October 27i, 1915. 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



exceed the rates on the same commodity from Gould to tbe same destina- 

 tions. 



It appears also clearly from the record that the complainants have paid 

 and borne the charges and have been damaged on shipments of lumber from 

 I>'urth since January 1, 191.'!, to the extent that the rates per 100 pounds 

 were in excess of the rates paid from the junction point Gould to interstate 

 destinations reached by the Iron Mountain. Complainants should prepare a 

 statement showing as to each shipment on which reparation is claimed the 

 date of movement, point of origin, poiut of destination, rate, weight, car 

 number and initials, rate charged, and the amount of reparation due under 

 our finding herein, which statement should be forwarded to defendants for 

 verificatioM. Upon receipt of a statement so prepared by complainants and 

 verified by defendants we will consider issuing an order awarding reparation. 



The other decision made during the past two Tveeks is that in the 

 case of the Foster Lumber Company versus the Clatskanie Transporta- 

 tion Company, in which the company 's complaint of unjust rates was 

 denied. 



J. V. Stimson, Huntington, Ind., versus Erie R. R., claims just rate 

 from Roland, 111., on logs is eleven cents; carriers are collecting twelve 

 and a half cents. 



Torrey Cedar Company, Cliutonville, Wis., versus Chicago & North- 

 western, excessive charges on Wifconsin-Minnesota and on Wisconsin- 

 North Dakota business claimed. 



Rates on gum, oak and cypress between Charleston, Mi.'s., and Chi- 

 cago are attacked in a complaint filed by the Lamb-Fish Lumber Com- 

 pany against the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad. Charges of 

 nineteen cents are beng collected on gura and twenty-one cents on oak. 

 The lumber company claims that this rale should be seventeen and 

 sixteen cents, respectively. All applications for the refund of the 

 alleged overcharge have been declined by the defendant. 



Other complaints filed during the past two weeks are: Diamond 

 Lumber Company, Green Bay, Wis., versus C, M. & St. P. ; unjust 

 rates. Reparation of $1,058.14 asked. 



Hearings have been assigned as follows: 



.\t Rhinelander, Wis., November S, Examiner Fleming : Lumber from 

 Wisconsin points. 



At Milwaukee, November 11, Kxaiuincr Fleming: J. S. Sterns Lumber 

 Company versus C. & N. W. 



At Washington, November 22, oral argument, I. & S. 4G4, lumber rates 

 Helena, Ark., and other points to Omaha, Des Moines and other points. 

 No. 5537 — Anderson-TuUy Lumber Company versus A. & V. No. 742.) — 

 Dallas Cooperage and Woodenware Company versus G., C. & S. F. Novem- 

 ber 23, Storm Lake Tub and Tank Factory versus Indiana Harbor Belt 

 Railway. Snow Lumber Company versus R. C. & S. November 24, Hard- 

 wood I'ackage Co. versus New River, Holsten & Western. November 26, 

 oral argument, Trexler Lumber Company versus P., B. & W. .\merlcan 

 Woods Corporation versus So. Ry. Northern Lumber Company versus So. 

 Ry. Forest Lumber Company versus Morgantown and Kingwood R. R. 

 November 27. Union Lumber Company versus G., C. & S. F. 



.•Vt Louisville, November 24, Examiner Fleming : Kentucky-Indiana Hard- 

 wood Company versus So. Ky. in Miss. 



At Portland, Ore., December 2, Examiner Pugh : West Coast Lumber 

 Jlanufacturers' Association versus S. P. & S. 



At Pittsburgh, December 0, Examiner La Roe : United Lumber Company 

 versus B. & O. 



