Septembpr 10, 1918 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



with the taper of the board so that a full cut can bo mado from 

 this particular piece of walnut. Now, if this board had been run 

 through the gang odgcr, it would have been wide enough to have 

 taken the narrow end of the pattern, but would have been cut off 

 too much to have taken the wido part of the pattern. Therefore, 

 it would have been thrown out for propeller stock. 



It so happens in this case that th- I... ir.l i« ui.lo enough to have 



taken an airplane propeller pattern, but frequently tapering walnut 

 boards are found which are too narrow at the narrow end to accom 

 modate the wido end of the propeller pattern. The illustration 

 serves, however, to bring out the point. 



How many valuable cuttings are thus regularly destroyed in hard 

 wood operations through taking off a tapering wedge of sound 

 material on each edge of a high-grade board? 



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The Southern Log Situation 



The transportation situation is materially tightening throughout 

 Hie southern hardwood field and this is bringing about a slower 

 inbound movement of logs as well as a reduced outbound move- 

 nuiit of lumber and other forest products. 



The Southern Hardwood Traflic Association has just issued a 

 circular to its members calling attention to the fact that com- 

 plaints of shortage of flat cars, box cars and other equipment are 

 coming from every part of the southern hardwood field, and that, 

 while efforts are being made to secure relief from this shortage, 

 indications are that it will become steadily worse. The American 

 Hardwood Manufacturers' Association, too, has called attention of 

 its members to the growing shortage of equipment and to the 

 diversion of cars to the movement of grain, cotton, sugar cane,' 

 coal and other commodities at the expense of movements of logs 

 and lumber. 



Officials of the Valley Log Loading Company report that that 

 firm during August loaded 1,962 cars compared with 1,626 in July, 

 1918, and 1,424 in August, 1917, distributed as follows: Yazoo & 

 Mississippi Valley, 1,781 against 1,434 and 1,181; Missouri Pacific, 

 181 against 192 and 243. But they also report that it was neces- 

 sary to take off two extra loaders on August 20 and that, during the 

 closing half of the month, one regular loader lost the equivalent of 

 nine working days. Thus, while loading was very heavy during 

 the first twenty days, it showed notable decrease during the last 

 eleven days, thus bearing out the contention of hardwood lumber 

 manufacturers that ear shortage is beginning to become quite acute. 

 This company has made comparatively little progress with loading 

 since September 1 and indications are that it will load fewer cars 

 during September this year than last. The figures with which com- 

 parison is made are 1,628 cars, 1,287 on the Y. & M. V. and 341 on 

 the M. P. 



There are very large quantities of logs awaiting loading on these 

 two roads and hardwood manufacturers are beginning to express 

 uneasiness over the situation. Efforts to increase the number of 

 flat cars are not bringing very satisfactory results and indications 

 are that it will be quite awhile before the quantity of timber ready 

 for transportation has been actually loaded and delivered to the 

 mills. In the meantime, curtailment of manufacturing operations 

 is practically certain unless there is material increase at an early 

 date in the rate at which flat cars are furnished for loading. 

 Already a number of mills at Memphis and elsewhere in the valley 

 territory in both Arkansas and Mississippi have rather limited log 

 supplies on their yards. 



Labor conditions are growing rapidly worse and present even 

 more of a problem for lumber manufacturers than does the car 

 shortage. Some firms are already closing down plants because of 

 difficulty and unprofitableness of operating under present condi- 

 tions of labor supply and labor inefficiency. The government em- 

 ployment service is doing everything it can to secure men for the 

 essential industries, in which the lumber industry is included, but 

 the shortage of men is such that it is not able to obtain anything 

 like the number desired. Cotton pickers are securing the highest 

 prices ever paid for their work and they are being attracted to 

 the cotton fields. It has been realized for some time that labor 

 conditions would be extremely bad this fall and winter. It is now 



nalized that operation of the second selective service law will 

 nv.ike even heavier inroads on the labor supply than anticipated a 

 short time ago, and the average hardwood lumber manufacturer 

 is convinced of two very definite developments: 

 First: A further notable tightening of the car situation, and 

 Second: Far more unsatisfactory labor conditions than ever 

 previously experienced in the southern hardwood lumber industry. 

 And they are likewise convinced that, with these two conditions 

 assured, it is going to be next to impossible to produce the quantity 

 of southern hardwoods needed by the government and private in- 

 dustry during the next few months. 



Movement Toward Fixing Walnut Prices 



A circular letter on walnut prices and supplies has been issued 

 by Charles Edgar, director of lumber, from which the following 

 extracts arc taken. It is an effort to acquaint owners of walnut 

 with the values which they should place on their logs on board cars. 



.\s an aid to the government In scouring the out-turn, at fair and rea- 

 sonable prices, of the walnut timber necessary for its needs, and for the 

 protection of the walnut timber owner, we ask that where the opportunity 

 offers, publicity be given to the following range of prices for each diameter 

 which the log bu.vers or the walnut manufacturers, having government 

 contracts for gun stocks and propeller lumber, will pay for good walnut 

 logs 12" and up In diameter and 8' and up In length : 

 Prices of Black Walnut Logs 



8 ft. and over long on Equivalent Value for 



board cars on R. R. Standing Timber 



Diameter Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum 



per M per M per M per M 



12"— 14" «45 *55 520 ?35 



15"— 16" r,5 65 30 45 



17"_1S" 65 75 40 50 



19"— 20" 75 85 .'■.0 60 



21" — 22" 85 95 <in 70 



23"— 24" 95 105 70 SO 



25"— 26" 105 115 xn 90 



27"— 28" 115 125 90 100 



29"— 30" 125 135 100 110 



31"&up 135 150 110 120 



Log Scale 



Doyle Rule from Scrlbner's Log Book i " ::.■ small end, inside 



the bark, taking average diameter. Nn i, the above dimen- 



sions should be cut, as they are too sn. ; the owner or the 



saw mill and they do not produce g(i\' 1. Where possible 



logs should be cut 10' and up, as the Iohl-h- lous produce more material 

 suitable for the government's needs. 



It is also desired that publicity be given to the fact that in arriving at 

 prices which It Is paying for propeller lumber and gun stocks the govern- 

 ment has taken these log prices Into consideration, and has allowed the 

 mills prices for the material It gets which will allow for only a fair and 

 reasonable profit to both the mills and the log buyer. 



It would also be well to ask th.^ owners to cnnflne the sale of their tim- 

 ber to saw mills who have gov. riun. nt r.intracts, or log buyers carrying 

 credentials from such mills, as w, 11 a- . r. ^l.tuials from the government 

 setting forth that these mills th.y r. pr.s.nt have government contracts. 



A hundred years ago the pedagogue made lead pencils for his 

 pupils by pouring melted lead into goose quills. The quill has given 

 place to a cedar stick, hollowed to receive the graphite which has 

 taken the place of the lead formerly used. The name commem- 

 orates the old lead pencil, but the modern lead pencil has not a 

 particle of lead in it. The graphite is composed of 95 per cent car- 

 bon (of vegetable origin) and 5 per cent iron, or something near 

 that; but varWng according to the different formulas of manu- 

 facturers. 



