HARDWOOD RECORD 



March 10. 1918 



36 



Ss^ Memphis Shy One-Half of ISIeeded Logs 



Tlierc is comparatively littlo iiiipioveinciit in transportation con- 

 ditions iu tlie Memphis territory as affecting the supply of logs 

 available for the mills, with the result that those plants aepending 

 on the public carriers for their log supplies are being forced to op- 

 crate intermittently. The Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Bailroad has 

 failed to furnish the 100 ears per day it promised recently for log 

 handling, and difficulty is being experienced in securing anything 

 like enough cars on cither the Frisco or the Missouri Pacific system 

 in Arkansas. 



J. W. Dickson, at the meeting of the Lumbormen's Club, M.-ircli 2, 

 threw a great deal of light on the log situation on the Y. & M. V. 

 road. The Valley Log Loading Company loaded approximately 1,150 

 cars in February, or an increase of about 200 on the Y. & M. V., 

 compared with January, and an increase of about 100 on the Mis- 

 souri Pacific in Arkansas. Still, it is not loading more than 50 

 per cent of what it has facilities to load and the whole problem 

 resolves itself into a question of cars. 



,T. H. Townshend, secretary-manager of the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Association, advises that the Missouri Pacific sj'stem in 

 Arkansas has agreed to furnish more cars for log handling, but that 

 the Frisco holds out comparatively little encouragement for any in- 

 crease. He went to St. Louis to confer with officials of these two 

 lines. Mr. Townshend estimates that there are 70,000,000 feet of 

 logs ready for loading on the Y. & M. V., the Missouri Pacific, and 

 the Frisco system, about 30,000,000 feet on each of the tvv'o first 

 named and about 10,000,000 on the last. The time for flood waters is 

 not far distant, and the logs are, in many instances, already begin- 

 ning to deteriorate. 



Mills liaving their own logging and railroad equipment are secur- 

 ing all tlie logs they need. Those dependent on water transportation, 

 too, are faring exceedingly well. But those dependent on the public 

 carriers are strictly up against it and they see little immediate pros- 

 pect of relief. It is estimated that the latter mills are not producing 

 more han 50 per cent of normal, but the steady operation of the 

 mills securing their supplies with their own equipment or bringing 

 out their logs on water is increasing the general output in this ter- 

 ritory well above 50 per cent. 



Conditions are favorable for w'ork in the woods which is making 

 better progress. Practically all firms report that they have plenty 

 of logs ahead. 



Shipments of lumber 'are showing little increase. In fact, condi- 

 tions in this respect are hardly so favorable as they were a fort- 

 night ago. '^hen practically all of Central Freight Association ter- 

 ritory could be reached and lumber shipments could be made into 

 part of Eastern Trunk Line territory. Now there are comparatively 

 few shipments possible into the former, and none can be made into 

 the latter. This is the information given by the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Association. The Illinois Central, the Frisco system and the 

 Missouri Pacific will all handle shipments for delivery at points on 

 their own lines, but none of them will accept shipments of lumber 

 for delivery to points off their own rails east of the Illinois-Indiana 

 state line. The Mobile & Ohio will not accept shipment of lumber 

 for delivery north of the Ohio river and this leaves the Louisville & 

 Nashville and the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis as the only 

 available lines for handling shipments into the destinatons in Cen- 

 tral Freight Association territory open for receiving such. 



^ OBWiiaBitMrotroMMHiK^^ 



John M. Pritchard, secretary-manager of the American Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association, has, with the discontinuance of the 

 Southern Hardwood Emergency Bureau at Washington, returned to 

 Memphis and taken up his duties as active manager of the former 

 organization which represents the recent merging of the old gum 

 and oak associatioins. 



Mr. Pritchard was drafted into the service in November, when 

 the bureau was organized, as the most available man for its manage- 

 ment. His services were loaned to the government by the old Gum 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association, and, when the gum and oak 

 associations wore consolidated and he was elected manager of the 

 new association, his leave of absence was continued indefinitely. 



The bureau, under the management of Mr. Pritchard, rendered 

 good service to the government. It taught buyers of hardwood lum- 

 ber and timbers for the government departments just where hard- 

 wood lumber could be bought, what the mills were capable of pro- 

 ducing, where they were located and to what extent they might be 

 depended upon for government requirements. 



Mr. Pritchard brought with him to Memphis all files and letters 

 bearing on unfiui.shed business of the bureau, and, with the knowl- 

 edge already imparted to buyers of hardwoods in the various govern- 

 ment departments, the latter will in future address their inquiries 

 to the National Hardwood Lumber Association at Chicago, and to 

 the Hardwood Manufacturers' Association at Cincinnati. It is be- 

 lieved that these organizations will be able to furnish all the in- 

 formation desired. 



Discontinuance of the bureau at Washington also releases other 

 prominent lumbermen of Memphis and the Memphis territory from 

 further government service, including H. B. Weiss, K. L. Jurden, 

 W. A. Ransom and Ealph Maj', all of Memphis; and W. B. Burke, 

 of the Lamb-Fish Lumber Company, Charleston, Miss. These gen- 

 tlemen have been spending two out of everj- six weeks of their 



time in Washington since last November, acting in an advisory ca- 

 pacity to the bureau and to the government buyers of hardwood lum- 

 ber and timbers. They have rendered splendid service, but they are 

 glad that their period of service is over because of the time required 

 from their regular business. Officers and members of the association 

 are delighted to have Mr. Pritchard back again. 



Mr. Pritchard said today that he had no special statement to 

 make beyond the mere announcement that he expected to get behind 

 the association and push it in every way possible because he is con- 

 vinced that the kind of service afforded the members will determine 

 the real measure of success of this organization. 



Practically all old members of the gum and oak associations have 

 completed transfer of their membership certificates to the American 

 Hardwood Manufacturers' Association and the latter has received 

 ten members who were not identified with either of the old organiza- 

 tions. Eight of these were published in the last issue of the Hard- 

 wood Recokd. The other two are J. M. Card Lumber Company, 

 Chattanooga, Tenn., and Bayne Lumber Company, Lefey, La. 



F. M. Sibley of the propeller section, equipment division of the 

 aircraft board, with headquarters at Cleveland, O., has requested 

 the association to compile and file with him information regarding 

 stocks in the Memphis territory available for the manufacture of 

 airplane propellers, principally quartered white oak and quartered 

 yellow poplar. He advises that contracts will shortly be let to about 

 fifty firms and that he wishes this information so that he may direct 

 the contractors to sources of supply. This information is being 

 requested of the members of the association, and will be compiled 

 and forwarded to Mr. Sibley every two weeks. Quartered red oak 

 has been barred as a material for propellers, at least, for the 

 present, according to the information that has been given out by 

 those having the matter in charge. 



