HARDWOOD RECORD 



39 



compared with the expensive fancy woods comin'; from the South American 

 countries, buy their supplies where they marliet their product. 



"If wo want to sell the products of our factories to the South American 

 countries, our buyers should bo Ihe advance guard ol our salesmen," says 

 Mr. Davenport. "Let the .\nierican users of those goods usually sold at 

 the auction sales on the docks in Liverpool or London announce to the 

 shippers in South America that they will only buy t. o. b. New YorU and 

 that they will refuse in future to patronize the auction sales in London or 

 Liverpool. Those transportation lines which hnvi- luretofore monopolized 

 the carrying trade in the interest of Great Britain will be compelled to 

 lay their course toward New York." 



Various commercial associations will be asked 1o aid in the movement. 



Michigan Company Adopts Excellent Plan of Selling Cutover 

 Lands 



The Williams llrothers Company, Cadillac, Midi., is selling its cut-over 

 hardwood lands on a rather unique plan, but one «'hich is very sane as far 

 as Its business pruiciples are concerned and which gives an opportunity 

 to prospective set Hers of clearing farm lands under attractive circum- 

 stances, and wliich also secures for the Williams Brothers Company the 

 sale of such lands at good prices. 



The com[*ny is selling this land on potato contracts, that is, it takes 

 small cash payments down for a certain area and requires the purchaser 

 to plant three to five acres of new ground eacli year to potatoes, the pro- 

 ceeds of which, whether large or small, are to be applied on the purchase 

 of the land. This is the only payment required each year. Of course, if 

 the purchaser so requests he may pay in cash any amount at any time, 

 thus reducing his indebtedness and reducing the interest. 



This certainly seems to be a common-sense way of disposing of the cut- 

 over land question In the North. 



To Start New North CaroUna MiU 

 It is announced at Knoxville, Tenn,, that J. I". Walker of that city has 

 completed arrangements at Ashcvillc, N. C, for the erection and operation 

 of a hardwood sawmill to be located in western North Carolina. It will cost 

 about )fl!."),OO0. 



Will Replace Foreign Production 



As the supply of carbolic acid, which is obtained from England and 

 Cermany, is likely to be cut off by the European war, the Barrett Manu- 

 facturing Company, rhiladelpbia,, to which the lumber business owes so 

 much for its production and application of creosote as a preservative of 

 timber against the ravages of Insects and deleterious atmospheric influences, 

 is preparing to manufacture this commodity on a scale sufficiently large 

 to supply the steady demand. This company is the only manufacturer of 

 the raw product in this country and is also the largest domestic producer 

 of crystal carbrfic acid, which renders it eminently qualified to establish a 

 gigantic plant. To all indications Philadelphia will be the first city in the 

 United States which wili be able to supply au enormously increased 

 demand for this product. 



Pertinent Information 



Hopeful for Fair Kiili;;g on New Orleans Dock Regulation 



The New Orleans Lumbermen's Association, supported by the maritime 

 branch of the Board of Trade, is protesting against the wharf storage 

 charge fixed by the Board of Port Commissioners. Effective September 1, 

 this charge is five cents a square foot per month, with a limit of 250 

 pounds on the water-side and 500 pounds on the land-side, and unless there 

 is an adjustment of some sort it will work a great hardship on the 

 lumbermen. However, the dock board maintains that when properly 

 slacked the lumber will not be penalized because of the unfortunate 

 situation. 



At the outbreak of the European war the Lamb-Fish Lumber Company 

 of Charleston, Miss., operating one of the largest hardwood mills in the 

 world, had eighty cars on the local docks ; but has since disposed of 

 twenty-flve of this number. The application of the Wharfage charge would 

 be severely felt by this company as well as other lumber shippers in this 

 territory. 



The dock board takes the position that the wharves were not built for 

 storage purposes, but for freight in transit, and that it lias no legal right 

 to make an assessment for storage, but may accept voluntary payment 

 for this privilege. Conferences between the lumbermen and members of 

 the dock board indicate a disposition on the part of the port commissioners 

 to treat the shippers fairly, and it is hoped that an adjustment satisfactory 

 to all may be arranged. 



Important Freight Developments in the South 



A number of important questions of interest 

 have been in the hands of the Interstate Commei 

 last two weeks. 



Complaints have been filed by several consumers of hardwood lumber 

 who get their supplies from Missouri and Arkansas. They call attention 

 to the three territories of destination : Mississippi river gateways, Missouri 

 river points and points in the lime and apple barrel territory In southwest 



Missouri and northwest Arkansas. There are two territories of origin : 

 north of the Arkansas river where much hardwood is cut and no yellow- 

 pine and south of the Arkansas river where both hardwood and yellow 

 pine are manufactured. 



