January 25, 1018 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



41 



is impossible to accomplish anythinj; in tlio way of either cutting 

 or hauling logs to the rights of way of the railroads. This phase 

 of the situation, however, is compensated for to a certain extent by 

 the fact that there iuo millions of feet of logs already on the rights 

 of way. Stojipage oi logging, however, must naturally have a 

 serious bearing on the Uig supply for the future when present 

 handicaps to manufacturing operations no longer prevail. 



River transportation of logs is at a complete standstill. Steam- 

 boats in the local harbor arc all ice-locked at present and are threat- 

 ened with serious damage from the breaking up of the ice and from 

 the heavy floes that will result. None of the craft operated by 

 lumber interests for the handling of logs to their mills is being 

 used at present, and indications arc that it will be some time before 

 any of these boats or barges can be operated again. 



The supply of cars for handling outbound shipments of lumber 

 is reported materially larger than had been the case for some time. 

 These are being placed on sidings at plants operated by lumber 

 companies, and they are being loaded with lumber and forest 

 products as rapidly as possible. They will thus be ready for mov- 

 ing quickly when the jjrescnt congestion is broken uji and when 



the embargoes now in force are raised. .^"^•"■'^'"S to J- H- Town- 

 shend, secretary-treasurer of the association, there will be a larger 

 movement of lumber when these conditions exist than has been 

 the case for a long while. At present, however, all destinations 

 in the territory north of the Ohio and Potomac rivers and east of 

 the Mississippi are embargoed, as well as those in Western Trunk 

 Line territory reached through the gateways at Chicago, St. Louis 

 or Cairo. The only open outlets are those in the West, the South- 

 west and the Southeast and the ports. 



The Southern Hardwood TraflBc Association has received a mes- 

 sage from .1. V. Norman, attorney of the association, now in Wash- 

 ington, stating that the fuel administrator gives logging roads the 

 right to use fuel. This was sent in response to a request for infor- 

 mation by the association, but, in view of present weather and 

 manufacturing conditions, the favorable ruling does not tend to 

 help matters very much. 



Readers of the Hakuwood Record are doubtless familiar with 

 the fact that a new priority order has been issued, prohibiting the 

 use of open equipment, with the exception of flat cars, for the 

 handling of anything but fuel. 



Occurrences at Washington Interesting to Lumbermen 



Personal Mention and the Activities of Various Boards and Committees 



A statement covering the work done by the Aircraft Production 

 Board was issued January 22 at Washington by Howard E. Coffin, 

 chairman of the board. A summary of his report follows: 



The appropriation of $640,000,000 in July, 1917, marked tlie be- 

 ginning of government aircraft history in this country. 



About half of this amount was for the purchase of aircraft, and the 

 remainder for the biillding up and maintenance of an air service personnel 

 greater than that of oui- entire standing army of a few months before. 



More than 100 men were sent to Europe to study methods there. The 

 policy of aircraft development mapped out for this country was seven- 

 fold and is as follows : 



1. The United States to establish and maintain a system of training 

 stations, to provide preliminary training. 



Twenty-four training stations were authorized under the bill. Nine 

 ground ior tiie training in flying were planned. Both lines of work 

 have been completed. More than half of these training stations are al- 

 ready in full operation, and the others are under construction. 



2." To accomplish an international standardization in airo.raft materials. 

 In detail of design and types, and to achieve such co-ordination of effort 

 as would concentrate the manufacturing facilities of the various ■\llied 

 countries upon the minimum number of types of those machines for 

 which tlie producing equipment was best fitted. 



3. To construct primary training machines of quality and quantity. 

 The production of training machines will be in excess of the needs of 

 thi' program by January 20. The production of these machines has been 

 behind schedule because of the necessity for supplying training engines 

 from this country to meet Canada's considerable requirements and lie- 

 cause of the difficulties of a sudden increase of a manufacturing industry 

 inadequate to the task. 



4. To provide, equip and train flyers and mechanics. This program 

 Is progressing exactly on schedule. Thousands of mcMhanics are being 

 put Into actual service with the allied forces. Traiiu'd mm will be re- 

 leased as needed in the United States .\ir Service and their places kept 

 tilled with fresh material. Four of the northern flying schools have been 

 turned Into mechanics' schools during the winter months. .Vmerican 

 flyers are in training in the United States and abroad and it is proliable 

 that the original program for pilots will be increased. The personnel for 

 such Increase is already available. 



.I. To provide raw and seml-flnlshed materials and finislied parts, in- 

 cluding motors, to insure the consummation of the augmented allied air- 

 craft building programs. 



