, and also iron or steel fixtures, including gauge, iron or steel bands 

 or hoops and lugs (the weight of the iron or steel articles not to exceed 

 20 per cent ot the weight ot the entire carload) ; trunk slats. 



The Lumber Hate 

 All other items listed as forest products take the lumber rate. 

 These items include a great variety of commodities from plain 

 lumber down to by-products. Some of the rather unusual items 

 are, ground tan bark, beehives, boughs, hoops, cordwood, fruit and 

 vegetable packages, cooperage stock, kindling material, sawdust, 

 pitch, turpentine drippings, logs, paving blocks, 



(A) The charge on mixed carload shipments of two or more 

 wooden articles that take different rates when shipped separately 

 will be the rate applicable on the highest rated article or articles 

 applied to the highest carload minimum weight provided for any 

 article or articles taking the highest rate, provided the actual 

 weight of the article or articles taking the highest carload class or 

 rate is 10 per cent or more of the highest minimum carload weight 

 provided for any of the articles taking the highest carload class 

 or rate. 



If the articles in the mixture are differently classified or rated in 

 carloads and the actual weight of the article or articles taking the 

 highest carload class or rate is less than 10 per cent of the highest 

 minimum carload weight provided for any of such articles they will 

 not be entitled to be included in the mixture, but will be separately 

 charged at their 1. c. 1. rate or rates. 



(B) If the aggregate charge upon any mixed carload shipment of 

 articles differently classified or rated in carloads is less on basis of 

 the c. 1. rate for the article or articles taking the highest class or 

 rate and on basis of the highest carload minimum weight on any 

 article in the shipment than would accrue under paragraph (A), the 

 shipment will be charged at the rate for the highest classed or 

 rated article or articles and at the highest minimum carload weight 

 for any article contained in the mixture. 



(C) If all of the articles in the mixture take the same class or 



rate in carloads, the minimum carload weight will be the highest 

 provided for any of the articles. 



Dl.SCRIMINATlON DiSCUSSEI) 



Mr. Esch quotes with approval suggestions of the Southern Hard- 

 wood Traffic Association that shippers be permitted to order cars 

 of specific length and that a new rule be adopted for eaforccmenlf 

 when the carrier can not furnish a car of the size called for, and 

 that bills of lading show when a carload shipment is up to the capac- 

 ity of the car truck, but not to the cubical capacity of the car. Re- 

 garding the fear of some lumbermen that discrimination would 

 result between hardwood and softwood under the classification plan 

 based on carload weight, Mr. Esch says in liis report: 



By some of the parties it has been claimed that because of the difference 

 in density ot different species of wood and the consequent ability to load 

 one species heavier per unit of space than another unjust discrimination 

 would result under a plan of different rates for different minima. Uak 

 can obviously be loaded heavier than pine or hemlock, and it both species 

 arc produced side by" side It is obvious that the shippers of oak can secure 

 lower average rates because ot their ability to load heavier per unit ot 

 space than the shippers ot the other species mentioned. Discrimination, 

 however, can arise only it there is competition between the lumber pro- 

 duced from dilTerenti' species, and In that connection It should be observed 

 that as between the woods representing the two extremes, namely, the 

 highest and the lowest density, competition Is not general. But even 

 where there is competition such as may arise between lower grades of oak 

 and certain grades of pine, or between oak fioocing and pine flooring. It 

 docs not appear that unjust discrimination must necessarily arise due to 

 the fact that the shippers ot oak can secure a lower average freight rate 

 per 100 pounds under a plan ot different rates tor different nilnlmn than 

 can shippers of pine. If there Is competition there must be some close 

 proximity ot selling price. The selling price. ho»«ver, is not based upon 

 weight but i.s based upon the unit of 1,000 feet b. m. Consequently the 

 tact that the rate on pine may on the average be more per 100 pounds 

 than on oak will be counterbalanced by the fact that the weight of pine 

 per 1,000 feet Is less than the weight of oak per 1,000 feet. The freight 

 charges per 1,000 feet will be substantially the same for the two species. 

 Where there is competition between species, therefore, instead ot being 

 unjustly discriminatory to reflect differences in car loading, it would ap- 

 pear that the reverse would be the case. Moreover, it should be pointed 

 out that tbe predominant production in each section Is ot lumber ot ap- 

 proximately the same density. 



Under the plan as modified the price ot lumber will not be dependent 

 upon the size ot the order, as it would be under the plan originally pro- 

 posed. Under the original plan a manufacturer In filling an order ot 

 lumber weighing 30,000 pounds would necessarily have to ask a some- 

 what higher delivered price than in filling an order weighing ,">(),000 

 pounds, since the freight rate would be higher tor the former than tor 

 the latter. Under the modifications now proposed shippers will have sub- 

 stantially the same opportunity, whatever size car is furnished, to secure 

 the lower rates provided tor heavy loading. 



More Evidence Wanted 

 Mr. Esch denies the contention of many shippers and carriers 

 that the reclassification plan favored by him is primarily a question 

 of rates. Though it involves rates, he says that tliat is incidental. 

 He dwells upon the fact that his plan would tend to cause full utili- 

 zation of cars, a condition that would be most desirable in war time. 

 The questions on- which Examiner Esch thinks more evidence should 

 be supplied are as follows: 



(1) (a) What loading per cubic toot fairly represents the average 

 utilization ot equipment in the transportation ot lumber and lumber prod- 

 ucts in the past during normal periods? 



(b) Is there such a difference in the loading per cubic toot from dif- 

 ferent sections ot the country as to require a difference In the basic 

 minimum to be used in connection with present rates from these sections? 



(2) What is a proper gradation ot rates and what is a proper grouping 

 of sizes of cars to be observed in constructing a table of rates for dif- 

 ferent minima such as that given on page 20, supra? 



(3) What tare weights should he used In arriving at different rates tor 

 different minima upon the basis outlined? 



(4) To what extent may the shipper's choice ot sizes ot cars be limited? 



(5) What has been the experience ot transcontinental carriers with 

 regard to the operation ot a two tor one rule In connection with their 

 cubical capacity minima and of shippers who have availed themselves of 

 this rule? 



(6) (a) Should a separate table ot different rates for different minima 

 be constnicted for shipments on flat cars? 



(b) On what basis should the rates provided In such a table be related 

 to the rates provided for movements In box cars'; 



(c) On what basis should the rates provided in such a table be related 

 to each other? 



(d) What tare weights should be used In figuring the rate relationships 

 tor shipments on flat cars? 



