The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-07
BRIGHT OUTLOOK In
LUMBER'S DOMAIN
Days Of Depression Are Counted as Days of
the Past.
BY VIM. B. STILLWELL.

lines, or the greatly increased earn
lngs and prosperity of the railroads
Railroad Discrimination.
Then followed the crime of 1903. The
combined railroads through their agent
the Southeastern Freight Association
proclaimed a 2 cent advance in rates
to the interior based on the assump-
ton that the lumber manufacturers
were making big profits, getting rich
too fast, and could stand it.
Despite our conferences, in which
strenuous efforts were made to place
all the facts before the railroads to
prove the fallacy of their assumption.
and to show the dire effects on the
business that would follow such ad-
vance, the rates were made finally ef-
fective Laboring already under a l
cent arbitrary against Georgia and
Florida, increased by the grouping sys-
TENS in those states from to cents,
averaging 21a cents, it proved the
feather on the canePs back. There
followed, as We predicted paralysis of
the interior business going out of this
section-the breaking of hard fought
and won trade connections.
Turning this volume of business to
the coast ports, which, despite a rea-
sonably steady demand in favorable
comparison with corresponding seasons
of the two years past, has brought
about present situation and prices-a
situation intolerable resulting by this
turn of traffic from it's natural cham
nels, congesting first the ports, then
the sidings and junction points, then
the mills, placing an embargo on move
ment of contract lumber, causing
manufacturers and shippers untold and
irreparable losSes-prices at which we
can safely aver that there is little, we
believe, no profit to the manufacturer
of long leaf yello" pine lumber when
the present intrinsic value of their
stumpage is considered, i. e., the aver
age long leaf yellow pine manufac-
turer can to-day sell his standing tim
Der at price that will net more profit
than to manufacture it into lumber at
present prices.
Demand Will Continue.
Our hope for the future hangs here,
for in view of this fact prices cannot
go lower. We couple with this hope the
belief that the demand will continue
good. and look forward to firmer and
better prices. for with the &c advance
in freight rate removed, we expect
prices to gradually resume a normal
and satisfactory basis. Meanwhile, let
long leaf yellow pine lumber historians
write down the advance in freight
rates, (Which unsettled and caused un-
told loss to business from which the
railroads received one of their largest
revenues through many years, when
to the manufacturer there was no
profit in the business), as the Crime of
1909
The lines along which I would sug-
gest that we could do the yellow pine
trade the most benefit would be: First,
to keep persistently before the manu-
facturer the present and rapidly in
creasing value of stumpage, and hence
the necessity for placing higher values
upon the product. also the advantage
of diversified but uniform manufacture
and inspection. Second. to caution the
manufacturers against being seduced
by the sirens call into adopting one
level grade based upon the lowest
quality and thus lose thousands. yea
millions of dollars profit in the manipu-
lation of their product after it leaves
their hands.
For the long leaf yellow pine, with
its variety of texture, grain, heart and
sap, containing material suitable for
the palaces of kings or million
aires, strength and enduring qualities
for sustaining the twentieth century
mogul engines with their trains of 100
tons capacity cars. and for building
ships to stem the mightiest storms OF
Old Ocean. as we'll as qualities fitting
it for the commonest demands of ordi-
nary industry. needs diversity of in
spection to bring on the market its true
value to the manufacturer.
Improved Traffic Conditions.
Further. and for the benefit of the
trade at large, a constant plea to the
railroads for improved traffic con-
ditions, proper equipment enough of It
/ and satisfactory handling of the traf-
fic. These are all matters of vital in
terest and Importance to the lumber
men.