The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-03-29
FUTURE OF PLANT
STILL UNDECIDED
Newman Lumber Mills May
Not Be Rebuilt
MAY LEAVE HATTlESBURG
South Mississippi Mills Arc Receiving
Some Small Orders For Lumber,
But at Prices Almost Ruin
GUS To Profits.
MAY LEAVE HATTIESBURG

Hattiesburg, Miss, March 28.-(Spe-
cial.) whether or not the Newman
Lumber company will rebuild Its plant
at Hattiesburg after the fire which de-
stroyed its saw mill week ago, is the
one absorbing question that Is bother
ing the residents of Hattiesburg and
the lumber fraternity generally in this
part of the country just now, and 1t is
the one question to which no answer
can be given at this time Z. L. Peck,
the president of the company, has not
had an opportunity to look over the
devastated field as yet, nor has ne
had opportunity to canvass the re-
sources of the company. meeting OF
the directors has been called for an
early date, and at that meeting some
thing definite may be decided upon.
The probabilities in the case are
about equally divided as between re-
building at Hattiesburg and at Scran-
ton, or at d point half way between
The Hattiesburg location possesses this
advantage, that the planners and dry
kilns here have not been injured, and
scarcely any damage was done by the
fire to the power plant II this site
shall be abandoned by the company IT.
will mean the loss of that much proper
ty. In addition Hattiesburg gives. the
railroad connections and conveniences;
this city is the best market center in
the state, and here labor is most plen-
tiful, an item that at times becomes OF
the first Importance in operating big
saw mill. On the other hand 1t is
pointed out that the center of the New
man company's holdings has moved
away from Hattiesburg, all the timber
in this section being pretty we'll
cleaned up. By building nearer to tho
gulf coast and extending the Missis-
sippi Central road on to Pascagoula
the company would be convenient to
the export trade, and 1t has been
learned by recent experience that the
export consumption of mill output is
not to be sneezed at when pay rolls
become due and interest charges are
to be met.
The people of Hattiesburg are vital
ly interested in the subject, for 1t is
conceded that the permanent remova
of such large industry from this city
would be a serious blow to trade. Il
Is probable that In case of a pinch the
city will make the company liberal
propositions In the way of tax eX
captions and other such concessions.
Conversation among the wholesale
lumbermen on this market brings the
IN ludl tliClc 10 5OlliCtA III 3 W
ing in the way of inquiry for the in
terror yards, and some orders are be-
ing placed from time to time. But
the orders never come except at prices
that leave a mighty slim margin for
the mill man. 1t is found that the
mills west of the Mississippi are I'M
loading stocks at figures that are
simply ruinous. The Mississippi mills.
in order to get any of the business, ara
compelled to meet those quotatiors,
but the business is limited to the al
solute necessities of the mills to I'M
load. But there is absolutely nothing
doing yet in the way of railroad ma
terial.
The suggestion has been made that
the publication. in the trade and gem
oral newspapers, of the amount Of
stock on hand at the mills of the
country is prejudicial to the interests
Of the mill men just at this time. 1t
gives the observant buyer up north the
idea that there Is a tremendous surplus
in the yards In the manufacturing cen
| ters, and that it Is only necessary TO
wait a while longer when the goods
| may be obtained for a song.
The cyclonic storms which swept the
| timber section of the state early this
week. made things right interestin.
| for the lumbermen. Through Silver
| Creek, New Hebron, Sumrall, Mish and
nearby saw mill towns the storm cut
| q swath. The mill of Lauridge and
| Bright, near Silver Creek, was en-
tirely demolish ed. The Newman mill
| at Sumrall lost some of it's decorations
| in the way of smokestacks AMI
chutes. Lumber piled in various mills
was scattered about like chaff. A great
| deay of timber was blown down
throughout the path of the storm. All
| the country roads were blocked, and
! the railroads had to chop away OBJ
| structions before the trains could pass.