"!!£: 



3r 



Traffic Questions Answered 



■•ii 



Scvcrnl iiiiiiitliK ii»;o tin- liiUThtntr (oiiiiniTtf ( uiiitiiiiuiiiiii pro- 

 |iouii>lp<l wvonlwii >|iifiiti»ii!t to tin- IuiiiIht iis?«n-iiitiiiiiit of tlio I'liited 

 Htnteit, ronrortiiiit; tho nvlnHiiillriilion of hmiU^r and tin- luljiiBtinont 

 of rnt*ii for iU> trnimportntioii. Tl>e roimiii»»ion Hoiiulit that informa- 

 tion to I'nulile it to iloiil fairly with tlic railroa"l8 and with liinil)ornicn. 

 It had iHfonif known that the railroa.lii would vindcrtako to revise 

 rates ill a manner that threatened to iiioreaw tranH|iortatioii chart;eii 

 on dreiwil himl>er and other fure>l |iroi|(ii-t«, ami the conimiHHion 

 wiHhivl to obtain the views of liimlH-rmen on the subject, and to wcnre 

 nil the pertinent informatiou possible. Those unestions have been 

 published and discusicd in trade papers and are familiar to the in- 

 terested public. 



The hiniliernien have answered throuRli the National UiuiiIkt Man- 

 ufacturers' Association which, by its transportation committee, con- 

 sistinj; of R. H. Oownman and R. S. Kellont;, speaks for all. The 

 different lumlH-r ai'sociations have filed separate answers also, each 

 association setting forth its in.livi.liial views. The whole set of ques- 

 tions and answers has Ikh'h published in a report of 121 |)anc8. In 

 the space which Hardwood Rf.cokd is able to g'we to the report it is 

 not practicable to give the replies of the individual associations; but 

 the questions with the answers by the National Lumber Manufac- 

 turers' Association are given Itelow: 



QrESTioN 1. What Is the n'lnlionship of conunodlty rates on wood arti- 

 cles or lumlxT products to the ratis on lumber In the various classification 

 oxc*-ptlons and In carriers' Individual anil n^enc-.v t.'irlffsV 



Answkr. There api<'-arK to lie no uniform relationship of commodity 

 rates on wimd articles and Imnher products to the ralis un lumlii-r lu the 

 various classification exceptions, and In carriers' Individual and acencv 

 tarllTs. Just what the relationship Is can only bo shown by comparative 

 statements indicating the lumber lists of various tarllTs and exceptions, 

 which statements should be furnished by carriers. 



I a) Show the variance In the lumber lists of the various classification 

 exceptions and give rea.sons for such variance. 



A.NSWER. No attempt has been made to make the comparison requested 

 In this query, which Is primarily dlneted to carriers, and should be fur- 

 nished by them. The principal reasons known for differences In lumber 

 lists are that they have resulted from gradual growth, experience, necessity 

 and demand. 



(b) Wherever agency tariffs or tariffs of Individual lines establlsb a 

 relationship other than that mninlained In the classification exception 

 which would naturally govern, this Information should be given, together 

 with the reasons for such variani-c. 



Answf.r. The detailed list required by this question sbould also be fur- 

 nished by carriers. This variation Is generally ascribed to dissimilar local, 

 commerclnl and manufacturing conditions in sections where the differences 

 exist. 



(c) To what extent does this relationsbip vary In different sections of 

 the country? 



A.NSWER. There seems to be some variation in relationship in different 

 sections of the country, such, for Instance, as that seen In comparing the 

 lists of articles taking the iumlier rate from the West Coast with typical 

 like lists applying on shipments from the iumlier producing territor.v of the 

 South. North and East. Detailed information should be furnished by the 

 carriers, and will disclose the extent of this variation, and possibly otiier 

 variations which are typical to different lumber producing sections of the 

 country. 



QtESTioN 2. To what extent docs lumber and to what extent do lirmber 

 products move on class rates? Do the same products In some Instances 

 move on class rates and. In others, on commodity rates? 



.Answer. The customary products of lumber manufacturing plants very 

 rarely move on class rates, there being commodity rates in effect lietween 

 prnctleally all points throughout the country. These products almost In- 

 variably niovi- in carloads, and have n relatively bigii loading weight. It 

 has been universally recognized that they are entitled to commodity rates. 



QfESTION .1. To what extent do the rates vary for different kinds of 

 lumber, as. for example, fir. pine, hardwoods, woods of value, etc.? 



.\.vsWER. Different rates are mode by carriers in many instances between 

 hard and soft woods, and higher rates than apply on either hard or .soft 

 woods are usually assessed on the so-called "woods of value." 



(a I To what extent do the rates vary for different grades of the same 

 kind of lumber? 



.Answek. G*nerally throughout the country the rate's on the different 

 grades of the same kind of lumber are on a parity. There are exceptions 

 to this rule, which will be shown by carriers. 



QcESTiON 4. Is it desirable and practicable to establish throughout the 

 country a uniform lumber list fixing a definite relationship between lumber 

 and lumber products? 



