The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-26

much, and that this committe should take
action Immediately.
Are Below the List.
On motion of Mr. Stevens, it was voted
that the prices of the Southern assocla-
ton should govern this Mississippi as
ISOLATION with respect to yard stocks
1t was found, upon comparison that the
mill men of this territory are not get
ting prices up to the list, but it was the
concensus of opinion that the list should
be adhered to as far as possible with
the confident expectation that 1t will not
be many weeks before the prices paid
here will come up and even go beyond
the Southern associations quotations.
Before adjourning, the members pres
ent felicitated themselves upon the in
terest shown Tn the association. There
was a general feeling that the lumber
trade is on the eve of big things, and
that this association could be made an
important factor in bringing to the mill
men their proper share of the good things
that are in sight. 1t was regarded as
essential that the association should keep
up with the rapid movement of the times,
and this could not oe done If meetings
were not held oftener than twice a year.
It has been demonstrated that frequent
meetings tend to hold and increase the
interest of members. Therefore, 1t was
decided that the next session of the as
soeiation should be held on Wednesday,
September &C.
Wilder Talks on Situation.
clear idea of the condition of the
lumber trade in the Hattiesburg terri
tory was gathered from an interview
with Mr.. ]. F. Wilder of Epps president
of the South Mississippi Lumbermen's
association immediat ely after the adj
journment of the convention of that as
ISOLATION on the 18th.
During this summer" said he, there
has been a reduction in the cut in this
territory of fully 25 per cent. This has
not been done as the result of any agree
ment among the mill men, but because
of natural conditions. The market has
not been booming, and there has, there
fore been no incentive upon the mill men
to exert themselves to overcome the nat
ural conditions which have not been fa-
vorable. We have had our usual trouble
with labor, which Is the greatest difficult
ty with which the mill men have to con-
tend Then we have had an unusual
amount of rain, the heat has been intol-
cradle. and the supply of cars has not
been up to the mark All these causes
conspiring together. with no extra effort
on the part of the mill owners, has
caused reduction of output of rs per
cent.
What we have been manufacturing
we have been moving a prices that have
yielded us a profit. We have no great
supply on hand. I expect you will find
that the stocks in yards in this section
are light as you will ever find them
at this time of year.
THE result is that we are In excellent
condition to take hold of the boom which
we anticipate to arrive in a few weeks.
We are all satisfied that the bottom has
been reached and the upturn is at hand.
During the dull period the mill men have
put their machinery In repair, and they
are prepared to take care of the orders
as fast as they can come In
w. s. F. Tatum of Hattiesburg is about
to close up a purchase of an immense
tract of cumberland in Perry and Lamar
counties his option on which, having run
three months, will expire early in Sep
TENDER. The purchase price fixed in the
option is 1892, 800 The prospective sellers
are John Landers of Springfield. Mo-, L.
N Arson of Merrill, Wis, and George F.
GiIkey of Oshkosh Wis. The deal calls
for only the two-thirds interest In the
lands held by the sellers. The exact ex-
tent of the tract is not known.
The assessment experts of the pine
woods counties have about concluded the
operation of fixing the quadrennial as
SeSSmentS OF lands, ana the results 50
far as the timber owners is concerned
are not satisfactory. Early in the season
1t was given out that these virgin lands
would be assessed at from s25 per acres
on up, and there was no little consterna-
ton, especially among the heavier hold
ers. as they had been accustomed to
rating of not higher than s. per acre. Such
rating as was proposed meant an in
crease of taxes amounting to millions of
dollars. But the tax officials of the
lumber section had kind feeling in their
heart for the saw mill men and the lum-
Der syndicates that were doing so much
to develop the resources of this section
and the result has been that the valua-
ton of the timberlands has been fixed on
a basis that is quite satisfactory. The
virgin lands are assessed in the neighbour
hood of sis per acre. and the other lands,
partly cut over and stump lands are as
sessed in proportion. That Is the rate
fixed In Perry county and the neighbor-
ing counties have come close to that line.
The valuation was in the main a surprise
TO the lumber men, some of whom had
given In their lands at higher figure
a,a uzara astouished to learn that their