18 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



January 25, 1921 



would make it possible for lumber to move to Pacific coast points. 

 The report of Elliott Lang, treasurer, showed that the associa- 

 tion enjoyed receipts of approximately $106,000 and that its 

 •expenditures were somewliat less, with the result that its finances 

 are in excellent condition. 



Secretary-Manager's Report 



The association, according to the report of J. H. Towusheud, 

 secretary-manager, collected $175,000 in claims during 1920 out of 

 a total of $347,000, including $81,000 carried over from the previous 

 year and $2(56,000 filed during 1920. This represents the largest 

 collections ever made by the organization within a single year. 

 The larger part of the claims were filed during the closing months 

 of the year after the general advance in freight rates became 

 effective Aug. 26, 1920. 



The association also enjoyed the largest growth in membership 

 in its history, receiving 104 new members as compared with 102 

 the year before. There were 34 losses through resignation, absorp- 

 tions and business changes, leaving a net membership of 488 at the 

 close of the year. 



Mr. Townshend indicated that the law under which the railroads 

 were returned to their private owners March 1, 1920, "had many 

 good points and many points which will have to be revised or 

 amended.' ' 



He characterized 

 the general advance 

 in freight rates Aug. 

 26, 1920, as the most 

 important develop- 

 ment of the year 

 from a " traffic " 

 standpoint and de- 

 clared that failure of 

 the interstate com- 

 merce commission to 

 adopt the suggestion 

 of this organization 

 — a straight percent- 

 age increase, with a 

 maximum in cents 

 per hundred pounds 

 — had "destroyed 

 the differential 

 which existed up to 

 that time and, to a 

 large extent, retard- 

 ed the movement of 

 low grade lumber 

 Mr. Townshend made 

 important recom- 

 mendations in this respect which were acted upon 

 outlined. 



He emphasized that "car shortage" had been one of the most 

 difficult problems of the year and that it had caused losses of 

 "many, many thousands of dollars" to members of the association, 

 despite all the efforts the latter made to secure cars. He suggested, 

 in this connection, that, because of the numerous negotiations 

 with high officials of the railroads, cordial relations had been 

 established with the latter which would prove highly helpful in 

 future. 



Mr. Townshend indicated that one of the principal activities of 

 the association during the closing months of 1920 was in keeping 

 up with the various changes in "rates, rules and practices of the 

 carriers" as a means of preventing undue advances in rates and 

 undue restriction of the movement of low grade forest products. 

 He stated that during the year more than 200 such cases had been 

 handled with the interstate commerce commission, the district 

 freight traffic committees and other organizations dealing with 

 rate and traffic matters. 



He informed members that claims against the U. S. Railroad 



Ross J. Hackney 

 Re-elected First Vice-President 



as alreadv 



Administration could not be docketed after March 1 and that, if 



they were not so docketed before that date, they would expire by i 



the statute of limitations. He indicated that the administration i 



had done nothing to facilitate the settlement of claims and de- j 



clared that it would probably be necessary to file additional com- i 

 ]ilaints with the interstate commerce commission. 



Mr. Townshend also noted that the association had secured a ' 

 )iroposal from the Illinois Central and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley 



railroads to put into effect rates on fuel wood from points south j 



to Chicago about twelve cents per hundred pounds below the rates \ 



on lumber. He pointed out that the lower rates would have the '] 



effect of providing outlets for fuel wood which would othervidse j 



Ije lost and that it would also have the effect of materially con- j 



serving coal supply. ; 



Lauds Assistants j 



Mr. Townshend emphasized that the association had been greatly ' 



strengthened during the year on the theory that nothing but the 



most efficient men should serve members of the industry. He paid ; 



high tribute to the efficiency and ability of the district managers, 



C. A. New, his assistant, and Mrs. B. E. Perry, who is charged : 



with "getting the money" and who has proved remarkably capable ; 



in that particular direction. i 



Tlie principal ac- ; 



tivities and accom- ,i 



plishments of the as- , 



sociatiou during the 3 



year are given here- ! 



with: ; 



1 : Obtainpil favor- 



a b 1 e recommendation ■ 

 from an ' examiner of 



the interstate com- < 



nii-rci' commission oov- . 



crinj; tran.sit arrange- I 

 lufuts at Memphis and 



l.fiiiisville and sue- ' 



,*(■(-, Icil in securing i 

 ji^irrrnipnt from the in- 



Ii'i-i'sted carriers to put j 



sucli arrangements into < 

 I'ffiH-t at these points 

 in the near future. 



2; Succeeded in ' 

 iiriitng upon the inter- ' 

 ^tiiti' commerce com- 

 inlssion plans for ] 

 a joint conference ■ 

 between that body, the I 

 Canadian Railway Com- l 

 mission and the Ameri- i 

 can Railway Associa- 

 tion, to be held in the \ 

 near future, for the \ 

 purpo.se of settling the i 

 question of prepay- 

 ment of freight rates 

 on shipments of forest ' 

 products to Canada. I 

 3 : Defeated efforts ■ 

 of the carriers, in the , 

 Natchez ••jwe, to ad- . 

 vauce export rates ? 

 from west-side points j 

 to New Orleans and to put into effect proportionately increased rates - 

 between stations In Louisiana. ^ 



4 : Succeeded in having the interstate commerce commission order the ,! 

 withdrawal of supplements Issued by the Frisco system and the Chicago 'I 

 & Eastern Illinois cancellating through tariffs on forest products via tne.-^ 

 Thebes gateway. ^j 



5 : Obtained a reduction of about 50 per cent in the charge for lo^ '| 

 loading at points between stations on the part of the Yazoo & Mississippi 

 Valley railroad and prevented the Columbia & rJreenevllle railroad from 

 advancing its charge for log loading service from .$2.50 to $5 per thousand. '; 

 The latter charge was placed at $3.75. 



6 : Successfully opposed, before the interstate commerce commission. ^ 



the proposed increase in demurrage rates on the part of the carriers , 



which were to have become effective Dec. 1, 1920. ' 



7 : Secured indefinite postponement of proposed higher rates from jj 



Memphis, Tenn., Helena, Ark., and other Eastern Arkansas points to all \ 



consuming destinations which the carriers sought to put Into effect under -■ 

 "Fourth Section Orders" of the interstate commerce commis.sion. This 



action not only saved members of the association "thousands of dollars" I 



but also prevented a threatened readjustment of rates on a higher basis i 



from southeastern and southwestern territories. ' 



8: Defeated efforts of the carriers in the Missouri case to advance 



freight rates on all products forest products moving between points in that > 



State. This matter Is still pending before the commission but the asso- , 



cintlon expresses the hope that these rates will not be advanced. ; 



9 : Secured numerous reductions in rates on logs and lumber, including , 



the following specific instances : ^ 



(a) if 35 per day in log-train service on the Missouri Pacific, 



(b) 10 to 15 cents per hundred pounds on cooperage stock moving to 

 Columbus, Miss. 



(c) 5 cents per hundred pounds on logs moving over the Louisiana & 

 .\rkansa3 railroad. , 



J. H. Townshend 

 Unanimously Re-elected Secretary-Manager 



