Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-31
LUMBER RATE
TO Be ADVANCED
Ten Cents Per Hundred Pounds
TO Be Added the First
OF October.
CONSUMER PAYS THE FREIGHT
Local Lumberman Fails to See How
Raise WIN Affect Manufacturers,
Who Send out Circular

An advance in the freight rate on
lumber and shingles from Pacific coast
points to the central and eastern mar
ket has been announced by the rails
road lines running into that country,
effective Oct. 1. The amount of adj
vance will probably be 10 cents per 100
pounds. although that point will
not be definitely known until Aug. ].
The lumber exchange of Seattle has
sent out a circular to the TRADE APP
prising them of the proposed raise in
the rate, aud setting forth the terriblS
effects the enforcement of this new
tariff viii exert on the manufacturers
of these products.
CONSUMER PAYS THE FREIGHT
A gentleman who has considerable
dealings in the lumber trade. upon
reading the circular remarked that it
seemed strange that the manufactur-
ers should take the advance so to heart,
when as matter of fact. they would
not lose one cent by the raise. 1T is
in this case as in all Others" said the
gentleman, "and the consumer pays
the freight When the price of cont
mon lumber was advanced by the man
ufacturer the local dealer was COM
TO his former price. and not one OF
those raises has been less than 81
per 1000 feet, and they have been
severa, In number in the last few years.
1t is true that the raise in the hauling
rate viii again increase the price OF
lumber 80 per 1000 feet. but as ]
said before. the consumer pays the
freight and wonders If this is the only
raise he would be compelled to pay
on lumber and shingley during the next
six months. or course. the local deal
dr. and direct consumer dislike the
raise In the rate as much as anyDoay,
but 1t does seem a little strange that
the manufacturers should make such
great halloo over n 10 cent raise MADE
by the railroad companies, when they
themselves have tackled on to former
prices, away beyond proportion of cost
of production. dollar after dollar for
the user to pay for the actual lumber
consummed.
THE CIRCULAR.
Following is the circular referred to.
issued by the Seattle lumber exchanges
1.-THE lumber and single producers
of the Pacific coast are face to race
with an advance in lumber and shin-
gle rates, effective Oct. l. our author
lily for il Is contained in telegram
from Prest. Howard Elliott of the
under date Of July 6. and further an
nouncement by the traffic department
OF the Hartman lines. What the
amount of advance Is to be will not
be known until Aug l, but 1t is be.
lieved that q general advance or lo
cents per 100 pounds from all points
on the Pacifie coast to all states east
of the Rocky Mountains and to the
Atlantic coast will take place. IL
would be supe-fluous for us to inform
YOU that any advance at this time VIII
ruin the lumber trade of the PacifN
coast, because present rates are as
matter of fac: higher than the trafhc
will stand. In many instances the
freight charges exceed the value OF
tie material, ana you may be surprised
to learn that the freight earnings or a
carload of Pacific coast lumber exceed
those of sugar. grain, coal. cement,
auton,ahiles. Silk. cotton and nearly
all other commodities hauled.
1.-THE Pacific coast lines are not SUI
ferlng from lack OF business inc
excessive car shortage last year, which
cost our lumbermen cancellation OF Or
ders for 60 .OoN carloads and involved
a loss to us of si5,000.000, is evidence
.hat the railroads are prosperous. rms
car shortage Is now to be followed by
a rate advance, which will jeopardlze
the lumber industry OF the Pacific
L.,
ton cf nenrly s20OooO,O00. and which,
employs over 10000 men. All classes
of labor is high on the Pacific coast,
and you can readily see that even AT
the present rates our market Is Limited
in volume. as far as the rail trade Ia
concerned As matter of fact we
are burning up $4,000 carloads OF ma
terial annually in the woods and ref
use burners because present rates VIII
not allow us to ship. Therefore you
can readily understand what even
scent advance in freight rates VIII DO;
'In face of the public sentiment
against the railroads on account Of the
car shortage, the Chicago & Alton deal.
the rebate and other questions, it
would seem that advances In rates
would be lniudicious Mt this time. to
saw the least. even were II fact
that the lines are losing money, in
stead of making increased earnings and
dividends, az they are, but the rail-
roads are going TO try II.
"Our lumbermen will resist the ad-