The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-21
The Yellow Pine Reparation
 Claims Haue Been Put Of

| Nashville Tenn, June 1s.-There has been another postponement of the hearing on the two-cent yellow pine reparation claims not covered by the l Atlanta Washington or Birmingham agreements, from June 21 to Sep tember 15. says this weeks issue of The Southern Lumberman. This hear | ing will include all offhe claims orig mating east of the river. This decis- ion has been reached by Judge Gle ments, of the Interstate Commerce Commission, at Washington, D. C. | The postponement has been granted at the request of the railroad clearing houses and railroad attorneys, ana with the consent of a number or the claimants. The reason for the post ponement is found Sin the fact that Arthur R. Thompson, head of the Washington clearing house, has been authorized to settle the claims pend ing in his office upon the basis stipu- lated in the three agreements that | have already been prepared
 4 new agreement covering several score claims aggrsgating S25o.oOO In amount, 1t is said, is now being drawn up at Washington and will probably be submitted at once to all parties con cerned. The basis of settlement con- l templated Is 6T per cent. of the amount of probable claims. with certain classes | of items in the claims eliminated. such classes being practically the same as were eliminated in former agreements.
 including conflicts. duplicates. extra | territorial claims, etc.
 l Representatives of the railroad ift terests at Washington are sanguins
 that the new agreement will be sign | ed by practically all the remaining | claimants from Central Yellow Pine Association territory.
 In postponing the June 21 hearing until next fall the commission hopes | that the claims covered by the several compromises will be settled during the CTS not covered by the agreements can be taken up for hearing and final disposition. It may be possible that all the claimants, with one or two ex-l captions, will be driven to despera2 l tion by the years of delay in obtain ing justice from the railroads and ao- cept 65 per cent of their claims un- der protest rather than walt indefinite Iy for the chance to get more. The new agreement covering about 14o Central Yellow Pine Association | territory cases, on a e7 per cent. basis of settlement Is practically ready for signature.
 Not Dead Yet.
 The Lakes to the Gulf deep water way project is not as vigorous as it was before the army engineers re- gently reported to Congress that the scheme was not practicable. The eSti- mated cost of 14-foot chanel from Chicago to New Orleans was placed at SIPS, ,O00,00 with $6,000.000 annually for maintenance. Such channel might be desirable, the engineers said. but they though the cost was too great in view of the commerce that might ben eft from the improvement
 The War Department suggested nine-foot channel, but submitted no estimate of the cost of such a project. promising to do this next winter. oen- eral Marshall, chief of engineers, dis sents from the views of some of the subordinates in that he does not be- lieve a 14-foot channel could be main tained between St. Louis and Cairo at any cost whatever.
 senator-elect Lorimer, of Illinois. known as the father of the deep wat erway, is not downcast over the re- port of the engineers, and declares that project is not dead yet, and will un- doubtedly be carried through some time.
 Tug Of War.
 It is generally believed that the great tug of war between the Senate and the House in conference on the new tarifR bill will be over the lum- ber schedule. The Senate Finance Com mittee, 1t is understood, will recom- mend an increase of $1.50 on rough lumber and a possible slight reduction in the differential duty on dressed lum- Der below the present 50-cent rate.
 If the Senate restores. as is expect ed, the duties on coal, hides, petrol cum, wood pulp and paper, these sched- ules, with lumber and iron ore, on the last of which the Senate has already replaced duty, will be the chief bones of contention in the conference.
 Some observing persons believe that the House win win in conference on hides, petroleum and possibly lumber and wood pulp, in which events the Senate would win on coal, iron ore and some other schedules, but 1t is all guesswork. The best guess seems to be that the Senate will nor surrender all of its increase on lumber. in view of the strong lumber protection sem timent that has been manifested by it's members.
 want UnifOrm Rule.
 Contending for uniform rule to ap- ply at Gulf and Atlantic ports on ex- port freight shipped on local bills of iading, and stating that railroads cen tering in New Orleans allow only ten days, whereas thirty days free time is granted at New York and other North Atlantic ports, John A. Smith. commits sioner of the freight bureau of the New Orleans Board of Trade, has sent an appeal to the National Association of Railway Commissioners at Wash ington.
 L. Palmer. assistant secretary of the National Lumber Exporters Associa- tion. with headquarters in New Or leans. states that the interests of his association are identical with those of the Board of Trade. Tn fact. the Ma tionai Lumber. Exporters Association and the Board of Trade were joint comp1afnanfa hAPorA fha Tnferafata