HARDWOOD RECORD 



49 



and that, after all, there is no real gain. 



In reply to this it must be said that the 

 number of odd length pieces manufactured 

 forms only from 10 to 50 per cent of the total 

 amount produced; the average number being 

 approximately 20 per cent. In the construc- 

 tion of modern frame buildings, it is custom- 

 ary, especially in that section of the country 

 which is subject to severe weather conditions 

 (luring the winter season,, and generally 

 throughout the country in the construction of 

 flv'st-class residences, to use sub-flooi-s and 

 sheathing, as a nailing base. It is well known, 

 also, that the dimensions of rooms or walls 

 of a building are as likely to be. in odd feet as 

 in even feet, and therefore it is reasonably cer- 

 tain that all of the odd-length materia! which 

 would be manufactured could easily be used, 

 resulting in an ultimate saving, not only to 

 the manufacturer, but also to the consumer. 



Plan for Correction of National Forest 

 Boundaries Approved 



The examination of national forest boun- 

 daries carried on by the forest ofiicers last 

 summer and fall, upon the initiative of Secre- 

 tary Wilson and under his direction, has re- 

 sulted in new information, which will make it 

 possible to restore to the unreserved public 

 domain much land not best suited to forest 

 purposes. This is to be done under a plan 

 just a.pproved by President Taft. 



A definition of the lines along which action 

 should be taken was called for by the fact 

 that reports and maps are now in the posses- 

 sion of the Department of Agriculture which 

 show the character of the lands and the cover 

 along the lines of the national forest boun- 

 daries. The purpose of the department in se- 

 curing this information was to make possible 

 a correction of the boundaries on the prin- 

 ciples now approved by the President, for it 

 has never been intended that the national for- 

 ests should include agricultural land or grazing 

 land not suitable for forest purposes. On the 

 whole the changes which are found to be 

 called for are of relatively minor importance, 

 but in their aggregate they open to settlement 

 a large amount of land. 



Some of the land is suitable for dry land 

 agriculture, though the greater part is grazing 

 land. In Idaho, which lias a large national 

 forest area, about 470,000 acres will be elim- 

 inated, of which 34 per cent is tillable. Elimi- 

 nations in similar proportion will be made in a 

 number of the other western states which have 

 large amounts of land in national forests. 



Building Operations in February 



OBicial reports from forty-tliirr building cen- 

 ters throughout the country, as compiled by The 

 American Contractor, Chicago, show an aggro- 

 gate loss of 23 per cent as compared with Febru- 

 ary, 1909. According to predictions made 

 throughout the latter part of last year, hy the 

 industrial and financial press, the year 1910 

 was set down as a coming record-breaker, which 

 forecast, however, has failed to materialize in 



building operations. Of the forty-three cities, 

 sixteen show a loss of from 4 to 79 per cent and 

 twentj'-scven show a gain of from 2 to 679 per 



cent. Cities presenting a gain of 50 per cent or 

 more are ; Birmingham, GO ; Grand Rapids, 55 ; 

 Hartford, 112 ; Louisville, 217 ; Los Angeles, 



ICO ; Manchester, 679 ; Minneapolis, 61 ; New 

 Haven, 52 : Salt Lake City, Go. I'articulars are 

 shown in the following table : 



February, February, 



1910. 1909. I'ur Cent 



City. Cost. Cost. Gaiu. Loss. 



.\tlanta ? 398,009 $ 50B,7S4 .. 21 



Baltimore 427,356 392,101 9 



liiriuingliam 274,867 165.240 06 



Chicago 5,678.600 5,159,000 10 



Cleveland 590,020 344,390 8 



CinciDUati 540,975 476,450 13 



Columbus 84,085 110,484 . . 23 



Dallas 188,311 241.101 .. 21 



Denver 592,590 819.948 . . 27 



Des Moines 63,075 34,025 20 



Detroit 808,410 772,300 5 



Grand Rapids 99,120 63,940 55 



Hartford 277,110 130,450 113 



Indianapolis 335,663 312,710 7 



Kans.is City 1,135,875 839.525 37 



Little Rock 64.370 314,641 .. 79 



Louisville 318,988 100,401 217 



Los Angeles 1,524,269 584,470 160 



Manchester 170,300 21,983 679 



Milwaukee 274,156 601,291 .. 57 



Minneapolis 485.980 300,745 61 



Mempliis 317,900 287.701 10 



Mobile 23,350 27,750 . . 7 



New Haven 109,047 111,012 52 



Newark 035,890 495.844 28 



New Orleans 239,563 168.751 41 



M.mhattau 7,632,933 16.289,597 . . 53 



Brooklyn 2.319.125 2,313,055 2 



Bronx 2.645,660 4,340,265 . . 41 



New York 12.597,720 22.951,917 .. 43 



Omaha 150,823 240,740 .. 33 



Philadelphia 2,043,075 2,141,280 .. 4 



Paterson 137,613 124,233 10 



Pittsburg 481,644 778,912 . . 38 



Portland. Ore 1.000,055 1.329,546 20 . . 



Eocliester 253.697 319.330 . . 50 



St. Louis 1.229,263 2.170,041 .. 43 



Seattle 1.353,415 1,152.153 17 



Salt Lake City. .. 334.100 202.200 63 



Toledo 119.045 316,643 . . 62 



raeoma 131,360 187.933 . . 43 



Worcester 190 423 382,210 . . 68 



WilkesBarre 72,713 56,224 29 



Total $36,446,891 $46,356,631 .. 23 



A Self-Feed Eip and Edger 



A brand new machine is being manufactured 

 by the J. A. Fay & Egan Company known as 

 No. 245 Self-Feed Rip and Edging Saw. 



