The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-12
PLANS IF NEWMAN LUMBER COMPANY Will Rebuild Large Plant At
 HatiieSburg REPORT FOR FEBRUARY Shipments for Month Show Small De- crease From Previous Month. Curtsilment is Said to Be
 the Order.
REPORT FOR FEBRUARY
BY A. c. AYLEsWoRTH.

Hattiesburg, Miss, April 1.-(Specia1.) F. L. Peck, president Of the J. J. New man Lumber company. has been in the city for the past week and speculation has run riot concerning the purposes of the company with reference to the re- building of the recently burned sawmill. MT. Peck has been unable to give out any positive information on the subject, as no decision has yet been arrived at. But it is known that the company has two plans in view One is to build two smaller mills down in the woods F or b miles south of Hattiesburg, and to these mills the planers, dry kilns and other ap- purtenances now stanomg in Hatties- burg would be moved.
 The other plan is to rebuild in Hatties- burg large mill, of greater capacity than the one destroyed by fire, and to make it a permanent structure. of steel and concrete after the style of the mill construction employed by the Goodyears at Bogalusa, La.
 This latter plan has been so favorably considered that a firm of New Orleans architects has been engaged to draw up the plans and the representatives of this firm have already visited the grounds to get an idea of the possibilities of the lo- cation. It Is evident that the people Of Hattiesburg would be willing to do ev erything possible to encourage this latter plan, and President Peck has already re- ceived assurances that if there are any reasonable concessions in the way of tax exemption, fire protection or other wise which the city can make they will be gladly provided in order to secure the rebuilding of the plant. But whether the company rebuilds or not, it Is evident that nothing will be done hastily, for the condition of the lumber trade and the availability of ready money are not such as to encourage the lumber manufactur- ing industry
 The monthly report of the Mississippi Pine association, covering the operations of the mills of south Mississippi for the month of February has just been given out. It shows that for the month referred to there was shipped to the interior T., 547,074 feet, a decrease of 9 per cent as compared with the previous month; and there was sold to the interior 77S5,OOl feet a decrease of per cent. There was shipped into Mississippi 6OS,711 feet and there was sold into Mississippi CO., 450 feet, an increase of 5 per cent on both accounts. There was shipped for export s,541, ,674 feet, an increase of per cent: the total sold for export was 11,69S0O0 feet, an increase of 31 per cent. The ex- port sales were 3S per cent greater than the export shipments The report shows further that S1 sawmills reporting were 
 the month In January the average was only days per month. Fifty-five saw mills report total stock on hand of 43 ,944, ,616 feet, an increase over January of per cent.
 The mills are by no means making preparations for extending their opera tions. Curtalment is in order. As the result of fires three of the largest mills of this section have been put out of bus mess for the season. There is no knowl- edge of any mills reopening to take the place of those that are closed There is absolutely nothing in the market condi- | tons as they are reflected in the whole sale offices in this city, to encourage the mill men in extensive adventures. Car and railroad material is a drug. There is some little inquiry for dimension stuff. But the mill that cannot get in on the export contracts can find no outlet for its cut.
 Secretary E. A. Walker of the Missis- sippi Pine association has sent out a bull letin to the members advising of the re- cent meeting of the board of directors and adding this information:
 we desire to advise that the associa- ton will immediately establish, for the benefit of all lumbermen, both members and non-members. an employment de- partment or bureau in connection with the association. You will be supplied, in the course of a week. with further par ticulars regarding this department, which we trust you will patronize.
 During the past year we collected for certain members of this association va rious freight and other claims, although we had not at the time established sys- tematically a claim department. Here l after the association will maintain such 1 a branch and we wish to request all members to forward us their claims Of any nature for collection
 The burned part of the Camp & Hin ton Lumber company's mill at Lumber ton is to be restored and rebuilt at once. Contracts for much of the work have all ready been let J. D. Duvall, a Lumber ton contractor, has the bricn work, and Fairbanks & Co. will do the piping. There has been but little cessation Of work at this plant since the fire, and with this prospect of rebuilding 1t IS not l likely that the pay roll will be curtailed at all.
 There is an able-bodied rumor afioat that the Camp & Hinton company Is l about to emerge from the receivership l under which it has been operating for some time past. It is known that MT. J. H. Hinton has been in the north re- gently, presumably on this business. The plant has been operating quite success fully of late.
 The officials of the Bonhomie Lumber company, of which MT. w. $. F. Tatum is the proprietor, have had quite scare during the past week because of white cap letters that have been posted in the | woods in the neighborhood of Oklahola, on the Northeastern road. where the company's logging crews are at work | These placards were designed to warn the negro employees of the company to quit the country on pain of injury and l death. Some of the officers of the con- l pany also got letters warning them to get rid of the negroes. Up to this time no attention has been paid to the threats. 1 None of the negroes has left. They ! have been given assurance that the com pany will protect them to the best Of | their ability. As several days have | passed since the threats were placarded and there has been no outbreak against the negroes, the opinion is beginning to 1 gain ground that the work was done by | boys in the way of prank. Neverthe- | less, close inquiry is being made to as | certain the identity of the whitecappers. She Couldn't Obey