16 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



IJrcruilMT 'S>. 101 



unuauallv ....... — „ . . what haa trantpired in the past 



year, ninl boi-auw of the happen iiigit in the past month or two. 

 It is particularly oviilont though that Htorks nro not full in any 

 •lircction. In tho North there is rcporti'il to lie ilevoloping a "lis- 

 tinrtly rw tulition in No. 1 ronimun iiiul bettor, nnil while 



the lon-^: .lion is diflirult to nnnly/.c, theru is a distinct 



feelin); ninon|; northern operiitor!) thnt it is cuin^ to bo ruvenleil 

 in a much better ligltt than at any time during tho present season. 



In the South a somewhat similar condition is apparent with 

 more or less depleted stocks in box lumber in addition to rather 

 upset condition of supplies in certain of the upper prudes. , 



Northern birch and niuple and southern oak, gum, .'ind n»h are 

 going along in good shape. I'oplur is a better property than it 

 was soma months ago, and mahogany is in excellent condition. 

 Quartered oak is already beginning to feel tho good effects of 

 ;;reater purchases of high-grade furniture, while plain oak is find- 

 ing an increasing market. Gum seems to be making excellent prog- 

 ress in establishing new lines of consumption as the present exicl- 

 lent condition of gum sales seems to bo considered by all who have 

 made any attempt to analyze tho situation as resulting more from 

 extended interest in and demand for gum than- from the general 

 improvement in demand for all hardwoods. 



Tho veneer and panel manufacturers express a good deal of sat- 

 isfaction with the situation as it stands today. In fact producers 

 I'f these products arc confronted constantly with actual shortages 

 of certain items and most of tho manufacturers are preparing to 

 a<ld materially to going prices of these products, particularly in 

 rotary cut stock. 



The Cover Picture 



CIIRISTM.VS MAY BE IN TllH AIH in the cover picture illus- 

 trating this number of Hardwood Record, but there arc few 

 signs of it elsewhere; yet it is the picture of a Christmas scene in 

 a northern forest. It is the home of the overseer of a lumber camp, 

 but it stands removed from all other human habitation and "alone 

 in the winnowed wilderness." Fir and hardwood trees form the 

 background. The smaller branches are bare of snow and the larger 

 are nearly; for in that region where the snow is usually dry when it 

 falls, it does not remain long on the limbs of trees. The first brisk 

 wind blows it off. 



Persons who are familiar with northern winters will detect in this 

 picture a sign of very cold weather. Notice the pale shadows on the 

 snow, which are due to the weak sunlight, yet there is probably not a 

 cloud in the sky. The air is thick with frost crystals which assume 

 the form of mist. The sun shines through, but heat ard light are 

 nearly cut off. There is barely enough left to cast a vague shadow. 

 The thermometer was probably several degrees below zero when the 

 photograph was taken. The icicles hanging from the roof like 

 stalactites tell the same story of low temperature. 



The scene of the picture is beyond the northern limit of the United 

 States, in the province of Ontario. It is a home similar to thousands 

 in that region and in our northern states. Christmas may not bring 

 as many things to the children in the remote forest cabins as to the 

 children in villages and cities, but it is just as welcome, and what 

 Jittle it brings is just as thankfully received. In fact, it is a well- 

 established truth that thankfulnci-s is not proportionate to the quan- 

 tity of good things received. The child that lives too far away to 

 have many associates, appreciates what he has much more genuinely 

 than the child that is overloaded with gifts and accepts them as a 

 matter of course. 



The house is pretty low down in the snow, yet it is not an unat- 

 tractive place. The lace curtains at the square windows give a hint 

 of comfort and cheerfulness within, though it is evident that no con- 

 siderable amount of daylight finds its way to the interior of the 

 cabin. There are no flowers or even flower stalks to be seen now, but 

 the flower bed under the window is evidence that in summer a plot 

 of flowers is cultivated there; and where there are flowers in summer 

 it may be depended upon there will be Christmas spirit and cheer 

 in winter. A glimpse inside would be weloome, but unfortunately the 



enmera gavo nn exterior view ui... , ;... minginiition U left to 



supply tho miitsing particular* as it wishes. 



