January 25, 1921 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



23 



News from the National Capital 



Plans have been completed by the Department of Justice for a 

 vigorous investigation under the anti-trust laws into the coal and 

 building materials situation. The Department announced that it 

 would particularly investigate the lumber interests, with special 

 reference to the yellow pine industry of the South. An organiza- 

 tion is being completed by the Department to assume direction of 

 the inquiry. 



The testimony of witnesses appearing before Congressional com- 

 mittees investigating reports of unreasonable profits out of Govern- 

 ment coal purchases, will be used by the Department of Justice 

 as a basis for its inquiry into the coal situation. 



Assistant Attorney General Frank Nebeker has held conferences 

 with William J. Rand, associated with Isidore Kresel, of New 

 York, who has been appointed by the Attorney General to direct 

 the Government 's investigation into the alleged building materials 

 monopoly. At the conference, plans were reviewed for the Govern- 

 ment 's investigation into all phases of the building materials 

 industry. Special assistants to the Attorney General have been 

 appointed and an adequate corps of investigators have been added 



to assist in the inquiry. 



****** 



The Brooks-Scanlon and the Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Companies 

 filed briefs with the Interstate Commerce Commission on January 

 19 in the matter of establishing a satisfactory minimum weight 

 basis for lumber and- lumber products originating in the Pacific 

 Northwest and Inland Empire Territories. The brief states that 

 prior to September 24, 1917, no troubles were experienced with the 

 minimum weights from these territories because the full visible 

 exceptions were flat minimum based upon the length of the car 

 and no greater than existed in other producing territories. 



The lumber companies would show that the so-called cubical 

 minimum weight is not a minimum weight but was utilized entirely 

 as a penalty on the car which was not loaded full. In view of the 

 fact that the full visible exception is in reality the fundamental 

 minimum, the brief declares, the negative merits of the cubical 

 minimum were brought to the surface when these charges were 

 made and it is since that date that disagreements have arisen. 

 ****** 



The Interstate Commerce Commission announced that the Board 

 of Eailway Commission of Canada had directed carriers subject to 

 their jurisdiction to place a surcharge of 60 per cent of the rate 

 of exchange on international shipments, other than coke or coal, to 

 be added to the total through charges including advanced charges 

 payable to carriers in the United States, when payable and collected 

 in Canada. 



The order became effective on January 22 and the rate of 

 exchange quoted for New York funds by the Bank of Montreal at 

 noon in Montreal on January 21 will govern charges from the 22nd 

 to the 31st of the month. 



Wheh all charges are paid at points in the United States in U. S. 

 currency, the surcharge will not be added. On shipments from 

 Canada the Surcharge must be collected at the rate governing on 

 the date of the bill of lading; and on shipments to Canada at the 

 rate on the date of advice note of arrival at the Canadian destina- 

 tion. The order pronounces that the surcharge will accrue entirely 

 to the Canadian carrier. Eailway agents in Canada will be informed 

 on the first and fifteenth of each month of the surcharges to be 

 collected and the latter must be shown as a separate item on all 

 bills. 



The tariff does not apply to export and import traffic from or to 

 points of origin or destination in the United States via Canadian 

 ports, on which all charges must be collected in United States 

 currency or equivalent. The rate of exchange quoted for New York 

 funds by the Bank of Montreal at noon on the last day of the 



month will govern until the 14th, inclusive, of the following month 

 and the quotation on the 14th will govern from the 15th to the 

 last day of the month. 



* * * * » * 



Wooden shipbuilding companies won their case before the United 

 States Shipping Board for the prompt settlement of claims against 

 the Government, growing out of the cancellation of wood ship- 

 building contracts by the Emergency Fleet Corporation. The 

 amount of the money involved is estimated to be between $6,000,000 

 and $10,000,000. 



The Shipping Board has formally designated the Construction 

 Claims Board to iJroceed with the examination of the facts con- 

 cerning the claims of the shipbuilders and to submit to the Board 

 of Trustees of the Emergency Fleet Corporation its recommenda- 

 tions for settlement of the claims. 



Indiana Hardwood Men Hold Annual 



Of&eials of the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association 

 demonstrated at the twenty-second annual convention in Indian- 

 apolis, January 18, that it is possible to stage an interesting con- 

 vention without a hard and fast program to follow. Probably one 

 of the most interesting features of the meeting was at the after- 

 noon session, when the convention was thrown open for an experi- 

 ence meeting and prognostications as to what the coming year 

 holds for the business. As many as had time gave their views 

 concerning building operations during the coming year and the 

 demand for hardwoods, and out of the wealth of information the 

 outstanding fact was that the hardwood men themselves are opti- 

 mistic regardless of present demand. More than 200 men attended 

 the convention. 



The following officers were reelected for the coming year: George 

 H. Palmer, Sheridan, president; Edgar Eichardson, Indianapolis, 

 secretary and treasurer; H. B. Sale, Fort Wayne, first vice-presi- 

 dent, and Frank Donnell, Greensburg, second vice-president. 



Members of the board of directors who were reelected are: 

 William H. Day, New Albany; John I. Shafer, South Bend; Bruce 

 Montgomery, Frankfort; A. J. Smith, Decatur; W. W. Knight, 

 Indianapolis; George Waters, Indianapolis; Frank Shephard, 

 Indianapolis; Frank Eeynolds, Eushville; John Kitchen, Columbus; 

 C. H. Barnaby, Greencastle; J. V. Stimson, Huntingburg; Sam 

 Burkholder, Crawfordsville; C. H. Kramer, Eichmond; Daniel 

 Wertz, Evansville; T. B. Coppock, Fort Wayne; James Buckley, 

 Brookville; John N. Graham, Franklin, and Walter H. Crim, Salem. 



As one of the features of the afternoon session the Holt Manu- 

 facturing Company of Peoria, 111., gave a series of instructive 

 motion pictures showing the process of hauling logs by tractor. 



Charles F. Coffin, president of the Indianapolis Chamber of Com- 

 merce, gave a talk in which he gave his opinion concerning business 

 conditions. Mr. Coffin said all the signs of the times pointed to a 

 resumption of industries within a period of from three to six 

 months. He said the remarkable feature about the present economic 

 situation was the fact that all signs pointed in this direction. He 

 said many of the large financiers of the country felt in their hearts 

 that when the readjustment period started it would take months 

 and probably years to work itself out, while in fact present indica- 

 tions pointed to a comparatively short period of time. Mr. Coffin 

 referred to the natural resources of the country, to the amount of 

 available gold in the United States as compared with other coun- 

 tries and declared it was preposterous to believe that the situation 

 was so very unhealthy. 



A banquet was held at night, which was a sort of get-together 

 meeting, and was attended by practically the entire membership. 



As a side issue the men interested in oak veneer held a meeting 

 in the morning to discuss business conditions. 



