HARDWOOD RECORD 



lette, being recommended by Gifford Pinchot. at that time chief forester 

 of the United States. lie is a personal friend of both Gifford Pinchot 

 and of the present chief forester, Ilenry S. Graves. 



Mr. Griffith studied and practiced practical forestry in Germany, and 

 at one time was in charge of forestry at the Biltmore estate of tlie late 

 George W. Vanderbilt. He laid out tlie Klack Hills National forest, 

 and was second in rank on the forestry staff that went to the Philippines 

 and established forestry there after the t'nited States took piisscssion 

 of the islands. 



Pertinent Information 



Hearing on New York Lighterage 



The whole matter of lighterajro regulations and facilities for receiving 

 and distributing freight in New York was aired at a hearing liefore E.Kam- 

 iner Burnside held iu New York on March 8. The lumber interests of the 

 city are especially concenied because of the proposition to charge twelve 

 cents per ton for loading and unloading over the stringpiece, a service 

 heretofore rejuired to effect delivery. It is held by receivers of freight 

 that the stuff must be placed at an accessible point for unloading — such as 

 team tracks — and the three cents per one hundred pounds now charged 

 for lighterage pays for this service. The roads opened by putting on the 

 stand a number of witnesses to give expert testimony as to conditions in 

 the city, and especially in Manhattan. They showed a surprising lack of 

 knowledge and evaded many questions put by representatives of protesting 

 consignees. The lack of facilities for making team track deliveries makes 

 necessary the lightering of by far the larger proportion of freight that 

 comes to the city. The effect of the proposed regulation with its charge 

 for unloading is virtually asking the consignees to do a service they are 

 paying for in the freight rate. The National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' 

 Association and the New York Lumber Trade Association are among those 

 protesting. 



Argutnents Completed in Frisco Rate Case 

 The case of the St. Louis i: San Francisco liaiiroad Company against the 

 railroad commissioners ef Arkansas, commonly referred to as the Frisco 

 rate case, is now in the hands of the United States distinct court of Little 

 Rock. The arguments in this case, which is one of tbfe three remaining 

 out of nineteen originally brought against the commissioners in 1908, 

 were completed last week by Juage Joseph M. Hill of Fort Smith, repre- 

 senting the state and railroad commission, and Judge John M. Moore of 

 Little Rock, representing the railroad, and the case submitted to Federal 

 Judge Jacob Trieber. Owing to other regular and heavy work of the 

 court, it is probable that this case will be kept under advisement for 

 some time, as the voluminous character of the testimony and briefs will 

 command long hours of reading and much consideration. 



In 190S, during the month of September as above mentioned, nineteen 

 of the railroads in .-Vrkansas brought suits in the federal court^ asking 

 temporary restraining orders against the members of the Arkansas Railroad 

 Commission to prevent their enforcing the rates as prescribed in standard 

 freight distance tariff No. 3 and the two-cent passenger fare rate as fixed 

 by the general assembly in 1907. Upon the showing made by the carriers, 

 and the making of acceptable bonds, the federal court granted the tempo- 

 rary injunctions. By agreement of counsel only the Iron Mountain and 

 Cotton Belt cases were proceeded with. These two cases were decided 

 by the supreme court of the United States in Jul.v, 1913, the holding being 

 that the railroads had failed to' show by their evidence that the rates as 

 fixed by standard freight distance tariff No. 3 and the two-cent passenger 

 fare rate were too low, or confiscatory, as claimed by the railroads, and 

 the lower court was directed to dismiss the injunctions. 



After that was done the Rock Island and nearly all of the smaller roads 

 agreed to put the commission's rates into effect and compromised the claims 

 for refund against them with the shippers and consignees. This policy was 

 not followed, however, by the Frisco and Kansas City Southern. They 

 were not satisfied with the showing made liy the Iron Mountain and Cotton 

 Belt, and have been engaged, along with the attornej-s for the commission, 

 for some time in taking their testimony, u.sing a new formula or different 

 system of showing earnings, expenses and net income of the company 

 from its Arkansas business. Considerable interest is being manifested In 

 this matter, as the same kind of plan for making their showings before the 

 courts will likely be adopted in other state rate cases. The taking of 

 testimony In the Frisco case, which will by agreement determine that of 

 the Kansas City Southern, was completed in November of last year, the 

 intervening time being used by counsel In preparing their briefs and argu- 

 ments for the court. 



The Tap Line Case 



In the fourth supplemental order in the tap line case the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission has handed down an order of much interest to 

 lumbermen. The ruling in full is as follows : 



Upon further consideration of the above-entitled case, and. 



It APi'EARiNO, that since the original and supplemental reports and 

 orders in the abeveentltled proceeding certain of the tap lines named 

 therein have surrendered their charters and discontinued operations as 

 common carriers, and that in the third supplemental order entered In said 

 proceeding certain other tap lines that had been previously dismissed as 

 parties thereto were permitted to receive allowances or divisions from their 



respective trunk line connections on shipments moving between Mav 1, 

 1912, and the effective date of the orders respectivelv dismissing them 

 from the force and effect of the orders rntered prior tbereto ■ 



It i-uitTiiEii AiTEAiiiNn, That since the orl-lnal and supplemental reports 

 and orders In this procee<llng, and in conforndtv with the views of the 

 commission as announced therein, applications have Ikch made bv carriers 

 lor permission to make allowances under section l."» to lumber companies 

 for switching between their respective mills and the rails of the carriers; 



