HARDWOOD RECORD 



13 



use of rough lumber for common purposes has decreased, and more of 

 it now goes to factories for further manufacture. That would ac- 

 count for the high price at which it is sohl at the millyard. This can 

 be stated only as a probable result. Unfortunately, no complete sta- 

 tistics exist for proving or disproving it. It is not known how much 

 of this lumber was used in the rough and how much was further 

 manufactured five, ten, or twenty years ago; consequently, the extent 

 of the change in use, if there has been a change, can not be stated 

 on the authority of statistics. The probability that a decided change 

 has taken place must impress any one who looks into the matter and 

 discovers that at this time nearly twice as much cypress goes to fac- 

 tories as reaches its final use in its rough form. 



These facts may furnish food for thought to all who manufac- 

 ture lumber or deal in it. Without increasing the cut of lumber and 

 the drain upon the forest, the value of the product may be increased 

 by educating the public to use wood to better advantage. It has been 

 proved that this is practicable. What the manufacturers of cypress 

 and birch have done so successfully, others can do with other fine 

 ■woods — increase the value at the millyard, whether the total output is 

 increased or not. It is not good business to throw enormous quanti- 

 ties on the market at a low price if it is possible to sell smaller 

 quantities for as much money by increasing factory use and lessening 

 in a corresponding degree the demand for rough lumber at a low 



price. 



Spirit of the Times 



THE COUNTRY-WIDE TENDENCY to arbitrate and the desire 

 to know the other man's viewpoint shows itself in the plans 

 for a meeting to be held in Memphis on April 7. The meeting has 

 been arranged under the auspices of the Southern Hardwood Traffic 

 Association, and according to late reports there will be over 300 

 hardwood lumber manufacturers and distributors in attendance. 

 There will also be present traffic managers and presidents of prac- 

 tically every railroad operating through the southern hardwood 

 producing territory. 



The conference has been called for the express purpose of bringing 

 railroad men and lumbermen together in order that an understanding 

 may be reached in connection with the general subject of freight 

 rates on lumber and forest products. 



The litigation on all sorts of controversies that have come up in 

 the necessity for some such general understanding as this which is 

 the last few years has been demonstrating more and more forcibly 

 proposed by the Southern traffic association. As a matter of im- 

 mediate consideration there are several important contests pending 

 before the Interstate Commerce Commission, and it is planned the 

 •conference will endeavor to arrange a common ground on which some 

 sort of an adjustment can be effected. 



With frank statements on the part of both contending factors that 

 they are frankly willing to lay all the cards on the table and to 

 make a genuine effort to get at the root of the trouble, the prospects 

 are bright for accomplishments of great importance. Surely if the 

 spirit in which the conference is proposed is carried out, the results 

 will be of far-reaching importance to the railroads and to the ship- 

 pers and tremendous sums in litigation will be saved in addition 

 to the great saving in annoyance and unnecessary time spent in 

 contesting claims. 



More detailed report of the plan is contained elsewhere in this 

 issue, and shows that the idea as it is being carried out is altogether 

 feasible, and that it bids fair to have tremendous weight on future 

 questions involved in shipments of hardwood lumber in the South. 



A Case of Red Tape 



RED TAPE STILL GETS IN its deadly work. 

 Ten thousand tons of merchandise are rotting or in danger 

 of rotting on the wharves of Manila for the want of ships to carry it 

 to the United States, and at the same time government colliers are 

 about to sail empty from that port to America, but they must not 

 bring the merchandise because there is no law specifying that a gov- 

 ernment collier may carry a cargo of that kind. 



A plainer case of strangulation from red tape has not come to the 

 notice of the public for a long time. On February 16 Governor Har- 



rison of the Philippines cabled the War Department at Washington, 

 asking that arrangements be made to have colliers then at Manila, or 

 soon to arrive there, take cargoes on their return trip to the United 

 States. It was explained that ships were inadequate, that freight rates 

 had doubled in the past ten days, and as a consequence the prices of 

 Philippine products were greatly depressed. The cargoes consisted 

 principally of hemp, sugar, copra, and cigars. 



At that very time three coUiers were en route to Manila. The Secre- 

 tary of the Navy was unable to find any law authorizing colliers to 

 carry such return cargoes, and he refused to order it done. 



On March 3 Governor Harrison cabled again, stating that the 

 prices of staples in the Philippines were falling on account of lack of 

 ships to take cargoes to market, and asked Lf the United States Gov- 

 ernment could do anything to relieve the situation. Upon receipt of 

 that cablegram, the Department of Commerce was consulted, and the 

 following quotation is from the secretary's reply: 



"The situation as outlined by Governor General Harrison is, I am 

 sure, not exaggerated, but, to speak frankly, we are helpless so long 

 as no power exists under the law to utUize the three naval colliers now 

 on the way to the islands to carry goods on their return trip. So long 

 as there is no law giving us any power over any shipping, the govern- 

 ment is powerless in the matter. Private and corporate interests are 

 in control of the situation, and we can do nothing. ' ' 



Even so! The three colliers will return empty to the United States, 

 and leave the merchandise spoUing at Manila because ' ' private and 

 corporate interests are in control of the situation, and we [the 

 United States of America] can do nothing. ' ' Angels and ministers 

 of grace, defend us! 



Fifty-four years ago a somewhat similar case became prominent, 

 in which the most urgent necessity demanded immediate action, but 

 red tape stood in the way — but did not stand long. At the outbreak 

 of the Civil war the Confederates made a dash for the Baltimore & 

 Ohio Eailroad, between the Alleghany mountains and the Ohio river. 

 That railroad was then the principal line between Washington and 

 the West, and to have it fall into the hands of the Confederates 

 would have been a disaster to the National Government. There were 

 plenty of militia, volunteers, and other wUling fighters ready to 

 defend the railroad, but they had no guns. There were plenty of 

 muskets in a nearby arsenal, but when an appeal was made for the 

 use of them to arm the men who were willing to fight, the reply came 

 from an official at Washington that there might not be any law 

 authorizing such disposition of arms. Fortunately, there was then a 

 man at Washington who did not balk at formalities, and the order 

 came, "Give them the guns; look up the law afterwards." The 

 railroad was saved from capture. 



There are emergencies when trifles and formalities ought not be 

 permitted to defeat the main chance. Alexander cut the Gordian 

 knot when he could not untie it. He did not let the chance pass be- 

 cause the law did not particularly state that a knot that could not be 

 untied might be cut. 



There seems to be no law for untying the red tape which hinders 

 the loading of merchandise on empty government colliers returning 

 from the Philippines; consequently the value of commodities there 

 must fall, industries must decline or be paralyzed, business must 

 suffer and business men must see their prospects vanish. This may all 

 take place, but there must be no irregularities permitted. 



Apparently Hope for Hoo-Hoo 



IT WAS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN just how seriously the long 

 illness of retired serivenoter, W. M. Stephenson had militated 

 against the interests of Hoo-Hoo until the order was faced with the 

 necessity of checking up its affairs. The recent joint meeting of the 

 supreme nine and the house of ancients at Chicago disclosed a rather 

 startling condition of affairs. The prompt and able action immedi- 

 ately taken has already given the order a tremendous boost ahead, and 

 it is hoped that it will be in such shape as to be handed over to the 

 permanent organization by the first of April. The affairs have been 

 handled by volunteers who have entered into the work with supreme 

 energy and the results of their efforts have been consistent and 

 extremely gratifying. A complete story appears on a later page. 



