14 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



very few operators were acquainted with each other. Primarily, 

 therefore, they assembled together to promote acquaintance. Next, 

 they determined to thoroughly analyze the conditions that surrounded 

 their business. They desired to find out the total quantity of lumber 

 of all kinds and grades in stock with hardwood manufacturers of the 

 state, how much of this lumber is sold, and how much each man 

 proposes to manufacture during the coming year. Furthermore, they 

 wished to analyze requirements in the various kinds of lumber they 

 produce. In other words, this conference was held for the purpose 

 of getting at the question of supply and demand, that values might 

 be intelligently fixed. This work has already progressed to a very 

 satisfactory point. 



Next in consideration came the always open jiroblem of amending 

 the manufacturing system and the. rules of measurement and grad- 

 ing. These are points that the average coterie of lumbermen can 

 rarely agree upon, but thus far the Michigan hardwood operators 

 have handled the proposition with the utmost skill and finesse, and 

 undoubtedly, when they fully determine what they consider best for 

 their own interests, their recommendations will be found advan- 

 tageous to the people who buy and utilize Michigan hardwoods as 

 well, and much more satisfactory than the want of system which has 

 prevailed in the past. Conservatism is marking every movement of 

 these men skilled in the lumber manufacturing business. The grad- 

 ing committee of the Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion, which thus fax has had these matters in charge, has not 

 advanced even a suggestion that is radical. Everybody is working 

 on lines of conservatism and fairness. It seems to be the general 

 desire to simply make the current and recognized hardwood trade 

 ethics of the country universally standard. The grading committee 

 announces that before it will even propose for adoption rules govern- 

 ing manufacture, measurement and grading, they shall be thor- 

 oughly tried out and satisfactorily demonstrated on the lumber pile. 



These Michigan people have started in to do business on business 

 principles, and it is the prophecy of the Hardwood Record that 

 within the year they will have achieved more for the benefit of the 

 manufacturing element of the state and for the consumers of Michi- 

 gan hardwood products than has been accomplished in all the years 

 of the past. 



A Pressing Need. 



No graver problem is to be contended with in the lumber industry 

 today than that which confronts the hickory interests. It is almost 

 needless to recite again, as it is so well known generally, that the 

 present stand of hickory is perilously near exhaustion. As no authori- 

 tative statistics have ever been collected on this subject, it cannot 

 I>e stated with any degree of accuracy just how long this stand will 

 last, but the statement has been made by those who are in position 

 to know that thirty years would be a liberal estimate. 



Hickory is a slow-growing tree, and while reforestation would be 

 of great value to future generations, curtailment of consviniption by 

 the substitution of other woods for hickory and the introduction of 

 more economical methods of manufacture are more rational- methods 

 for the immediate solution of the problem. The manufacture of 

 handles, carriage and wagon woodwork and kindred lines utilizes 

 enormous quantities of hickory annually. In these uses the need of 

 substitution is most urgent, and even though it be found necessary 

 to leave the United States in search of woods suitable for these pur- 

 poses, the effort would certainly be worth while. 



Thus it will be seen that there was an urgent need for the National 

 Hickory Consumers' Association, recently organized at Chicago,- 

 and that it has before it a future of broad usefulness. The mem- 

 bers of this organization are taking up the work with enthusiasm, 

 and undoubtedly by the coiiperation which the Forest Service 

 promises the association much will be accomplished and great 

 benefit will accrue to the trade at large. 



Hardwood Rate to the Pacific Coast. 



The hardwood manufacturing and wholesale trade is just awaken- 

 ing to the importance of securing a more favorable freight rate from 

 the iianhvood producing centers of the country to the Pacific coast. 

 This project, originally agitated by the Wisconsin Hardwood Lum- 

 bermen 's .\ssociation, has latterly secured tlie cooperation of the 



National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, the Hardwood Man- 

 ufacturers' Association and the National Hardwood Lumber Asso- 

 ciation. 



Under the interpretations made of the new interstate commerce 

 law it is still questionable if the transcontinental lines can be legally 

 forced to reduce the west-bound rate, and therefore all logical means 

 should be exhausted to coax these roads into making a lower rate 

 without having recourse to the law. 



A ease has recently been decided by the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission, in which the question was a rate of forty-three cents per 

 hundred pounds on unwashed wool from Fort Wayne to Philadelphia, 

 and an exaction of sixty-two cents per hundred pounds was made 

 on the same product from Philadelphia to Fort Wayne. The commis- 

 sion held, upon the evidence presented, that the west-bound rate was 

 nijt shown to be unreasonable or unjust, and dismissed the complaint. 

 The commission said that, while the law requires all rates to be 

 reasonable and just and forbids unreasonable discriminations, it does 

 not prescribe any measure or test of reasonableness in either case. 

 It is manifest that the reasonableness of every rate or discrimination 

 called into question nuist be determined and measured by the cir- 

 cumstances and conditions affecting the business. It analyzes that 

 it cannot be required in reason that rates must in all cases be the 

 same in both directions between the same points, any more than 

 they can be made on a strictly uniform mileage basis. It is alleged 

 that the cost of moving freight must be considered, as the differ- 

 ence in grades may in some cases justify a higher rate in one direc- 

 tion than in the opposite one; that the general movement of traffic 

 in one direction may so preponderate as to require the movement of 

 empty cars with its attendant expense; and that a great and in- 

 creasing volume of freight is a factor of much influence towards 

 the depression of rates. 



In the existing contention for a lower freight rate on west-bound 

 lumber, the railroads can set up very little claim on the ground of 

 difference in grades, or that they would have to transport empty 

 cars to the east for the sake of securing loads for the west. 

 About the only logical argument they can present, according to the 

 analysis of the commission, would be the preponderance of east-bound 

 lumber shipment over that of west-bound. 



It would seem both in equity and law that the west-bound freight 

 rate on lumber should be reduced to a parity of that of kindred 

 east-bound products, but it certainly would not be wisdom on the part 

 of the various lumber associations to enter into a legal controversy 

 with the transcontinental lines until all amicable means are exhausted 

 to coax them into doing justice to the hardwood trade. 



The Car Stake Equipment Case. 



Referring to the suit pending against railroails, instituted primarily 

 by the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association and sup- 

 ported by nearly all the other lumber associations of the country, as 

 well as by many individuals, it cannot fail to be noted that on the 

 whole the hardwood trade has been somewhat lax in its enthusiasm, 

 as evidenced by their general want of financial aid in carrying 

 forward this litigation. 



From the fact that comparatively small quantities of hardwoods are 

 shipped in open cars, the average hardwood man does not seem to 

 realize the importance of a favorable decision to the lumber trade in 

 this case. If a hardwood shipper does not forward niore than ten 

 cars a year on flat and gondola cars, a favorable outcome of this suit 

 would be equivalent to $.')U a year to him. He certainly should Ije 

 w-illiug to contribute at least a ten-dollar bill to assist this desid- 

 eratum. The committee having this suit in charge, after having done 

 a tremendous amount of work and liaving spent a large sura of money, 

 finds itself embarrassed for funds to continue its action. Tliis very 

 result is what was both hoped for and possibly expected by the defend- 

 ant railroads. The present status of the case would indicate that the 

 shippers can reasonaldy hope to win their contention if they have 

 reasonable financial aid from those who will be manifestly bene- 

 fited, and its appeal for material support should not go unrecognized. 

 The Hardwood Record trusts that its clients who are shippers of 

 hardwood lumber will interest themselves in this matter and take it 

 up by mail with E. F. Perry, secretary of the committee, 66 Broad- 

 way," New York city, and tender him their contributions. 



