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HARDWOOD RECORD 



December 10, 1920 



The Successful Mahogany Manufacturer 

 Must Have an Adequate Log Supply 



Sliowing our fresh water pond within the Mississippi River at New Orleans, where our 

 steamers discharge their logs after completing a long journey from the tropics. This pond 

 is approximately one-half mile long: has a storage capacity of three to four million 

 feet of Mahogany logs, so that we are always assured of adequate supply: there our choice 

 Mahogany logs are stored in a most advantageous manner, safe against the river currents 

 and storms, floating freely without chains, ready to go thru our mill. 



This Mahogany pond is the only one of its kind; all other features of our operations have 

 been worked out with equal care. 



insurance. Interest on investment would not ordinarily be figured in dry 

 kiln work, inasmuch as the boiler plant for suiJplying the engine for the 

 sawmills is required anyway, whether or not the dry kiln is operated. 

 The dry kiln then may be estimated as an auxiliary piece of equipment. 

 Ordinarily also the exhaust steam from the engine is all that is necessary 

 for the heating of the dry kiln, and as such steam would go to waste at 

 such mills, it might be even considered as a product clear of expense for 

 heating purposes. At few woodworking plants are they burning coal 

 exclusively for the production of steam, and ordinarily where exhaust 

 steam from the engine is used during the day time the only charge for 

 the kilns would be for steam used over night. 



"I have before me an accurately collecte<l data sheet of a plant in this 

 city supplying 336,990,300 pounds of steam during the last year. This 

 steam is supplied entirely by coal, for which a price of .113.12 was paid. 

 The total cost of operation, including coal for the year, was at the rate 

 of $,6150 per one thousand pounds of steam produced. This would figure 

 out to $2.61 for the 4,2D0 pounds referred to. If we deduct from this 

 the cost of the coal, using refuse wood instead, the total cost of operation 

 would be $.305 per thousand pounds or at the rate of $1,296 per 4,250 

 pounds of steam. This is manifestly less than the estimate in question. 

 If we assume, on the other hand, that one-third coal aud two-thirds wood 

 as refuse are burned, this will figure a rate of $1.73 for the amount in 

 question. If, on the other hand, we assume that during the day time the 

 exhaust from the engine is used and the cost is only during the night 

 time and that one half of the fuel is coal, the cost chargeable to the 

 kilns would be about $.98 tor the quantity in question." 



Pennsylvania Looking South for Ties 



The interest of liimlienneu has been intrigued, so to speak, by the public 

 announcement of the Pennsylvania Railroad System that "owing to the 

 unprecedented levels to which prices of railroad cross-ties have risen in 

 this country, the Pennsylvania railroad has decided to investigate the 

 adaptability of the hardwoods of Central and South America for this pur- 

 pose. Inquiries," the statement further says, "have been started along sev- 

 eral lines, not only to ascertain how much more cheaply ties, or the mate- 

 rial for ties, can be purchased in those countries, but also to investigate 

 the question of the longer life of ties made from southern hardwoods, as 

 compared with those made from the North American native woods hereto- 

 fore chiefly used. 



"Under normal conditions the Pennsylvania Railroad S.vstem uses from 

 five million to six million cross-ties annually. White oak. the most de- 

 sirable North American wood for this purpose, is becoming rapidly scarcer. 

 The other available woods in this country have a very short life as ties, 

 unless creosoted, which adds materially to their cost. 



"The average net cost of railroad ties ready for placing in the roadbed 

 has risen fully 100 per cent since the beginning of the war. Existing con- 

 ditions now compel the railroad to seek out other markets tor the pur- 

 chase of its supply." 



Canadian Prepayments Muddled 



It is apparent, from a statement issued liy the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Association, that the situation with respect to prepayment of 

 freight charges on shipments of hardwood lumber and forest products to 

 Canada are in a worse "muddle" than at any previous time. This view is 

 based on the fact that the Interstate Commerce Commission has just held 

 that "carriers may demand pre-payment of freight to Canadian points to 

 the extent of the charges or divisions accruing from that part of the 

 transportation which takes place in the United States." The commission 

 also states that it cannot pass upon the prepay requirement to the extent 

 that it affecs charges for transportation beyond the borders of the United 

 States. 



The association has busied it-self rather vigorously in an effort to bring 

 about relief from the prepay provisions of present tariffs but it ia quite 

 apparent that, despite all the promises thus far made, it has not been able 

 to accomplish anything really worth while in this particular direction. 

 In the meantime, shippers are not having to make many prepayments for the 

 reason that comparatively little lumber or forest products are being 

 shipped to Canada, 



Indiana Plants on Short Time 



Many of the large wood consuming plants in Evansville and in other 

 cities and towns in southern Indiana, southern Illinois and western and 

 northern Kentucky are being operated now on short time. In the city of 

 Evansville there are only a few of the large plants that are being run oc 

 full time. A few days ago the plant of the Von Behren Manufacturing 

 Company, makers of hubs and spokes, closed down and more than 100 men 

 were thrown out of employment as a result. It is expected that the plant 

 will resume operations a short time after the first of the coming .year. 

 The Evansville Desk Company is working its plant uow on a schetlule of 

 forty hours a week. The various furniture factories are running from 

 thirty-two to thirty-six hours a week as compared to fifty-four hours in 

 normal times. It is said that some of the factories may cut their working 

 hotirs even more. According to Joe Steinmetz, superintendent of the free 

 government employment bureau there, between 1,500 and 2,000 men and 

 women in Evansville are now out of work, and this number may increase 

 instead of decrease by the first of the year. Curtailment seems to be the 

 order of the day with many of the manufacturers, who give as their reason 

 for this in most instances that many firms are cancelling their orders. 