The youngster who is posing for his picture iK-side the big wreck 

 of n liox in the furegrouml ap|M*ars to be completely luitihfied with 

 what ChristmnR brought him. If all town children couhl feel the 

 same way it would mid much tn the kuiii of hiiMwin liap|iini-H8. 



Answers by Lumbermen 



Ll'MBKRMKN HAVE AN8WEKED QUESTIONS pio|«Minded by 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission concerning the transporta 

 tion of lunilier. The outstanding conclusion in thciw- nnsutTS is that 

 rates for carrying lumber nught not l>e based on gradi>« and vului', 

 but on weight. What arc called "woods of value" should not, iif 

 cording to the contention of lumlH'rmen, l>o charged higher r«t«~< 

 than other lumber of e<{ual weight, though it hap|)vn8 to bo of less 

 value. At least that seems to bo tho meaning of tho replies, con 

 siilered as a whole. It is in opposition to the often-quoted theory 

 of CoUis P. Huntington of tho Southern J'acific railroad, that rates 

 on commodities should be charged according to their value, or "iis 

 much as the traflii' will bear." 



The railroads, or some of them, have justified that attitude by 

 argument which, it must be admitted, has sonic force. They say they 

 must carry some commodities at cost, or not carry them at all, Ijo- 

 cause full rates cannot be paid on them. Therefore, the railroads 

 should be allowed, they say, to make up their loss by charging more 

 on traffic able to bear it. The man who has a cheap article to send 

 to market is glad to have it carried at cost, and to him this doctrine 

 of "all the traflic will bear" appears a wise one. But the man whose 

 commodity is valuable cannot sec the justice in making him recoup 

 the railroads for what they lose in carrying the other man's article 

 below cost. It thus resolves itself into a question of the viewpoint of 

 different observers. It takes a pretty broad-minded man to see the 

 justice in a policy that makes him lose money; while nearly any man 

 applauds a policy that puts money in his own pocket 



The Interstate Commerce Commission is in the jiosition of a neutral. 

 It has been called upon to judge between the railroads and the lum- 

 bermen in the readjustment of rates and to see that both sides give 

 and receive as large a measure of justice as possible. It wishes to 

 attain a point from which the whole matter may be studied on its 

 merit. To accomplish that, the series of questions was propounded, 

 and these questions with the lumbermen's answers are published in 

 this issue of Hardwood Becord. 



Is it not barely possible that there is a two-edged sword in the 

 lumbermen's reply, and that it may cut two waysf In the past there 

 was a great deal said about the waste resulting from leaving rough 

 logs in tho woods, because the lumber cut from them was so cheap 

 that it could not pay ordinary rates of transportation. It was advo- 

 cated that railroads ought to give extra low rates on this low-grade 

 lumber. Box factories and certain other industries could use it if 

 it could be taken out of the woods and sent to them. Perhaps it was 

 not 80 much the lumberman who advocated that as it was the pro- 

 fessional conservative propagandists, but there is no question that 

 a great deal was heard on the subject some time back. It has not 

 been talked of so much lately, but it is still a subject open to debate. 



If lumber tariffs are to be determined by weight only, and not in 

 accordance with grade, species, or form, the question of lower rates 

 for cheap box lumber is disposed of at once along with the question 

 of extra high rates for "woods of value." 



Making Things Happen 



LUMBERMEN MAKK THINGS COME TO PASS in British Co- 

 lumbia. At any rate, according to reports, that is what they 

 intend to do. A bill is to be presented at the next session of the 

 legislature of that province authorizing the issue of bonds by the 

 state to provide money for building thirty schooners to be used in 

 carrying lumber in the export trade. The lumbermen arc to assume 

 the payment of the bonds at maturity and will then own the ships. 

 British Columbia furnishes the credit, but the debt is to be paid by 

 the lumber exporters. It is assumed that the vessels can be paid for 

 out of the profits earned in the carrying trade. 