It FiitruER AiTftARixG, That carriers have hi-retofore been granted 

 permission to pay to certain lumber companies allowances under section 

 1o for services in swilclilng lumber from tlieir resiiective mills to the trunk 

 line connections, and that certain of tliese lumber companies have filed 

 petitions for reparation in the amount of such allowances on shipments 

 moving from May 1, 1912, to the date upon which such allowances were 

 authorized : 



It is ordered, That the maximum allowances or divisions fixed In the 

 second supplemental report and order herein shall appiv to tap lines which 

 surrendered their charters and dls(Ontinvie<l opiTat ions' as common carriers 

 prior to July L'9, li'l-t, and that allowances and divisions In conformity 

 therewith may be paid to such lines bv tbeir respective trunk lim- connec- 

 tions on shipments moving from May 1. 1912. to the date of discontinuing 

 operations as common carriers ; provided, that the amounts of allowances 

 or divisions which have been paid on the same shipments under the terms 

 of previous orders shall be deducted therefrom ; and provided further, that 

 each defendant carrier so adjusting a claim or claims for allowances or 

 divisions hereunder shall file with the commission a detailed statement of 

 all payments so made, »ach such statmcnt to be certified to as complete 

 and correct by the principal accounting ofllcer of the carrier making the 

 same, and to show as to each shipment the date, point of origin, junction 

 point, weight as billed, amount of allowance, amount paid under previous 

 orders of the commission and amount paid under this order. 



It is rtiiTiiER orderep. That allowances to lumber companies under 

 section 15 for switching between the mill and the trunk line connection 

 may be made on the basis of the maximum amounts fixed In the second 

 supplemental report and order herein : namely, for switching a distance of 

 one mile or less from the Junction $2.00 per car, over one mile and up to 

 three miles from the Junction .$3.00 per car ; provided, that before such 

 allowances may be made effective applications therefor shall be submitted 

 to and approved by the commission. 



It is flkther' ordered. That carriers which are granted permission 

 undir the terms of this order to make allowances under section 1"). and 

 carriers which, as hereinbefore stated, have on various dates been granted 

 such permission, may make allowances not in excess of the amounts herein 

 named : provided, that to lumber companies which had received allowances 

 under section 15 from their respective trunk line connections prior to May 

 1, 1912, carriers may make allowances not in excess of the amounts 

 herein named on shipments moving subsequent to May 1, 1912 ; and that 

 to lumber companies which hart not received allowances prior to Mav 1, 

 1912, but to which carriers have heretofore been granted permission to 

 make allowances, carriers may make allowances not in excess of the 

 amounts herein named on shipments moving from and after the date of 

 the application upon which such permission was granted ; and that car- 

 riers which have filed applications for permission to make allowances 

 under section 15 which have not been acted upon, and those which mav 

 file such applications under the terms of this order, will, upon approval 

 by the commission, be authorized to make allowances based on the 

 amounts named herein from and after the respective dates of such appli- 

 cations ; provided further, that the amounts of any allowances or divi- 

 sions which may have been paid on the same shipments under the terms 

 of previous authorizations by the commission shall be deducted therefrom, 

 and that nothing in this order shall be construed as authorizing payment 

 of allowances or divisions on traffic moving prior to May 1, 1912 : and 

 provided further, that each carrier adjusting claims for allowances here- 

 under shall file witli the commission a detailed statement, properly certified 

 to by its accounting officer, of all payments made under this oi" previous 

 authorizations, each such statement to show as to each shipment the date. 

 car number, amount of allowance, amount paid under previous authoriza- 

 tions, and amount paid under this order. 



Missourians Protest Intrastate Increase 



The Missouri Public Service Commission listened to objections of 

 shippers of lumber Wednesday, February 24, at the Jefferson Hotel, In 

 regard to the 2 to 3 cents per hundred increase in freight rates on lumber 

 on intrastate shipments. Data had already been submitted by the 

 railroads to the commission to prove their right to the Increase. 



The hardwood lumber Interests were represented by Earl Kaufman, 

 traffic manager of the Thomas & Proetz Lumber Company, trhns. L. 

 Harrison of the Illmmelbergcr-Ilarrlson Lumber Company, Cape Girar- 

 deau, XIo., Charles E. Thomas of the Thomas & Proetz Lumber Compan.v. 

 St. Louis and president of the Lumbermen's Exchange of St. Louis, and 

 George Funck of the Funck Lumber Company, St. Louis and representing 

 the Lunibei' D.'alers' .\ssociatIon of St. Louis. 



They testified that owing to the bad condition of the lumber business. 

 they could not stand an advance, that hardwood lumber would be most 

 affected by the advance, owing to its being found In small parcels and 

 cut by small mills which were not In a position to get the full value out 

 of It as the larger mills did, and for that reason most of them would 

 have to go out of business if the advance were made. 



The expert testimony was given by Mr. Kaufman, who submitted to the 

 commission a num'oer of exhibits, tables, etc., which he explained In full. 

 He showed the commission statistics concerning the lumber industry and 

 the consumption of hardwood lumlier In Missouri, comparisons with 

 construction material past, present and future. 



The resolutions of the Lumbermen's Exchange, protesting against the 

 advance and quotations from the Interstate Commerce Commission's 

 opinion In the \V. H. Tift case. No i59S, which recognized the lumber 

 Industry had Its troubles as well as the railroads, concluded the testimony. 



Probable Extension of Chicago Fire Limits 

 The building committee of the city of Chicago gave final consideration 

 to the hearing on the proposal to extend the fire limits. The hearing 

 was held at the City Hall on Tuesday, .March 2. The most ImporUnt 

 result of the meeting was to make a final draft describing the area to 

 come under the proposed new limits, which draft was submitted to the 

 corporation counsel for his guidance In framing the new ordinance sng- 



