SELLING LUMBER 



97 



wanted; and he said, "Well, I have not opened up my mail yet. I 

 have got a lot of transit cars there. Let's open it up and see what 

 those fellows have done." He opened his mail and in that morn- 

 ing's mail there were 469 transit cars, most of them B stock. But 

 there was enough to stock a dozen lumber yards ; and there were 

 five concerns listing 469 cars, and all of them at prices anywhere 

 from two dollars to three dollars less than I had on my list. I 

 didn't sell him the B stock. 



A Voice : Who were the shippers ? 



Mr. Heyl : Who were the shippers ? Do you want to know ? 



The Chairman : No, I think not. 



A Voice : Let's have it. Come on ! 



The Chairman : No. We will discuss this proposition only 

 from a general standpoint. 



Mr. Houston : I believe that it is the opinion of 98 per cent of 

 the retailers that it hurts their business as much as it does the whole- 

 saler that is, the manufacturer ; and that they would like to see 

 the transit shipments done away with equally as well as the manu- 

 facturer. As far as the effect is concerned, there is no question 

 but that the transit shipment puts the legitimate salesman out of 

 business (Applause). 



Mr. Marshall : Mr. Chairman, I believe that this transit car 

 business has always been a source of one of the greatest annoyances 

 that the salesman has met; but it has been worse in the last six 

 months than we have ever encountered before, and seemingly 

 partly due to the avarice of the manufacturer. Last fall we knew 

 that the advances were natural and normal, but when prices were 

 continued to be advanced after the natural causes were removed, 

 then it was that the dealer turned to something that they could buy 

 cheaper than trie prices that we were asking for the lumber. They 

 evidently weren't able to keep the pace, and they turned to these 

 lower priced cars and the result was, a great many more cars were 

 placed in transit. As far as the attitude of the customer is con- 

 cerned, a great many of them are glad to do it, they think that the 

 stock is about as good as anybody else's stock, and that difference of 

 two or three dollars, when the stock is such that they could use, has 

 been a very strong influence with the everyday buyer of lumber. 



Mr. Lacy : There is a very prominent retail dealer here in 

 this audience. We would like to hear what he has to say. 



One Day's 

 List of Tran- 

 sit Cars 



A Majority 

 of Dealers 

 Against Tran- 

 sit Shipments 



