34 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



NeWs Miscellany 



Eeorganization Huntsvllle Lumber Company 



On March 15. J. W. Kitchen of the J. W. 

 Kitchen Lumber Company of Ashland, Ky., and 

 Thomas X. Fannin of the KeysFannin Lumber 

 Company of Ashland became associated with F. 

 W. Webster and have bought out the Hunts- 

 ville Lumber Company of Decatur, Ala. This 

 company is one of the best Ijnown hardwood 

 lumber and dimension houses in the country, 

 and has conducted a successful business for 

 many years. Mr. Fannin became president of 

 the reorganized company, F. W. Webster vice- 

 president and manager, J. W. Kitchen treasurer 

 and Thomas H, Wilson secretary and assistant 

 treasurer. The milis will be run and the busi- 

 ness conducted with the same policy as in the 

 past, and the high standard of production that 

 the Hiintsville Lumber Company has heretofore 

 established will be continued. 



The company is putting in new machinery 

 for manufacturing quartered oak veneers. This 

 alliance will add materially to the financial 

 strength and the high reputation of the Hunts- 

 vllle Lumber Company. The Jamestown, N. Y„ 

 office of the institution has been discontinued 

 and hereafter the sales and executive depart- 

 ments will be located at Decatur. 



Meeting Executive Committee National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association 



A meeting of the Executive Committee of the 

 National Hardwood Lumber Association was held 

 at the organization's offices in Chicago March 

 24. There were present President O. O. Agler, 

 Chicago : Vice-President F. A. Diggins, Cadillac, 

 Mich. ; Charles H. Barnaby, Greencastle, Ind. : 

 Earl Palmer, Paducah, Ky. : and Gus J. Landeck. 

 Milwaukee, Wis. Twenty-six applicants for 

 membership were admitted. The other proceed- 

 ings were of an executive character and in- 

 volved detail work, 



A meeting of the Inspection Rules Committee 

 was also held on March 24 and continued over 

 to March 25. At this meeting there were in 

 attendance ,J. M. Pritchard, chairman, Memphis, 

 Tenn. ; C. R. Mengel, Louisville, Ky. ; J. W. 

 Dickson, Memphis, Tenn. ; D. F. Clark, Minne- 

 apolis, Minn. ; E. J. Young, Madison, Wis. ; E. 

 L. Edwards, Dayton, O., and D. H. Day, Glen 

 Haven, Mich. The committee reviewed the cor- 

 respondence pertaining to inspection rules which 

 had been received since the Detroit meeting last 

 June, and a report was formulated to cover 

 these matters, which will be presented at the 

 next annual meetin.g in Louisville, to be held 

 on June 9 and 10. 



During the meeting a conference was held 

 with representatives of the Xational Wagon 

 Manufacturers' Association, and an agreement 

 reached whereby the wagon makers approved of 

 the National rules on wagon stock. 



Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Com- 

 plaint Before Interstate Commerce 

 Commission 



On March 24 Commissioner Walter G. McCor- 

 mack on behalf of the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission conducted a hearing at Cadillac, on 

 the complaint of the Michigan Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association against the Transconti- 

 nental Freight Bureau in the matter of rates on 

 hardwood lumber and forest products from the 

 lower peninsula of Michigan to Pacific coast 

 points. 



The contention is that the present rates from 

 the lower peninsula constitute undue discrimina- 

 tion against (his section as compared with the 

 upper peninsula of , Micliigan, Wisconsin points 

 and Chicago. William A. Percy of Memphis, the 

 attorney who won the Burgess case, to which 

 this is similar, appeared for the complainants. 

 F, C. Dillars of the Union & SouthiM-n I'acilic 



appeared for the railroads, with the exception 

 of the Santa Fe, which was represented by J. 

 J. Coleman, assistant general freight agent in 

 charge of lumber and coal traffic. Many wit- 

 nesses were examined, including lumbermen and 

 railroad representatives. The complainants have 

 until April 25 to file an amended brief, and the 

 defendants have until May 25 for rebuttal. It 

 is expected that oral argument- will be made 

 before the Interstate Commerce Commission at 

 Washington some time in June. From the gist 

 of the complaint, which follows, it looks as 

 though Ihe Michigan hardwood lumber and fioor- 

 ing contingent would secure a favorable de- 

 cision, although heretofore complaints made 

 direct to the railroads have been turned down. 