Answer. It is desirable that o uniform lumber list be established. It 

 -28— 



is lielleved to li- priKii ■■ ii'io ni (•' ili< > ih r nmi • uitur nllkr, 



as It will privinl tin i.n now privabiil «« to rati-i. and rules, 



not only In dillireiit •.■.i..-, • .i upnn dlffiri-nt rnilriindu In the unim- n-c- 

 lliin. thus Incllllalink' piinlinwn and wiles. Tin- i-nrr(er» will be benrllled, 

 ii» iiiiM..iiiriiy will prcv.-nt n vrn-t nuiulii r of clnlniii for overcharge and 

 .i MS well. The carrliri have found It prncticnble and pniniable 



i. , npeclnl iron and aieel IMk, which include all kind* of iron and 



steel prinluclH produced at the Iron nillm. There i« no reawin why the 

 ordinary prisiuciK of lumber oianufaclurliig plants ahoiild nut be slinllarly 

 ireali'd, always rememiierlng that lumber U lumber, whether rough or 

 dres«,ed. 



(a) Should sHcb classification on lumber and lumber prediicta be uni- 

 form tlirouglioiit the country, or iinlfiinn In certiilu neetlnns of tlie coun- 

 try, and. if In wrtaln sections, how should the country be divided? 



Answer. Such einsnilliatlon of lumber and lumber products should !><• 

 uniform throughout the entire country, and It Is not believed to be pqultable 

 to subdivide III,' coiinlry into separate clasKillcatlon sections. Nearly all 

 tile varieties iif lumlHT and lumber products in different secllons of tlio 

 country compete with each other, and in some Instances with lra|Mirted 

 lumber. It Is believed that there are no valid reasons or condllionH where 

 ciinipelltive commodities with slight value variation move lo coninion con- 

 suniing territories which Justify more extensive mixtures being allowed 

 from one section of the country than from another. 



yiESTluN rt. To wliat extent shiiiiUi,ni»nufarliiriil prmlucts of Iumlier 

 take the same rate as lumber? Should ceria_ln lumle-r products take higher 

 rates than lumber? If so. Into how many classes or groups for rate pur- 

 poses should lumber products be divided, and what particular prmlucts 

 should be grouped or classed together? 



Answer. There should lie no classification of iiiinher and Iumlier prod- 

 ucts which would or might result In different rales being nuide on the ordi- 

 nary and customary products of lunilsT munufaclnrink' plants, whether 

 shipped in straight or mixed carloads. 



(a) Are there any wood articles now rated higher than Innilier that 

 ought to be rated ihe same as lumber, and are there any lower than lum- 

 ber that ought lo be raised to lumber basis? .Are there any which should 

 be farther removed from the lumber basis than at present? 



Answer. Whenever the lists which should be submitted by the carriers 

 show that any lumber products which are the usual and customary products 

 of lumber manufacturing plants, are taking higher rates than the lumber 

 rate, these rates sliouid be reduced to the lumber basis. There are none of 

 the usual and customar.v. prrKlncts of luinln'r manufiieturing plants which 

 should be farther removed from the lumber basis than at present. 



QiESTiuN II. What are the bases for a differentiation in Ihe rates on 

 lumber and lumber products? 



.Answer. But one basis Is practicable, namely, when an entirely new and 

 completed product has been created by various processes other tlian those 

 of lumber manufacluring plants. 



(a) Are any of the manufaitnred iiroducts partlrularly susceptible to 

 damage in transit as compared with lumber, and are any of the relationships 

 existing today founded on that idea? 



Answer. Experience does not show a susceptibility to damage in transit 

 of the ordinary ami customary products of lumber manufacturing plants 

 warranting a differentiation of rates. .\n.\ relationships existing today 

 founded on that Idea are not Jiistined within the scope of our experience. 



(b) Would it be practicable to divide the various products, for rating 

 purposes. Into groups, depending upon whether they are "In the rough," 

 "in the while," "finished," "primed." or "cut to shape or dimensions?" 



.Answer. These terms arc not strictly applicable to Ihe products of 

 lumber manufacturing iilanls. and are not common terms In the lumber 

 trade. We <|o not tliink snrh grouping Is practicable because of the con- 

 fusion which Is coustanlly arising from conflicting Interpretations of these 

 terms. 



(c) What are the distinctive operations, either mechnnicai or other- 

 wise, that remove an article from the lumber category and make It sus- 

 ceptible to higher than tlie iumlier liasis or throw it Into the category of 

 manufactured articles? 



Answer. There are no distinctive operations, mechanical or otherwise. 

 In the making of the ordinary and customary products of lumber manufac- 

 turing plants which should remove any of these articles from the lumber 

 category. 



QiESTiON 7. Do commercial competition and carrier competition Influ 

 ence the rates on lumber and lumber products differently? 



Answer. Commercial luuipetitlon affects the distribution of lumber 

 and lumber products. Many lumber products, of course, do not encounter 

 the same competition as others at the same point, or from the same ship- 

 ping points, biht there Is keen competition among manufacturers of every 

 wood article. With particular respect to carriers' competition. It naturally 

 follows that the effects thereof on such products should be felt more keenly 

 at points where rates from the different producing sections begin to 

 equalize. Just to what extent carriers are governed by these conditions In 

 making their rates to such points they are In best position to state. 



QtE.sTiox 8. Is there any water carriage of lumber products? If not, 

 why not? 



Answer. There is a movement of lumber products by water. 



