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Southern Traffic Developments 



A test case of interest to nil southern shippers of hardwood is that 

 of Doran & Co., maniifaeturors and dealers of Cincinnati, versus the 

 Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway. A brief for the com- 

 plainant has been filed with the Interstate Commerce Commission 

 setting forth reasons why a through rate, plus a reasonable charge 

 for re-consignment, should be allowed on lumber. Doran & Co. 

 shipped five cars of hardwood lumber from Chattanooga to Cin- 

 cinnati re-consigned to Toronto and London, Ontario. The carriers 

 collected the sum of the local rates from Chattanooga to Cincinnati 

 and from Cincinnati to the Ontario points. This rate is declared 

 to be unreasonable as lumber should be considered one _of the com- 

 modities entitled to the privilege of a through rate plus a reason- 

 able charge for reconsignment. 



Excepting walnut, cherry and cedar, a fourth section order has 

 been issued providing that rates on all lumber from Alabama and 

 Florida points to eastern cities may be established at two cents per 

 hundred pounds higher than the rates concurrently in effect on 

 yellow pine. 



At the request of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers' Association 

 of New Orleans, its case against Morgan 's Louisiana and Texas 

 Eailroad and Steamship Company has been dismissed. 



At the request of the complainants, the case of the Alexandria 

 Cooperage Company versus the Louisiana Railway & Navigation 

 Company has been dismissed. 



After consideration by the commission, the case of the Meeds 

 Lumber Company versus the Alabama Central Railway has been 

 dismissed. 



At the request of the complainant, the case of the Chestnut 

 Lumber Company versus the Louisville & Nashville has been dis- 

 missed. 



A new tariff effective December 1 cancels proposed increases on 

 lumber on the Illinois Central and the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley 

 to New Albany, Indiana, and allows for the dismissal of the investi- 

 gation which was in progress in regard to the increases which were 

 xmder suspension. 



An important fourth section order has been issued this week pro- 

 viding a rate of twenty-sLx cents on mahogany in carload lots from 

 Gulf ports to Grand Rapids. The minimum weight is placed at 30,- 

 000 pounds. This rate is intended to apply to mahogany from Latin 

 America. Mahogany from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New 

 Zealand and the Philippines is excluded. The rate applies only on 

 imported mahogany and may not be applied to shipments from Gulf 

 ports proper. 



A suit has been entered in the supreme court of the United States 

 by the Export and Import Lumber Company versus the Port Banga 

 Lumber Company. Each company operates in the Philippines. 



Exports of lumber through Gulfport, Miss., showed some increase 

 during October. This was due entirely to increased demand from 

 South and Central America and the islands. Not a single cargo went 

 to Europe. Total shipments amounted to 7,819,000 feet as com- 

 pared to 6,030,400 feet in September. 



An unusually large number of complaints from lumber companies 

 were received last week at the Interstate Commerce Commission. 

 Among them were: 



C. C. Mengel & Bro. Company, Louisville, versus the Baltimore & 

 Ohio, et al. It is stated that an unreasonable rate is being col- 

 lected from Louisville to Philadelphia on cedar logs. A rate of 

 twenty-eight cents is charged on cedar and twenty-three cents on 

 mahogany. It is claimed that the two varieties of logs should take 

 the same rate. Reparation on past shipments is asked. 



J. V. Stimson Hardwood Lumber Company of Memphis, Tenn., 

 and Mounds, Ark., versus Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. It is 

 claimed that unreasonable charges were made on hardwood logs 

 from various points to Memphis, due to tariff requirements. The 

 commission is asked to stop these requirements, adjust rates and 

 award reparation. 



Florida Cypress Company, Pensacola, versus Louisville & Nash- 



vUle. Unjust rates on cypress from Pensacola to various destina- 

 tions. Reparation asked. 



Ohio Valley Tie Company, Louisville, versus Louisville & Nashville. 

 It is charged that unreasonable rates are being collected on red oak 

 ties from Kentucky points to Indianapolis. Reparation is asked. 

 A separate complaint charges unreasonable rates on ties from Ken- 

 tucky points to Erie, Pa. Through rates and reparation are asked. 



American Column and Lumber Company, St. Albans, W. Va., versus 

 Chesapeake & Ohio. Overcharges alleged. 



Palmer & Semans Lumber Company, Uniontown, Pa., versus Balti- 

 more & Ohio. Unreasonable rates are alleged. 



North State Lumber Company, Greensboro, N. C, versus Southern 

 Railway et aL, unreasonable and discrimnatory rate to New York. 

 Reparation asked. 



T. B. Stone Lumber Company, Cincinnati, versus Illinois Central, 

 overcharge. Reparation asked. 



Beekman Lumber Company, Kansas City, versus Tremont & Gulf 

 et al., unjust rate. Reparation asked. 



FuUerton Lumber Company, Minneapolis, versus Chicago, Rock 

 Island & Pacific. Unreasonable rate on cedar posts to Michigan 

 points claimed. 



E. B. Homer Lumber Company, Baltimore, versus Southern Rail- 

 way et al. Unreasonable rate on lumber between Blacksburg, S. C, 

 and Jersey City claimed. Reparation asked. 



Union Lumber Company, Houston, Tex., versus Gulf, Colorado 

 & Santa Pe. Lumber rates from Milvid, Tex., to Humansville, Mo., 

 declared unreasonable. Reparation asked. 



In the case of E. J. Darnell, Inc., of Memphis, versus the Yazoo 

 & Mississippi Valley, a reply brief has been submitted by the rail- 

 road. It is stated that the order of the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission included "branch line points." Leland, Miss., is on a branch 

 of the Southern Railway which runs from Percy to Richey. Con- 

 sequently as Leland is north of the junction of the Southern and 

 the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley, a rate of eleven cents on gum lum- 

 ber to New Orleans is held to be authorized. The railroad claims 

 that the act to regulate commerce has not been violated and that a 

 fair interpretation of the ruling of the commission has been made. 



Lower rates than to intermediate points have been allowed on 

 thin lumber manufactured from native woods from Augusta, Georgia, 

 to Mississippi and Ohio river crossings. 



An oral argument of the case of the Wisconsin and Arkansas 

 Lumber Company versus the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern 

 will be heard in Washington by the commission, December 12. 



Oral arguments of the case of the Butters' Lumber Company 

 versus the Atlantic Coast Line and the Mullens Lumber Company 

 versus the Southern Railroad will be heard December 9. 



Postponement of the lumber hearings to be held in Memphis and 

 Birmingham has been granted by the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission. John R. Walker, representing several lumber companies to- 

 gether with counsel for the carriers joined in asking for this post- 

 ponement. The hearings are to be on the general lumber rate ad- 

 vances, scheduled to go into effect October 1 but which are under 

 suspension. The hearings were set for December 14 and December 

 16 in Birmingham and Memphis respectively. This did not allow 

 the required time to get together the large amount of data that 

 has to be used, as so many of the rate structures are involved. 

 The hearings have been reset as follows: Memphis, January 13; 

 Birmingham, January 18; Louisville, January 19. 



An important case to the hardwood industry is that of the Him- 

 melberger-Harrison Lumber Company of Cape Girardeau, Mo., versus 

 the F'risco lines. The hearing is to be held in St. Louis and it is 

 hoped that the arguments advanced there will be the wedge opening 

 the way for a general reduction of hardwood rates from southern 

 Missouri to Thebes and beyond. This is a test case and attacks the 

 rate from Morehouse, Mo., where the mills of the Himmelberger- 

 Harrison company are located, to the Thebes gateway and points 



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