The petitioners are manufacturers of hard- 

 \AOod lumber comprising ash, basswood, beech, 

 birch, elm and mapie. It is shipped in carload 

 lots and usually loaded heavy, the average 

 weight of dressed lumber being from 45.000 to 

 50,000 pounds per car, and the rough lumber 

 about 60,000 pounds per car. making the aver- 

 age of rough and dressed lumber at least 50,000 

 pounds per car. The cost of service is low and 

 risk is not great. 



B'ebruary 22, 1896, the defendants voluntarily 

 put into effect a 75-cent rate on this commodity 

 from all Michigan and other territory to Pacific 

 coast terminals, whicli rate was in force until 

 January 17, 1904, a period of eight years. Dur- 

 ing this time your petitioners, at considerable 

 (xpense, built up a substantial trade in that ter- 

 ritory. January 18. 1904, the rate was arbi- 

 trarily advanci'd to 85 cents in all territory 

 formerly covered b.v the 75-cent rate. 



The petition further goes on to refer to the 

 decision of the commission in Ihe matter of 

 Burgess et al. against the same freight bureau 

 last year against the same 85-cent rate from 

 Chicago points to the coast, to the effect that 

 the same was excessive, and ordering a rate of 

 75 cents, further stating that after the rail- 

 roads reduced that rate from certain territory 

 they left the rate from the lower peninsula of 

 Michigan at 85 cents, as formerly ; also that 

 (he difference in rate of 10 cents pel' 100 

 pounds between manufacturers in Wisconsin and 

 upper Michigan and those of the lower penin- 

 sula means a difference of $4 per thousand feet 

 on rough lumber and from $2 to ,i;2.50 per thou- 

 sand on flooring, and this handicap has almost 

 wiped out the business to the Pacific coast 

 and will eventually wipe it out entirel.v unless 

 relief is given us, as we cannot hold our trade 

 in that territory except on an equal basis. Some 

 of our manufacturers have been forced to re- 

 duce the price to a basis of 75 cents, absorbing 

 the 10 cents difference themselves at a large 

 sacrifice. This has been done temporarily, as 

 the.v could not afford to lose the valuable trade 

 connection already made on the coast, and with 

 the hope that a' 75-cent rate would soon be 

 issued. 



A continuation of an excessive rate tends to 

 stimulate a larger importation of foreign woods 

 to Pacific coast markets and actually results in 

 decreased tonnage west-bound for the railroads 

 and more empty cars to carry in the opposite 

 direction. We "are advised by the originating 

 railroads in lower Michigan that they are in 

 favor of a 75-cent rate, aud we have their sup- 

 port to our application. It is generally conceded 

 that this commodity is desirable business on ac- 

 count of the large average tonnage per car and 

 the slight risk to the carriers. The minimum 

 weight on this commodity is 40.000 pounds per 

 car. but the a\erage shipments of hardwood 

 lumber to the Pacific coast from our territory 

 will average much more than that. 



A petition is therefore prayed for a 75-cent 

 rate and also for a refund of all overcharges on 

 shipments from August 1. 1908, which is the 

 date the rate was reduced from Wisconsin and 

 upper Michigan points. 



about twenty years. It has up-to-date equip- 

 ment for logging, consisting of several miles of 

 railroads, locomotives and cars, the latest type 

 of McGiffert skidder and loader, and the latest 

 improved Clyde ground skidder. After the mer- 

 chantable timber is taken from the forest a 

 portable cross-tie mill works up the balance of 

 the trees which are suitable for cross ties, so 

 that no timber of any value is wasted. After 

 being cleared the land is put into cultivation, 

 and arrangements are now being made to have 

 the agricultural end of the work put in charge 

 of a graduate of the Mississippi Agricultural 

 College. The Tallahatchie Lumber Company is 

 certainly making a very close clean-up of its 

 timber properties, and is conducting its opera- 

 tions on a scientific basis. 



