HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



(Cuiitiiiiioil from ihiki- 24) 



Ilar.lwooil iiu'ii have not yet liii-ii iil.K- to lU'lfrniiiic its full 

 sigiiific-aiii'O or to mcasuro tlie ilaiimtji- it will do i-itliiT to tlu'rii- 

 selves or to the sucfossful prosiciitioii of the war program in 

 wliiili, ill their opinion, hardwood forest products are essential. 



Jiniiiediately on receipt of telegraphic iiotieo of this ruling, hard- 

 vv(M,d manufacturers identified with the Southern Hardwood Trallic 

 Association and the American Hardwood Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion began flocking to the headfuiarters of these two organizations 

 seeking further information on the order and discussing the ruling 

 ill all of its phases. Officials in charge of the offices of these two 

 organizations said that at no time since they were launched had 

 there been so many voluntary callers. At the same lime these 

 offices were tlooiled with telegrams ami long-distance calls from 

 hardwood manufacturers throughout the southern field covered by 

 these organizations, thus indicating the widespread interest cre- 

 ated by the ruling. 



On September 17 informal conferences continued throughout the 

 day. The next day the executive committees of the two organiza- 

 tions held a joint conference lasting the greater portion of the 

 day to take such action as seemed warranted under the circum- 

 stances. At its conclusion these committees forwarding the fol- 

 lo«ing personal telegram to William G. McAdoo, setting forth the 

 effects of this drastic ruling and asking that its effectiveness be 

 postponed until October 15 in order that hardwood lumber interests 

 might adjust themselves to the conditions created thereby: 



With reference to embargo ngiiinst shipincnt.s of commercial lumber to 

 consuming territory east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio tlnd 

 Potomac rivers : 



We have received no previous notice of this drnstic action. Hundreds 

 of empty cars are now on side tniclis awaltiuK load. The result of this 

 order will lie to slow up car efficiency and retard this months' railroad 

 earnings. Already we have had word that certain railroads construe order 

 as placing lumber In the non-essential class and decline to give cars for 

 loading hardwood logs into inillg. 



Hardwood operations are entirely dllferent from pine and the two 

 Industries should neither be connected nor confused. The feeling of many 

 members is that If shipments cannot move Liberty Loan subscriptions 

 will be restricted. 



Approximately 75 per cent of product of hardwood logs goes directly 

 or indirectly Into essential war worlt. We feel that It will take at least 

 fifteen days for the committees whom you designate to work out method 

 of issuing permits as we cannot find as yet where the committees have 

 been appointed. 



Saw mills are largely located in Isolated sectUms and if loading stops, 

 iaiior will disperse and be very difficult to gi-t together again. There- 

 inie. In order to avoid confusion and to expedite the handling of bard- 

 \viin<| lumber, to gain car efficiency and to protect the labor situation, 

 .iiiinut effective date be postponeil until October 15? 



Memliers of these two associations handle approximately i.'iO.OOO cars 

 .innually. 



The foregoing telegram was signed by the ^morican Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association, R. L. Jurden, president, and the South- 

 ern Hardwood Traffic Association, James E. Stark, president. 



In addition to sending this telegram, the executive committees 

 • r the two associations decided to appoint a committee of live to 

 u'" to Washington to appear before the car service section of the 

 railroad administration or the War Industries Board with a view 

 to showing how essential hardwood lumber and forest products are 

 to successful carrying out of the war jirogram. John M. Pritchard, 

 secretary-manager of the American Hardwood Manufacturers' Asso- 

 ciation, left for Washington at once to make arrangements for the 

 appearance of this committee there at an early date. The personnel 

 of this committee follows: S. M. Xickey, Memphis, chairman; 

 T. M. Brown, Louisville, Ky.; John W. McClure, Memphis; S. H. 

 Swanson, Helena, Ark., and B. F. Dulwebcr, Memphis. 



During the conference Wednesday much time was given to dis- 

 ciission of the arguments and data that will be presented to one 

 or both of the bodies already mentioned, provided opportunity is 

 given. The telegram sent to McAdoo gives some idea of the angles 

 from which the subject w-ill be handled, but the arguments and data 

 presented at that time will be much more elaborate and definite 

 than that contained in the message referred to. 