The carriers claim there should be uniformity in hardwood and yellow 

 pine rates in the territory involved. The complainants deny this. They 

 say that ninety per cent of the yellow pine is kiln-dried and dressed before 

 shipment, while practically all of the hardwood is shipped in the rough 

 and as a consequence there can be no similarity between the two woods 

 from the carriers' standpoint. It is stated that the earnings per car on 

 hardwood is from $5 to $17 greater than on yellow pine. Hardwood loads 

 heavier, takes any kind of a car and has less damage in transit. For these 

 reasons, as well as other minor cues, it is claimed that there is no sound 

 basis for the hardwood rate now in force being too low, especially when 

 the claim for the raise is made because hardwood rates arc lower than 

 those applying to yello'Ar pine. Moreover it is asserted that the yellow 

 pine rates were advanced wtthout proper Justilication and now an attempt 

 is being made to pull up hardwood rates to the unfair level established 

 by the yellow pine precedent. 



One of the contentions of the carriers is that formerly there was a 

 prejudice against southern hardwoods. For this reason they claim that the 

 rate was made very low originally. In this connection, however, no figures 

 were given and no attempt was made to show that the traffic at present 

 rates is unremunerative. Strenuous denial is made to the claim that the 

 advance in rate is being based really on the increase in values of hardwoods. 



The original rate, in one case cited, was fifteen cents to Missouri river 

 destinations. Then the haul was by a roundabout way. Since then it has 

 been made direct by the building of new lines but the carriers ask for 

 eighteen cents, or that one cent above the yellow pine, be approved. 



The complaints suggest thai the real reason for the increase is contained 

 in the carriers statement "to get additional revenue and get the rates 

 nearer where they ought to be." 



Pending action the Interstate Commerce Commission has given carriers 

 authority to collect three cents more per hundred pounds on cypress cistern 

 staves than Is collected on cypress lumber. 



Uecalllng a former opinion of the commission that a rate must not be 

 higher than that on analogous manufactured wood articles, which move 

 at lumber rates, complaint is m.ide that present rates on club turned 

 spokes are ilnjnst, unreasonable and unduly discriminatory to the extent 

 that Ihey exceed the rates on finished lumber and on numerous other wood 

 articles which are more highly mnuutactured, more valuable and more 

 likely to damage than club spokes. 



Further postponement to the operation of tariff .supplement No. 33 to 

 I. C. C. No. 2670 of the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific Railway has been 

 granted by the commission. Operation of the schedules of this line on 

 hardwood and other lumber have been deferred until March 10, 1915. 



Carriers have been relieved from long-and-short haul provision on hard- 

 wood from intermediate points on the Louisville, Henderson & St. Louis 

 Railway, in Kentucky to points in Central Freight Association territory. 



Rates on carload lots of lumber between Lodiburg, Kentucky, and Indian- 

 apolis, Chicago and Columbus, O., have been held as not being unreasonable. 



General advances in the rates on hardwoods 

 hearing to be held in Washington October 21. 



Qsidered at a 



Early Decision Expected in Southern Bate Case 



It is expected by J. H. Townshend, general manager of the Southern 

 Hardwood Traffic Association, that a decision will be lianded down by the 

 end of the week on the petition illed with that body asking for the 

 suspension of the proposed advance of IS14 to 33% per cent on hardwood 

 lumber shipments from Memphis, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi 

 points to Ohio river crossings. 



There is no advance which has been proposed by railroads operating in 

 the southern territory in years which has raised such a vigorous protest 

 on the part of lumber interests in general and the Southern Hardwood 

 Traffic Association in particular. They feel that the advance is altogether 

 unjustified and that it is unreasonable in itself. They also feel that the 

 railroads have chosen a most Inopportune time to put this advance in 

 effect, namely October Ifo October 4. Owing to the shortness of the time 

 before the advances become effective, it is necessary that the commission 

 hand down its decision quickly if lumber interests are to be given an 

 opportunity to present their side of the controversy on its merits. 



Just how determined the Southern Hardwood Traffic Associatloft really 

 is may be indicated by the fact that there was a conference held here Sep- 

 tember 22, which was attended by sixty-flve of the leading fii-ms In the 

 Mississippi valley, the owners or which are members of the association. 

 This conference was to have been held some days ago, but was delayed 

 so that as large attendance as possible might be present. In addition to 

 the sixty-flve, a number of outside organizations were represented, 

 including the Gum Lumber Manufacturers' Association, the Cincinnati 

 Lumbermen's Club and the Cairo Chamber of Commerce. The Gum Lumber 

 Manufacturers" Association will be represented by Jno. M. Prltchard. The 



