The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-03-07
Also Want the 100000
They Pay a Year for
Stakes.
Interstate Commission May
Investigate
Rates.
Counsel Ross, of New York,
Says Lumbermen Are in
Earnest.

Alleging that they pay 100000 a
year TO the railroads for freights, and
that the present tariffs on lumber
throughout the country are unjust. ex-
cessive and negotiable, the lumber in
terests are getting ready for a great
fight against the railroads.
The move is regarded as part Of a
plan on the part of the great interest
commonly referred to as the Lumber
trust. to pass on to the railroads a
share of the responsibility for the high
prices of lumber, against which much
bitter complaint has been made of late.
Congress at the recent session adopted
a resolution by Senator Kittredge call
ing on the Department of Commerce
and Labor to investigate the Lumber
trust The department is already work
ing on preliminaries, and IL is prom
Used that when the hearings begin there
will be some sensational developments
about the contracts among great lumber
and timber interests. The lumbermcn,
it is alleged, want TO divide response
-bility and therefore propose TO attack
the railroads in order that they may
set up the defense that excessive
freight charges have compelled them to
charge very high prices for lumber.
Dispute About Car Stakes.
The determination of the lumber in
terests to precipitate this contest was
developed in the hearing now going on
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission on the curious question of who
should furnish the car stakes on fiat
cars which haul lumber. The uniform
policy of railroads has long been to re-
quire the lumbermen to provide these
They must be Of hard wood. made
nnder specifications OF the railroad car
builders. and they cost about So for
each carload Of lumber They are prac-
tically never returned TO the shipper,
but represent a dead loss to him 1t Is
stated in testimony that the enormous
total Of 100000 year Is eXacted from
the lumbermcn i'm the requirement that
they furnish the stakes; and in addition
Z 10 this they have to pay freight on
, them. which adds another million or
Z theTea bouts
During the Commissions hearing on
( the lumbermen's complaint on this prac-
/ tiCe, Walter w. Ross, of New hoTk,
+ one of the counsel for the lumbcrmen.
made the broad proposition that rates
on lumber are excessive. and proposed
! its ears at once, and Chairman Knapp
: demanded 10 know whether Mr. Ross
Z proposed TO bring i'm evidence on this
. point. Mr.. Ross said he did.
or so to get through this case suE-
Eested Chairman Knapp. 'and ( don't
. think we ought to so into it
Lumbermen in Dead Earnest.
Accordingly the matter was dropped,
so far as concerned the car stakes case;
but Mr.. Ross made it plain that the
lumbermen are very much in earnest,
/. and propose. as soon as possible. 10
, have a determination Of their rights as
to general adjustment OF rates.
The organizations Interested in the
~Jpresent hearing are the National Whole
sale Lumber Dealers Association the
National Association Of Retail Lumber
. men and the Pacific Coast Lumber
mems Association. These are all sup
posed to be parts of the great Commun-
ity.. of interest arrangement that IS
broadly dcnOminated as the trust They
represent a tremendous business and
power. and if they lock horns in
great contest with the railroads there
will be such night as has not been
known in the transportation world.
. other big trusts. as a rule, have sue
ceeded In getting what they wanted
from the railroads. The lumbermen in
sist that they have not, and they want
TO know why They propose. moreover.
10 show that they are not alone respOn-
sible for the high prices of lumber.