Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-12
THE LUMBER TRADE.

in the Chamber of Commerce Yesterday,
and is Informed that Although the Lum-
Der Trade of St. Paul Has Some Relative
Disadvantages. 1t is Favored by the Rail-
roads, Employs Two Thousand Cars on
One Line and is Growing Immensely.
A GLOBE reporter, with copy of the reso-
luton of the Chamber of Commerce of yester-
day morning for guide, questioned yesterday
such lumbermen as he happened to meet in his
rounds regarding the facilities afforded the
lumber trade of the city by the railroads and
regarding prices to city dealers and consum-
ers, with the results given below, for as the
inquiry extended there was no complaint agtnst
the railroad companies and it is claimed that
prices to city dealers and consumers are lower
than are obtained elsewhere. Incidentally
appears what the GLOBE has shown, from
week to week, that the export trade centering
here, has grown from about nothing Two
wears ago, to traffic which exclusively en-
ploys 1000 cars on one of the several lines
over which lumber moves to and from st.
Paul.
MR.. REMICK,
of Remick & Morris, commission dealers in
lumber, having lately spent some time in in
quiring into the details of the lumber business
here, preparatory to opening the office of his
firm in this city, was thought by the reporter
to be we'll qualified to answer the queries pro-
posed by the resolution. Mr.. Remick said he
thought the railroad companies were doing the
best they could for the trade--as well as rail-
road companies are doing for any other place.
enable anI the the Wholesale dealers here
to compete in the southwest
with the wholesale dealers of Chicago, and
the trade from that direction is coming this
way fast. Some may possibly complain that
the rates don't allow manufacturers enough
for their lumber, but, as compared with prices
in other lumber manufacturing regions of the
West, they are certainly receiving good prices
at their mills. I understand that the retail
prices at the yards IN 81. Paul are as low as
the retail prices at any lumber distributing
point. There is lack of place for conven-
ienty located track facilities here for either the
local or shipping trade. Hauling by wagon
expressive, and there are long hauls from the
tracks to the city yards, and from these yards
to city consumers.
MR.. j. P. MOORE,
agent for the C. N. Nelson lumber company,
which is larger shipper of lumber and sells
to both jobbers and retailers in the city, men
toned that for the Northwestern trade Mime
apolis has an advantage over st. Paul in the
supply of cars. The st. P. & NJ. cars which
come into that city loaded with
wheat can be reloaded with lum-
ber without transfer or even switching. The
railroads also do the loading at Minneapolis,
the dealer only having to deliver his lumber
by side of the track, while the st. Paul dealers
have to load their cars. The Southwestern
trade, which is the heaviest trade at st. Paul,
is generally handled through the Lumber
Line, which, Mr.. Moore says, gives dealers
better facilities than they can obtain in any
other quarter. This trade is mainly with
Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, occasionally ex-
tending into Missouri, and considerable with
that part of Dakota reached by the Sioux
Falls road and connections. The lumber job
bers of St. Paul, Mr.. Moore states, buy their
lumber here as cheap as the jobbers of Chica-
60 buy theirs,
MR.. R. P. FLoURNoY,
Superintendent of the Lumber Line, in response
to questions suggested by the Chamber reso-
luton said: Yes, st. Paul Is getting the fa-
cilities. But our lumber trade is growing
faster than anybody expected, and it Is difi-
cult at times to supply cars. But we have
contract with the Michigan car company for
500 cars, which will soon be delivered, and
then we will have $500 cars, ex-
clusively for the lumber trade. Then
Seymour, Sabin & Co., are to build their car
works at Saltwater Immediately, and will be-
gin to turn out cars for us before this season
is over. Our railroad rates to the Southwest
enable US to compete successfully with Chi
cago and river supply points. Ours are made
by theirs. At many important points we have
the shortest line and the lowest rail rates. At
Kansas City the advantage of distance is
considerably in favor of the Chicago
roads and the rate from st. Paul
to Kansas City is about
two dollars car more than the rate from Chi
cago to Kansas city. Lumber is sold here in
st. Paul at prices so low that no railroad
could place it here cheaper. 1t is retailed in
St. Paul at the wholesale prices of Chicago:
The city dealers could do better if they had
better facilities for receiving and delivering.
Their yards are scattered. and they have long
wagon hauls. But, as said, they retail lum-
ber at their yards at less than the wholesale
prices of other lumber markets. The railroads
do give good facilities and are constantly i'm
proving apd adding to them.