January 10, 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



29 



involving reclassification of lumber and lumber products, concluding 

 as f oUows : ' ' Our association was represented both on the general 

 eommittee and on the working committee. A set of composite answers 

 to the Interstate Commerce Commission questions was adopted to 

 represent the consensus of opinion of the entire lumber trade on this 

 great subject. This unity of purpose will doubtless prove a strong 

 element in the ultimate success of our cause." 



As to the attitude of the association on a merchant marine, Mr. 

 McClure said : ' ' We have taken a definite stand opposed to the 

 polic)- of government ownership or control of merchant ships and we 

 have favored a direct subsidy if that is necessary to bring about 

 this result. Our ideas on this subject are in accord with those of 

 the United States Chamber of Commerce which is exerting its influ- 

 ence and effort in arriving at a permanent solution of this important 

 problem." 



With a view to increasing the scope of the work and uniting all 

 interests in the hardwood territory, Mr. McClure urged an active 

 campaign in behalf of new members. Among other things he said : 



We are especially desirous of Increasing our membership west of the 

 river as we realize that not until the east side and the west side shippers 

 are united in strons bonds of cooperation can we bring about a proper 

 readjustment ot rates. Botli the east side and west side shippers should 

 realize that this is one producing territory, extending from the Mobile 

 & Ohio railroad to the Kansas City Soutbern and that the operating condi- 

 tions, the commercial conditions and the transportation conditions are 

 practically the same and should be considered as one unit. This associa- 

 tion stands for an adjustment ot rates fair and equitable to all shippers 

 and to carriers as well, and on this platform wo deserve the support of 

 every lumberman operating in this territory. We hope each member will 

 consider himself a committee of one to bring in new member^ during the 

 coming year. If each member would bring in one or two of his friends 

 it would mean a much stronger and better organization. 



As to trade conditions and their bearing on the lumber industry, 

 especially from a rate viewpoint, Mr. McClure sounded a warning 

 in the following language: 



We must not let increased profits in our business blind us to the neces- 

 sity for preventing unjust advances in rates, and we must continue our 

 efforts to have our rate structure adjusted on a scientific basis which 

 will be fair and equitable alike to carriers and shippers. If unfair ad- 

 vances in rates be allowed, or unreasonable rates be continued unchal- 

 lenged during prosperous trade conditions, it tends to make such rates 

 permanent and lessens our chance tor bringing about a proper adjustment 

 if we wait until the necessities of the industry demand. 



In conclusion Mr. McClure thanked the board and Mr. Townshend 

 for their active support and asserted that, although entering only on 

 its fourth year, "the association is now recognized as the strongest 

 and most efficient traffic organization in the lumber trade. ' ' 



Secretary Townshend dealt in detail with the principal contests 

 before the Interstate Commerce Commission, all of which have been 

 covered during the year in the Memphis correspondence of the Hakd- 

 WOOD Eecord. Some of these cases are still pending, including the 

 proposed advance into Central Freight Association territory, the de- 

 struction of the Ohio river combination and the granting of transit 

 privileges at Memphis. He predicted that the association would win 

 in its efforts to defeat the advances into Central Freight Association 

 territory and expressed the hope that 1916 would see the end of the 

 transit-privilege controversy. 



As to claims, he said that the association had collected $14,446.68 

 for its members and that it has returned claims amounting to 

 $1,694.17, which it had been unable to collect because of the statute 

 of limitations or because recourse to the courts was necessary. He 

 also stated the association now has claims amounting to $5,186.16. 

 He thought that, in view of the fact that most of these claims had 

 been handled by the shippers with the carriers before being filed with 

 the association, the results obtained by the latter indicated the ability 

 of this organization to serve its members along this line. 



As to changes in membership and their bearing on the revenues 

 of the association, Mr. Townshend said: 



During the past year we have lost three members through liquidation 

 and four have resigned. Their total annual dues were .$800. Eighteen 

 new members have Joined the association during the past year with a 

 total revenue from memberships of '¥2, 320, a net gain in membership of 

 eleven firms and a net gain in revenue of ?1,511. 