This has been and is being done. -Ml of the allied nations are in con- 

 siderable degree dependent upon materials and parts shlQped from the 

 United States. It is vitally Important that thir .\merican aircraft program 

 be not permitted to Interrupt this flow of materials to the allies. 



6. To provide for the equipment of the .\nieriean furces in I'ranee for 

 the period of .Tanuary to .7une. 1018, in large part by purchase of ligbting 

 machines manufactured in allied countries, and to supply the machine 

 tools and raw and scmi-flnlshed materials necessary to insure their pro- 

 duction. 



One of the first acts of the aircraft lioard after the passage of the ap- 

 propriation bill In .Tuly was to authorize the plaelng by C'.eneral I'ershlng 

 of orders for several thousand fighting maehines in allied eiiuntries. This 

 action was taken to Insure adequate equipment of the American forces 

 prior to June 191S, in case of expected delays in manufacture :ind slilp 

 ment of American-made service planes. Many millions of dcdiars worth 

 of materials and machine tools have been shipped from this country to 

 aid tills production. 



7. To provide completed service machines, including comliat and bomb- 

 ing types, for American need after July 1st. lOIS, and for such shipment 

 of the finished product overseas as tonnage might jiermit. 



It was deemed advisable to provide for advanced training over seas 

 adj'icent to the actual theatre of military operations, but so energetic has 

 been the work of the personnel division of the signal corps that the train- 

 ing facilities thus provided have been soon overcrowded, with resultant 



request that early arrangement for advanced training be made in .Vnierica. 

 To meet this change in program, delivery of advanced training planes will 

 begin this month and within ninety days will have met requirements. The 

 engines of foreign design for this advanced training schedule arc already 

 in quantity pi-oduction in this country. 



In discussing the accomplishments of the Air Service In the consumma- 

 tion of the army program. It will be well to point out the Impossibility 

 of certain proposals enthusiastically and persistently put forward by 

 word of month and in the press. Vve have seen and heard much of the 

 proposal of '100,000 airplanes" to be provided by the United States within 

 the next year. In a country where one great industry produces a 

 million and a half motor cars per year, the fabrication of a hundred thou- 

 sand planes miglit seem easy, but actual figures based upon three years 

 of practical experience in the war show that there are now between forty 

 and fifty men of the au.xiliary service required for each active machine at 

 the front. If this same ratio should be adhered to in our service, it would 

 mean that some four million men would be required in our aeronautical 

 department on foreign soil between our ports of debarkation and the fight- 

 ing front. 



Even though this number of men could be reduced by fifty per cent 

 by increased clliciency and standardization, the number required Is still 

 staggering. Consider, also, the overseas transportation problem' as re- 

 lated to material only and without reference to personnel and its main- 

 tenance. The ti-ansportation of finished planes, properly crated, with 

 the necessary spares, accessories and equipment is in itself a serious 

 problem, in view of the situation in ship tonnage. 



The feat of getting the twelve-cylinder U. S. .\. or so-called Uiberty 

 engine, from the first scratch on paper in June to the beginning of pro- 

 duction of quantity manufacturing tools in November, is one never equalled 

 even among the spectacular performances of the American motor car busi- 

 ness. In June, from one to three weeks were required to deliver a prop- 

 erly authorizeil contract to a manufacturer after all details of the negotia- 

 tion had lieen settled. Today, a few hours only are needed. 



New sources of supply, flying fields, the experimental laboratory and 

 other activities, under the direction of the Board, have been purposely 

 located west of the .\llcgheny mountains. In accordance with the stated 

 policy of tlie military departments to remove sources of war supply "two 

 hundred miles from the seacoast," and to avoid the labor congestion which 

 exists In all eastern industrial centers. 



Established plants of the motor car Industry arc being largely utilized 

 in the program of aircraft motor production, but automobile concerns 

 arc not being employed in airplane construction. In general, the state- 

 ment may be made that not a single automobile factory is in any way 

 involved In the plane building Industry. 



Placing of Business Reported 



Witliin the last few weeks contracts have been awarded for 71,000 

 army escort wagons, 25,000 carts and 1,000,000 wheels. Prior to 

 that, last summer, (1.3,000 escort wagons were contracted for. Con- 

 ttacts have been let to 75 firms, it is reported. 



The Southern Hardwood Emergency Bureau is organizing its mem- 

 bers in different sections to be prepared to help the government on 

 short notice. Subcommittees are being created to get information 