Lumber manufacturers about Memphis are inclined to take a 

 rather optimistic view of the situation because of the essentiality 



ot hardwiiod luiiiber ami forest products to suci'cssful conduct (d' 

 the war. They bidieve that they will be able, despite the assurance 

 from the car service section, contained in a telegram reaching the 

 Southern Hardwood Traffic Association Wednesday, to the effect 

 that the embargo was not placed until after careful consideration 

 of all interested government departments, to bring about modifica- 

 tions. They feel that hardwood himber is more essential to the 

 winning of the war than appears to be thought in government 

 cirdvs in Washington and they will attempt to convince the car 

 service section or the War Industries Board, or both, that enforce- 

 ment of the embargo will not only tend to disrujit the hardwood 

 lumber industry but will also greatly handicap the government in 

 successful prosecution of the war. 



As to the immediate effects of the order, har.lwood lumbermen 

 here generally are agreed on the following points: 



First : That there will be serious interruption to shipments of hard- 

 wuuil Iniiiiier already being loaded or ready to loail, except where such 

 shipments an- speeillrally for the use of tlic government or some depart- 

 ment of thi- government. 



Seeonil : That it will require some time for the War Industries Board 

 to appoint the necessary committees to look after the issuance ot per- 

 mits and that, until such committees are appointed and the necessary 

 inaclilnery has l)ecn set in motion, all manufacturers of southern hard- 

 woods will be distinctly restricted In the quantity of hardwood luuil>er 

 that can be shipped. 



Third : That, while hardwood Interests must, as a matter of necessity, 

 cut up the logs they have ready tor shipment to their mills, they cannot, 

 in Justice to themselves, go ahead with logging operations. Now is the 

 time when they are busy getting out logs for the winter run and stoppage 

 of logging work must have yery serious bearing on the quantity ot hard- 

 wood lumber that can be produced this f^ill and winter unless there Is 

 such adjustment as will enable them to resume logging operations with 

 very little delay. 



Fourth : That It Is out ot the question for hardwood manufacturers 

 to conduct operations on the basis ot government requirements tor the 

 reason that only 75 per cent of the log Is available for government use, 

 thus leaving 25 per cent for which there Is apparently no outlet. It is 

 pointed out In this connection that. If the mills attempted to operate at 

 75 per cent of their normal capacity, 25 per cent ot the 75 per cent thus 

 produced would be unsuitable for government use and therefore unsalable 

 because of the restrictions against shipments of commercial lumber. 



Fifth : That through such restrictions as the government is Imposing 

 the hardwood lumber Industr}- will be largely disorganized as to labor 

 supply and that, under present labor scarcity, reorganization on a basis 

 that will make it possible to take care of government needs will be 

 extremely difficult. 



Sixth : That hardwood Interests are willing to do everything In their 

 power to aid the government In winning the war and that they look at 

 the order more as a menace to the government's war program than to 

 themselves. 



Members of the American Hardwood Manufacturers' Association 

 are shipping monthly approximately 80,000,000 feet of hardwood 

 lumber, or about half of the quantity shipped each month from 

 the southern field. It is estimated that, if two weeks are required 

 to appoint the necessary committees to issue permits, it will mean 

 a loss of 40,000,000 feet in business on the part of members of this 

 organization and a loss of an equal quantity on the part of those 

 not identified with this body. If it requires longer to set the 

 machinery in motion to keep shipments up to normal, the loss will 

 be at the rate of 20,000,000 feet annually for members, and 40,000,- 

 000 feet annuall.v for members and non-members combined. These 

 • figures give a very clear idea of the volume of lumber business 

 that will be practically estopped. 



A telegram has been received here by the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Association from the car service section of the railroail 

 administration advising that shipments of hardwood lumber 

 destined to Canada are not affected by the embargo order. 



The Southern Hardwood Traffic Association has issued the fol- 

 lowing text of the embargo order as received from the car service 

 section of the railroad administration: 



By direction of the car service section, clfcctlvc twelve one a. m., Monday, 

 September IC, 191S, embargo Is placed against all shipments of forest 

 products "except shooks, staves, hoops, headings and manufactured con- 

 tainers" from all points In the I'nited States and Canada to destinations 

 within the states ot Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, 

 Rhode Island. Connecticut, New York, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Dela- 

 ware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wis- 

 consin, District of Columbia, except when consigned : 



".\," to officers of the U. S. government by title but not by name, 



