?s 



HAKDWOOD RECQKD 



Jaauarj 10. lUlu 



lire 



.11.1 



I'.l I net. 



: fniuglit 



with Kraritr nnd dnnj^r may he tl it of this proRpority to 



the nation, lumbermen foci that tlio Kr.ai.- ... ,i which has tnrdily come 

 to them is on the firm basis of the country's erowth nnd development, 

 the normal result of the i - . „„j retrench- 



mr>nt. There i« every in . !i iin.l r.'nson- 



'inuc lliruu){h lliv year, liut wen the smnllest 

 •y in our imluctry in more trying than adversity, 

 i'rule goetJi Ix-fore a fall, nnd over-confidence is the mother of imjini- 

 Jcnce. Many will turn wholly from tho work of organized effort to 

 the temporarily absorbing adjustments of their own operation — for- 

 getting its ultimate dependence upon the conditions of tho industry 

 ns n whole. 



- 1916 brings a si)ecinl nee.l ns well as a special opportunity 

 -ative effort in two particular lines. First of these is co- 

 opemtivo regulation of production. The old talk of the swing of tho 

 pendulum belongs to other days. We must stop its destructive swing. 

 With tho havoc of unreasonably low prices we are all familiar, but 

 ngninst the possibility of unreasonably high prices, there may come 

 IS great need of wise regulation. Prices of lumber arc not yet up to 

 tho reasonable realization to which the industry is entitled, but when 

 lumber prices rise beyond the reasonable level, the process of killing 

 the golden goose begins. Our market is contracted at the same time 



iMir production is overstimulnted. Tn Uie Interest of our natural 

 rosuurcos of iinrophironble f.ircNt.*, :iii>l iif the grciit in.luHtriiil army 

 of workcrn in this induatry, this wholly indefensible process of cause 

 nnd eff«>ct which is |>crmittcd to bring about the lowest level of con- 

 sumption nt the same time that tho highest level of lumber produc- 

 tion is reached, needs righting. 



The second lino of opjKirtunity that ItUO offers is in the building of 

 n foreign trade, n work calling for bigger units than wo have yet 

 reached, and for constructive measures, either of the executive or leg- 

 islative departments of our government that call for the wisest ami 

 most exporienccil couni-el. This buijiling of n foreign trade in lunil)er 

 is not alone thi' concern of the fSulf or the I'aciflo Coast, but in the 

 great inter play of competition in the industry, its furlhornnce l>e 

 comes equally the concern of all. 



Right now, at tho l>cginning of 1!)I6, the Americnn people ami the 

 govornment nt Washington are favorably inclined to constructive 

 measures that will make this reasonable regulation of production n 

 possibility in the lumber industry, and favorably inclined to such co- 

 operation of interest as will open tho way for tho ilcvelopnu-nt of 

 foreign trade. Tho danger to the industry is lest a dollar or two ad- 

 vance in the price of lumber shall cause us to neglect those deeper 

 problems. 



Tho year 1915 has lieen a year of tho greatest real development the 

 lumber industry has known. Wo are coming upon a now season of 

 prosperity. These seasons have been our undoing in the past. Let 

 us hope we have reached a high development within our industry that 

 will enable us to make a wiser and more permanent use of the favor- 

 able conditions which greet us with the coming year. 



\H >;c«:viA!adihw>toa!aMMc«U!A!/t;:j;^.V/V-;rv:c/iv.^ 



A Southern Traffic Association Annual J^] 



The third annual of the Southern Hardwood Traffic Association was 

 held at the Hotel Gayoso, Memphis, Tenn., January 4, with a repre- 

 sentative attendance from Louisiana, Arkansas. Mississippi, Tennessee, 

 Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama and other states covered in its mem- 

 bership. John W. McGurc of the Bellgrade Lumber Company pre- 

 sided, and the business in -hand was rapidly transacted following 

 luncheon at 12:45. This consisted of the hearing of the reports of 

 officers, the adoption of resolutions and tho election of officers for 

 the ensuing year. 