^l y^^TO;!5BMm!J^^w^imM>^^imiVJ^;^>^^^^ 



Conditions Better in Memphis Section 



Reports from the south indicate a striking evidence of a change 

 for the better in the hardwood situation in Memphis and surround- 

 ing territory. Demand has been steadily increasing for some 

 time and shipments have likewise materially grown larger. But it 

 is only within the past thirty days that any appreciable change in 

 prices has taken place. It is recognized that these are still somewhat 

 below normal, but it is reported that they have advanced generally 

 from $1 to $2 per thousand on practically all items and on most 

 grades. Furthermore, while there is room for still further develop- 

 ment along this line, the position of both the manufacturer and the 

 wholesaler is more independent because of the absence of burdensome 

 stocks, the easiness of money which facilitates financing and the 

 greater interest shown by buyers. For a long while owners of lumber 

 had to do all the hustling, while buyers stood back and took advantage 

 of the low rates at which they were able to get lumber thrown at 

 them in this way. Now they are finding that there are very few bar- 

 gains and that it is necessary for them to cast about to find what they 

 need. Their wants, too, have become considerably larger with the 

 general improvement in practically all lines so that the seller is no 

 longer necessarily on the defensive. 



Shipments of lumber now are larger from Memphis and the Mem- 

 phis territory than at any time since the outbreak of the war in 

 Europe. Some firms report more activity than for some time prior 

 to the beginning of hostilities in Europe, while practically everybody 

 concedes rather marked increase in deliveries. Manufacturing opera- 

 tions continue to expand, but they are not running ahead of shipments, 

 which is only another way of saying that stocks are not accumulating. 

 These became much broken during the cessation of milling operations 

 within the first seven or eight months of the European war and there 

 are some items which are still quite scarce, thus putting the seller 

 instead of the buyer in the controlling position. 



The improvement noted is confined largely to domestic business. 

 Export demand is, as has been the case for some time, confined largely 

 to the specialties used in the manufacture of war supplies. These 

 include walnut, gum and ash, with an occasional sprinkling of cotton- 

 wood. There is no general European demand and none is anticipated 

 until the large quantities of southern hardwoods consigned abroad 



have been so reduced that business is again possible on a profitable 

 basis. 



In domestic channels the most fruitful source of demand is from 

 furniture and vehicle manufacturers and from the makers of boxes 

 and bos shooks. Interior trim and flooring are also moving more 

 freely and there is also a fairly active call from miscellaneous sources. 

 The one big disappointment has been the attitude of railroad interests, 

 which are buying very few supplies in the making of which southern 

 hardwoods are used and which are doing everything in their power, 

 especially in the lower Mississippi valley states, through efforts to 

 apply higher rates, to make the life of the average manufacturer of 

 lumber anything but comfortable, if not actually miserable. A good 

 demand is reported for plain and quartered oak in the higher grades 

 and prices have recently advanced somewhat. The lower grades, how- 

 ever, are rather slow as to movement and are participating but little 

 in the advance enjoyed by firsts and seconds. Gum is gaining ground 

 not only in volume of business but also in prices. This applies to both 

 red and sap and to the lower as well as to the higher grades. Some 

 items are notably scarce. In fact, it is said on good authority that 

 not a single carload of 8/4 red gum in No. 1 common can be found in 

 the entire Memphis market. The box factories are large users of No. 

 1, No. 2 and No. 3 common gum and are absorbing most of the offer- 

 ings. Ash is in excellent request and a sharp advance is noted in 6/4 

 and thicker. It cost one buyer $2 per thousand to delay buying six 

 cars of thick ash from last Friday until Monday. There is a reason- 

 ably active demand for cypress. Cottonwood in the higher grades is 

 in only moderate request, but there is a ready call for the lower 

 grades used in box manufacture. 



Lumber interests here are feeling more cheerful. They believe the 

 long-awaited revival in business is at hand and they are making their 

 plans accordingly. There is no boom. None is claimed, but it is 

 conceded that both the situation and outlook have substantially 

 changed for the better within the past three or four weeks. 



Many people confuse the term "efficiency" with the word "effec- 

 tiveness, ' ' and while there is a current usage in which the two terms 

 overlap, yet the difference is easily capable of detection. 