The following invitation was also included in Mr. Townshend 's 



report: "A number of our members have found it convenient to call 

 on us to divert and reconsign cars for them. We will be pleased to 

 have those who are interested call on us to do this for them. All 

 work of this character is treated confidentially. ' ' 



In conclusion Mr. Townshend thanked the members and the govern- 

 ing board for the splendid cooperation they had given him and also 

 expressed his particular appreciation to President McClure for the 

 interest he has shown, for the time he has devoted and for the support 

 and advice he has given him at all times. 



The report of W. S. Darnell, the treasurer, showed the financial 

 affairs of the association to be in good shape. 



The officers and members of the governing board reelected follow: 



Peesident — J. W. McClure. 



First Vice-President — S. M. Nickey. 



Second Vice-President — Frank May. 



Treasurer — W. S. Darnell. 



Directors- — S. B. Anderson, Geo. D. Burgess, L. E. Brown, W. S. 

 Darnell, Frank F. Fee, C. D. Hendrickson, 0. M. Krebs, Geo. Land, Elliott 

 Land, William Pritehard, W. A. Ransom, James E. Stark and Walker 

 L. Welltord. 



K. L. Jurden and Geo. C. Ehemann were chosen to succeed W. A. 

 Hansom and C. B. Dudley on the board ot governors. . 



High Water at Memphis 



The Mississippi river at Memphis continues to rise and a stage 

 of 36 to 37 feet will probably be experienced, according to the local 

 forecaster, S. C. Emery. He even suggests that a somewhat higher 

 stage may be attained. Flood stage is 35 feet and if the water 

 goes much higher than 37 feet there will be considerable interference 

 with manufacturing operations not only in North and South Mem- 

 phis, but also at points outside of this city in the Mississippi valley 

 and in Arkansas. Some plants here find it necessary to close down 

 when a stage of 33 feet is reached and these are already out of com- 

 mission. A pumping station and levee systems were recently installed 

 in the northern part of the city and it is expected that these will save 

 overflow of a considerable area. However, the mills in North Mem- 

 phis along Wolf river will derive no protection from this improve- 

 ment and already they are beginning to feel the effects of the over- 

 flow. 



High water in the Mississippi also promises to interfere with the 

 movement of timber. Many of the streams tributary to the Missis- 

 sippi are out of their banks in both Mississippi and Arkansas and 

 the low lands are generally flooded. A great deal of timber had 

 been cut in these low places but it had not been moved out. The 

 water will prevent the bringing of this out in the immediate future 

 and will to some extent curtail the amount of timber that is available. 

 This interference with logging operations comes at a time when the 

 amount of timber in sight is by no means large and adds to the 

 scarcity which has been threatened for the past two or three weeks. 

 There are a very few mills which have all the timber they need for the 

 immediate future and it is possible that manufacturing operations 

 may have to be curtailed on account of lack of logs. The Valley 

 Log Loading Company states that there is comparatively little timber 

 on the rights of way of the railroads ready to be handled and that, 

 while the demand for logs is exceedingly keen, indications point to 

 somewhat restricted activity along this line. Some of the mills are 

 already beginning to feel the pinch of the log shortage and, unless 

 weather conditions are more favorable in the immediate future than 

 they have been heretofore, it is regarded as practically certain that 

 manufacturing operations wiU be very seriously curtailed not only at 

 Memphis but at many points in the southern hardwood producing 

 territory. 



The reason why so many fail in competing with other firms in the 

 same line is because they do not catch on to the little essential 

 points in the business. This is especially the case in most kinds of 

 lumber working shops and mills. Many fail to catch on to the idea 

 that it costs good money to handle stock, and run it in helter 

 skelter, with all sorts and sizes in one pile. It all has to be sorted, 

 and after this is worked it has to be carried here and there, a few 

 pieces at a time, and is thus further jumbled up, and so to the end. 

 All stock should be sorted in the pile, outside. 



