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•J^ Meeting Michigan Hardwood Men -^ 



To afford the members an opportunity of attending the Forest 

 Products Exposition and the annual meeting of the National Lum- 

 ber Manufacturers' Association, the Michigan Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association held its meeting on Tuesday, May 5, at the 

 Auditorium hotel, Chicago. The meeting was called to order 

 l)romptly at 10 o'clock by President F. L. Richardson. President 

 Richardson gave a very graphic description of the Forest Products 

 Exposition and what it stands for, requesting all to attend. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. Sec- 

 retary Knox then read his rejiort, which follows in part: 

 Secretary's Report 



In our report of January 21 we compared the year's business or 19i:5 

 with that of 1912, and on the wliole the comparisons were favorable to 

 the hardwood interests for the year 1913. The year 1914 started out 

 under favorable conditions and while business has not been all we ant!':- 

 ipated, reports from various quarters make a good showing up to April 1. 

 The shipments reported by many of our members being equal to those of 

 a year ago with values holding well. 



Wc arc still working through the Interstate Commerce Commission for 

 the termination of our Pacific Coast rate matter and are confident of 

 success in the end, although the railroads have not yet responded to the 

 order of the commission as we expected. 



The question of allowing the railroads in Official Classification territory 

 an advance in freight rates is still unsettled and I hardly believe the 

 commission itself at the present time would be able to state just what 

 rates would be advanced, if any, or what additional charge for spotting 

 cars would be made, if any. At this time it is all a matter of con- 

 jecture and your guess would be as good as our own. This association, 

 however, has gone on record as being favorable to a general advance of 

 five per cent asked for by the railroad, providing our rates are equalized 

 with rates from competitive territory. It is still the opinion, however, 

 of the manufacturers that had we not been on the alert, the sixth class 

 basis would have been applied on lumber within the state of Michigan. 

 The railroads have now reissued their lumber tariffs, but the proposed 

 advances are not uniform and objection has been made by some, and 

 the State Railroad Commission has been asked to apply a uniform basis, 

 but it is likely that it will take some time to obtain a settlement of this 

 question, on account of the far reaching effect it would have on the 

 lumber industry of the lower peninsula of Michigan. 



The treasurer's report showed the finances of the association to 

 be in excellent condition, having on hand a balance of $.5,663.35, 

 and in the Forest Fire Protective department a balance of .$697.62. 

 Both reports were accepted and ordered filed. 



The chairman of the railroail committee, Henry Ballon, submitted 

 the following report: 



Railroad Committee's Report 



At the last meeting of this association, held in Detroit, January 21. 



the chairman of your railroad committee reported progress in regard to 

 the proposed intrastate lumber freight rates, and at that time advised 

 you that the next steps to be taken were a proposed conference to be 

 held at Lansing which would be called by the Michigan Railroad Com- 

 mission to be participated in by representatives of the different railroads 

 within the state, as well as representatives of the lumber shippers within 

 the state. 



This conference was held February 12 at Lansing and representatives 

 of the different railroads and from some of the lumber shippers of the 

 state, attended same, but it was not att<Midiid by any member of the 

 railroad committee acting for il miitb.. 



The question of proposeil imi : • i commodity rates then as- 

 sumed a situation making it i .|h. i i i.>; riie railroad committee to 



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Hailioad Commission ind it I 

 I ansing \pril .-J the situation 

 01asf,ow about as follows 



II 1 foie the coinmis 

 plainl\ stated b\ CI: 



boll 



ented and arg imei t i ro and con w r imde witli i \i w 1 ii t ttig 

 the interests of tie diffeicnt localiti 



As yet no tangible results have been arrived at and the hearing was 

 adjourned on May 1 to meet May 15 before the commission at Lansing. 



Your chairman understands that the Michigan Central Railroad filed 

 its proposed lumber commodity rates in the neighborhood of thirty days 

 ago and that the same is very close to a flat five per cent advance. The 

 other railroads of the state did not file their new lumber commodity rates 

 until quite recently and as yet they have not been checke^d over thor- 

 oughly, except in some particular localities. It is understood, however, 

 that these proposed rates will be an increase of between five and ten per 

 cent over the old rates. Your chairman understands that information 

 as to these rates is on file with the railroad commission, and also on 

 file at the local stations of the different shippers, and, therefore, every 

 lumber shipper should take steps to protect his interest by making a 

 thorough examination of these proposed rates at once, as an opportunity 

 will be afforded so that they may attend the hearing on the subject before 

 the commission at Lansing May 15. 



Owing to the delicacy of the question of intrastate commodity 

 rates, the chair advised lumbermen of the various sections of the 

 state to personally handle the individual cases which may arise; 

 that it was not an association matter, but more of an individual 

 case, and that undoubtedly there would be differences of opinion 

 among the various members. Therefore, every member should con- 

 serve his own interests. 