Tallahatchie Lumber Co. Starts New Plant 



The Tallahatchie Lumber Company of Philipp. 

 Miss., has just started in operation a complete 

 modern sawmill, equipped with a 12-inch band- 

 saw and 12-inch resaw, and with a separate 

 building for cutting up slabs and low-grade 

 stock into dimension sizes. The concern will 

 make a specialty of thin lumlier aud will also 

 manufacture furniture, dimension stock aud ve- 

 neer fiitches. 



The company owns 14.000 acres of fine hard- 

 wood timbcrland in Mississippi and ha.s ah" op- 

 lion on several thousand additional acres, which 

 will furnish sufficient timber to run the mill 



Program for N. L. M. A. Annual 

 While details of the program of the forth- 

 coming annual meeting of the National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association, which will be held 

 at New Orleans, La., on April 19 and 20, have 

 not yet been decided. Manager Leonard Bronson 

 announces the following features; 

 April 19, 10 A, M. 



Opening proceedings. 



Roll call. 



Credentials. 



Addresses and reports of officers. 



Iteports of standard committees, etc. 



Reports from aflSliated associations. 



Address by representatives of the national ad- 

 ministration. 



"Timber Land Taxation," by Prof. Fred Rog- 

 ers. Yale University, New Haven, Conn. 

 ApuiL 19, 2 p. M. 



Address, "The Problem of Private Forestry, ' 

 Hon Henry .S. Graves. 



Symposium — Trade Relations and Conditions, 

 eight minute prepared addresses. (This part 

 of tlie program is not complete, but probably 

 will include the following speakers : H, M. 

 Graham, Brinson, Ga. ; \'\'. B. Stillvvell, Savan- 

 nah, (ia. : E. C. Fosburgh, Norfolk, Va. ; Fred 

 U. Babcock, Pittsburg, I'a. ; R. H. Vansant, Ash- 

 land, Ky. : C. A. Bigelow, Bay City, Mich. ; 

 William Irvine, Chippewa Falls, Wis. ; J. E. 

 Rhodes. St. Paul, Minn. ; J. Lewis Thompson, 

 Houston. Tex. ; J. H. Blodell, Bellingham, 

 Wash. : D. E. Skinner, San Francisco, Cal, ; 

 George X. Wendling, San Francisco, Cal. Other 

 prominent lumbermen are expected to take part 

 in this feature of the program.) 



April 20, :30 a. m. 



"Utilization of Waste in B^orest and Mill," by 

 Capt. J. B. White, chairman Executive Commit- 

 tee, National conservation Association. 



"The Box Industry and its Relations to Lum- 

 ber Consumption," by a Pacific coast repre- 

 sentative. 



"Forest Fire Prevention and Control," by 

 Charles R. Brower, secretary of the National 

 Classification Committee of lumber and wooden 

 box interests of the United States, 



"Lumber Finances from the Banker's Stand- 

 point," by Charles Janvier, vice-president of the 

 Canal-Louisiana Bank & Trust Company, New 

 Orleans, La. 



April 20, 2 p. M. 



"Future of Stumpage and Lumber Values," 

 by James D. Lacey of Chicago and New Orleans. 



Reports of committees. 



Unfinished business. 



Election of officers, etc. 



Adjournment. 



A very interesting entertainment program has 

 been planned, which will take up all the leisure 

 time of the visiting delegates, and embraces 

 special features for the ladies. The Southern 

 Cypress Manufacturers' Association is the host 

 on this occasion. 



Tuesday, April 19, 2 p. m., ladies' pedestrian 

 trip through French Quarter. 



Wednesday, April 20, 11:30 a, m.. ladles' auto 

 trip around the city, including luncheon and 

 reception at the Country Club. 



Wednesday, April 20, 7 p. m.. dinner-dance at 

 Grunewald Hotel. 



Thursday. April 21, trip for delegates and la- 

 dies to Garyville, La., where cypress operations 

 will be shown in full, including swamp work 

 and sawmill. 



The National Lumber Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion is one of the large and strong lumber or- 

 ganizations of the country. It is composed of a 



