HARDWOOD^ RECORD 



45 



on all sides to a system of this kind. Some will say that ' ' j'ou 'd get 

 in a rut trying to follow it out. ' ' Eemember that when you make 

 a specialty of a thing, you can do it just so much better than a man 

 who does things in an ordinary way. A specialist can work with twice 

 the speed. Progressive wholesalers and their assistants are sales 

 specialists. 



If a concern appreciates good work and good, faithful service- it 

 should appreciate it in a monetary way — not by empty praise. If 

 your assistants satisfy you with their work, reward them for their 

 «fforts. Work with them and they will work with you. The writer 

 believes in a profit-sharing basis and practices it in his own office. 

 There will come a time when this system will be in universal practice 



e\erywhere — in offices as well as in factories. 



The writer has observed that more salesmen want to work on a 

 commission basis than ever before. This can be explained in only 

 one way. The men of this class are hard workers and realize that 

 they can make more in this way than by working on a salary. Whole- 

 salers would rather have a man sell on this basis because the more 

 the men sell, the more stock is moved at a fixed charge per car. 

 Furthermore, they have to pay a man only for actual sales. 



Any real salesman is glad to work on this basis — you can teU 

 him at a glance. In fact the best way to tell a good salesman is to 

 ask him if he will work on commissions. If he refuses, he is not 

 nuieli good. H. E. S. 



\;i5TO^J'.iy^i. '-^iitft}OiTOTO>:j^tt>2;Ui^TOaifc)tTOiTO^^ 



The Railroads Fear Car Shortage 



That the quantity of traffic being moved by railroads today is 

 enormous, and that railroad facilities will be taxed to the utmost 

 this fall, was the recent statement emanating officially from the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad. 



This system has instructed all of its freight solicitors to urge 

 shippers to assist the railroads in their efforts to prevent any car 

 shortage. The importance of prompt loading and unloading of cars 

 is being impressed upon shippers, who are also being asked to 

 co-operate with the railroads to prevent any congestion of traffic. 



All the large systems, in pursuance of their usual policy in such 

 cases, of taking early steps to preclude, if possible, any likelihood 

 of a car shortage, are advising their patrons to have freight ready 

 for loading when cars are placed on sidings, and are urging them 

 to load all cars as near to capacity as practicable, in order to get 

 the greatest possible service out of each car used. 



The jjrediction of a heavy fall traffic is especially interesting at 

 this time, following, "as it does, a statement just issued by W. A. 

 ■Garrett, chairman of the Association of Western Railways, in which 

 he makes an appeal to industrial traffic managers and commercial 

 organizations. Mr. Garrett says: 



"The time is here for the railways and shippers of the United 

 States to begin active and energetic preparations to prevent a car 

 shortage. The indications are that if they do not begin such prep- 

 arations at once they wall be confronted next October with the 

 worst situation that has existed since October, 1907, just before 

 the panic. No railway man or shipper needs to be told what that 

 situation was. Eailway facilities were inadequate to move the 

 business. Yards and terminals were congested, and heavy loss to 

 the railways, the shippers, and the public resulted. 



"Conditions that are likely to cause a heavy demand for and a 

 rapid reduction in the supply of cars exist. The amount of traffic 

 handled varies greatly during different parts of the year. During 

 about four months, beginning around October 1, there are apt to 

 be shortages. This is owing chiefly to the fact that that is the sea- 

 son of heaviest crop movement. Now, the crop prospects in the 

 West this year are unusually good. That helps to make the pros- 

 pect of a car shortage unusually bad. 



"If the bad situation now threatening is to be averted, the 

 managers of the railroads must have the hearty support and co- 

 operation of the shippers and consignees of the country. The ship- 

 pers and consignees can give such support and co-operation in at 

 least two ways: 



"By moving all lumber, coal, cement, and other freight that they 

 <:an within the next few weeks, instead of delaying and throwing 

 it aU on the railways when they are staggering under the crop 

 movement. The commercial organizations of the cities and towns 

 ■can help greatly by urging their members to move all goods as 

 early as possible. 



' ' Shippers and consignees can greatly help themselves, the rail- 

 ways and all other shippers and consignees, by loading and un- 

 loading all cars delivered to them as expeditiously as practicable. 



Every time the loading or unloading of a car is needlessly delayed, 

 the available supply of cars is needlessly reduced; and no shipper 

 has any right to complain that he is not furnished enough cars, if 

 he is by his own acts needlessly and wrongfully reducing the avail- 

 able supply of cars. Commercial organizations cannot render a 

 better service to their members than by urging on them the need 

 for prompt loading and unloading. Cars are furnished for trans- 

 portation, not for storage; and every one used for storage reduces 

 the number available for transportation. 



' ' Shippers can help greatly by loading all cars to as near their 

 capacity as practicable. The more freight there is loaded in each 

 the less cars will be required to move all of the freight. There has 

 been a great deal of talk in recent years about the need for 

 better co-operation between railways and shippers. Here is a mat- 

 ter regarding which they can heartily and energetically co-operate 

 to the very great gain of both." 



In opening his circular Mr. Garrett reviews freight ear condi- 

 tions for the several years past from which figures he dra-ws his 

 conclusions as to next fall. According to these figures there was 

 a decline in available cars amounting to 208,098 between July 

 15 and August 15, 1908. During this period in the folloTnng 

 year there was a reduction in cars available of 248,7.5.5. The fol- 

 lowing year, however, this figure was reduced to 142,125. On July 

 19 there was a net surplus of 149,072 cars which by October 25 

 had been reduced to 128,650 cars. It will be seen, therefore, from 

 these figures that during the four years the net available car 

 supply was reduced between the third week in July and the third 

 week in October by figures varying from 128,540 to 248,755 in 

 the different years. From these figures Mr. Garrett makes the 

 startling deduction that by the third week in October the reduc- 

 tion in the available cars will be so great as to leave practically 

 no equipment to move merchandise. 



As proof of the feasibility of his contention, he submits the 

 statement that on July IS of this year there were only 68,922 

 cars available. When the fact is added to this that there is every 

 indication that the demand for railway equipment during the next 

 few weeks will be as great, if not considerably in excess of the 

 same period during the four preceding years, it is a simple matter 

 to sense the ultimate result. 



The suggestions contained in the appeal quoted above are given 

 Ijy Mr. Garrett as a spur to shippers to realize the actual condition 

 and plan their shipments accordingly. 



A flat log rate would be welcome to the sawmill men if it did 

 not mean an increase, but that is just what the railroads intend 

 it to mean if they are called upon to make it, and the indica- 

 tions are they may be called on. 



If the railroads want to treat something else than oak and use 

 it for ties, why not sappy gum timber? It should certainly come 

 cheaper and last as long as hickory, and besides, the hickory is 

 needed for other things. 