This is a strictly high-class tool for sash, door 

 and blind and other planing mill work. 



It is designed to meet a wide range of re- 

 quirements for general ripping or edging both 

 long and short stock. It combines the advan- 

 tages of quick adjustment with an edging car- 

 riage, producing a perfectly straight edge as 

 well as parallel work. It possesses another ad- 

 vaulago, viz.. that the section of tlie carriage 

 track at the right of the machine proper may 

 be removed, converting the machine into a reg- 

 ular self-feed rip saw. 



It will rip 17 inches wide between saw and 

 fence and up to 4 inches thick. 



The main frame is cast in one piece, is heav- 

 ily ribbed and carries the bearings for the coun- 

 tershaft, making the machine entirely self-con- 

 tained. 



The table is made of glued-up strips of hard- 

 wood and is provided at the front end with 



slide and index plate for rip fence, having self- 

 locking eccentric clamp lever. 



The saw mandrel is carried on a swinging 

 frame and provided with a gravity belt tight- 

 ener to keep belt at a proper tension. The man- 

 drel bearing is provided with adjustment for 

 aligning and is raised and lowered by means of 

 a band wheel either at the front or the side 

 of the machine convenient to the operator, when 

 working either as a rip saw or an edger. The 

 mandrel is fitted with the company's expansion 

 iHish lor saws with different size holes. 



The feed works, consisting of both power 

 driven feed-in and feed-out rolls, is carried on 

 a swinging frame which may be instantly raised 

 or lowered by means of a lever, either at the 

 right of the main frame or in front of the 

 edging carriage. 



The edging carriage is mounted on rollers and 

 travels on planed tracks, one side being "V," 

 insuring absolutely perfect edging on material 

 full lengths of carriage. When so ordered it is 

 furnished with power rope drive with return 

 of carriage at three times the speed of feed. 



l^iu'ther particulars concerning this machine 

 may be had by writing the manufacturers, .1. A. 

 Fay & Egan Company, at 414-434 West Front 

 street, Cincinnati, O., who make a standard line 

 of woodworking machinery. 



FAY & EGAN NO. 243 SELF-FEED RIP AND KDGING S.\W 



Proper Car Equipment for Liunber Trans- 

 portation 



Leonard Bronson, manager of the National 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association, recently sent 

 the following letter to the Hon. James R. Mann 

 ol the Aiouse Committee on Interstate Commerce, 

 in connection with the question of the suitable 

 equipment of rolling stock to carry lumber ship- 

 ments : 



The lumbermen do not feel that they are sel- 

 fish in asking that when amendment of the inter- 

 state commerce law is reported it be so worded 

 as to require complete equipment of flat or gon- 

 dola cars for the carriage of their products. Ire- 

 cause, as they believe, every other commodity 

 of anything like equal importance with theirs 

 from the transportation standpoint is given 

 equipment especially designed to its needs. 



As I stated during the hearing, I am not a 

 lawyer, and so may make suggestions that are 

 not entirely apropos nor readily put into words, 

 but it seems to me that a fair and comprehensive 

 inclusion of this matter in the law might be 

 accomplished in substantially the following way : 



In section 1 of the act as it stands today, in 

 the second paragraph, is a definition of the 

 term, "transportation," reading: "the term 

 'transportation' shall include cars anil all other 

 vehicles and all instrumentalities nf sliipment 

 or carriage" etc. If you should insert after 

 the word, "cars," or after the word, "vehicles." 

 the words, completely equipped for the safe 

 carriage and protection of all commodities ordi- 

 narily transported in carload lots." it would. 

 I think, substantially cover the point at issue 

 and i)e fair to all classes of shippers. The exact 

 wording to cover the purpose and thought I have 

 is very gladly left to you. 



You are aware of our feeling that the rail- 

 roads can well afford to furnish car stakes, 

 binders, etc.. in view of the fact that by their 

 use they are able to transport a larger load on 

 a cheaper car where a box car is used. 



It would seem to the layman, in view of the 

 verbiage that follows the part 1 quoted above, 

 that this broadening of the definition of the 

 term, "transportation," should be uimccessary. 

 Seemingly, it would be covered by the words, "all 

 services in connection with the receipt, delivery," 

 etc., yet the Interstate Commerce Commission 

 has not seen fit so to interpret these words or 

 to apply such an interpretation, and. therefore, 

 I believe it is necessary that his interpretation, 

 if it be sound, be written into the law. 



I do not know whether such an addition as 1 

 suggest should absolutely r.'ciuire the railroads 

 to furnish the equipment or whether they could 

 simply pay for the equipment if furnished Ijy 

 someone else. The latter, if i)erinitted. would 

 undoubtedly be the way in wliich the matter 

 would be handled at first, though I am sure that 

 after the railroads liad equipped n few hundred 

 thousand flat and gondola cars with temporary 

 stakes and binders they would soon devise some 

 permanent arrangement, and I)p glad to do so: 

 but perhaps it would be necessary to cover this 

 [joint in the law — perhaps in the sections defin- 

 ing th(> duties of the Interstate Commerce Com- 

 mission. If the railroads have the option of 

 furnishing the equipment or paying fur it, and 

 choose the latter, the charge allowed should be 

 absolutely fixed by the Interstate Commerce Com- 