The association some time ago went on record as favoring the 

 through bill of lading on export shipments of lumber and it also 

 interested itself in an amendment to the Harter act. It was, there- 

 fore, not surprising that the following resolutions covering these 

 subjects were adopted by unanimous vote: 



Whereas, Reprcsc-ntativc K. D. McKclIar has reintroduced in the House 

 of Representatives bill H. R. 7T3 which amends "The Harter Act" to 

 the extent of making owners, uianugers, agents or masters liable for 

 loss or damages arising from faults or errors in navigation or manage- 

 ment of vessels. And, 



Whekeas, Representative K. D. McKellar Introduced in the last Con- 

 gress a bill known as the "McKellar Through Bill of Lading Bill," which 

 was Intended to require the railroads to Issue through bills of lading 

 on export business and require vessels operating out of port to accept 

 .-ind become a party to such bills of lading. And, 



WiiEiiEAS, Oar success and prosperity, to a large extent, depend upon 

 the enactment of these Just laws ; therefore, be It 



Resolved, That this association go on record as approving House Bill 

 n. R. 773 and that Representative K. D. McKellar be asked to reintroduce 

 Ms bill regarding the issuance of through bills of lading, and that a copy 

 of these resolutions be sent to Representative K. D. McKellar and mem- 

 bers of the merchants' marine committee of the Senate and House of 

 Representatives, with request that prompt consideration be given thcs" 

 bills and that they do everything In their power towards their passage. 



President McClure, in his annual report, pointed out that there had 

 been both sunshine and shadow in the experience of the association 

 during the year but was sure that victories had been greater than 

 defeats and that substantial results in the direction of progress had 

 been achieved. He reviewed the disappointment felt over the decision 

 of the Interstate Commerce Commission in I & S 520 but declared 



that the carriers gained only a partial victory and that the association 

 had experienced a "v.iluable lesson inasmuch as we learned that 

 commercial conditions and the needs of the industry received scant 

 consideration at the hands of the commission as compared with the 

 apparent needs' of the carriers for more revenue." 



Referring to the future work of the association, he boldly outlined 

 its scope and determination as follows: 



In the cases now pending before the commission and In the future it Is 

 the determination of our board and management to adhere Ormly to the 

 principle that the pres.nt rate structure on lumber and forest product* 

 is unsclentlOc in the extreme, that this commodity is paying more than 

 its proportion of revenue to the carriers and that a c.ireful analysis of 

 these rates will develop the fact that the railroads are now realizing an 

 unreasonable and unfair profit in the transportation of forest products, 

 and we shall demand a readjustment of the rates upon a reasonable and 

 scientiflc basis. With these ideas In view we have recently (lied with 

 the commission a complaint attacking the entire rate structure from this 

 territory into the principal consuming markets north of the Ohio river. 

 This promises to be one of the hardest fought and most important cases 

 in the history of hardwood t raffle matters. It Involves the breaking 

 up of Ohio river combinations, giving to southern shippers the benefits 

 to which they arc entitled in the losver pcr-ton-mlle rate based on the 

 long through haul Instead of splitting the haul at the Ohio river Into two 

 local hauls. 



With reference to the "Harmony Conference" held during April 

 last year, Mr. McClure said that no permanent results had been 

 apparent but held out some hope that the work done at that confer- 

 ence might bear fruit. 



Mr. McClure roundly scored the Illinois Central for refusing to 

 adjust the log ratio, to allow a reasonable dunnage on log shipments, 

 and to establish transit arrangements at Memphis and other points 

 on its lines. He declared that the attitude of this road had not only 

 created much bitterness among its lumber patrons but had also 

 caused the loss of a vast lumber tonnage, with consequent loss of 

 revenue. 



Mr. McClure also reviewed the work done by the association, in 

 conjunction with the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, 

 in connection with compilation of answers to the seventeen questions 



