The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-16

est conservation movement so auspi- ciously started is to be made effective. Delay in Payment of Tw0-Cenf
 Refund.
 For a while 1t seemed all who were claimants to the two-cent refund on shipments of yellow pine lumber made from the producing section to Ohio River crossings during the years 1903 to 1907, would finally settle up with the railroads under series of com promise agreements which have been made within the past four months, but so far, few of the lumbermen have really received their money. It was back in 1903. that Atfle lumbermen entered suit aginst the railroads for pine rate. They held this a6vance to be an Illegal one. and won their Con tention in every court in which the matter was presented. For over two years the railroads have maintained clearing houses'' at Washington Macon and New Orleans. to check up the claims presented for the refund The work of the clearing houses was about completed, with the exception of the one at New Orleans, last spring and a compromise was offered by the railroads. It was to be one the basis of sixty-seven cents on the dollar. To this a majority of the lumbermen who had claims agreed, but further delay has come over the question raised by the railroads as to the application of the statute of limitation. and 1t is now understood that the railroads will re- ject all claims that are not fully with in this statute, and reserve the right to take the question into court to be determined. So the claims it seems. are further from settlement now than they were months ago. The Interstate Commerce Commission has set a hear ing Of all unsettled claims in the two- cent case for September 15. at Wash ington.
 Conservation Meeting at New Orleans.
 The Progressive Union, business mems organization at New Orleans. wants to take advantage of the meet ing in that city November to of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Waterways conven- tion to hold on the days immediately following-a conservation meeting, The Progressive Union has taken the mat ter up with MT. Clifford Pinchot. United States Forester, and MT. Pinchot has heartily approved of the plan. He has suggested that Governor Sanders. of Louisiana, issue call to rhe gov ernors and conservation commissions of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Geor- gia, Kentucky. Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri. North Carolina. Oklahoma South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. for such a meeting. The Progressive Union now has the matter up with Governor Sanders.
 Cut Timber Below Twelve Inches.
 The lumber manufacturers of Ala bama are seriously affected by a bill in- troduced by Senator Reese. at the ex- xNH Hhn tGIo rne which is now In session at Montgom- cry. This bill. which is vigorously espoused. by Governor Conner, had one provision which prohibited the cutting of trees that were less than twelve inches in diameter two feet from the ground and the tapping for turpentine of all timber below fifteen inches. This meant practically ruin to the lumber manufacturers of that State. and they so forcibly presented their side of the case to the legislative committee hav- ing the bill in charge that when the general forestry bill was recommended for passage 1t did not contain these two provisions. and the lumbermen of the State are in favor of the bill as amended. It will mean a protection of the forests that will. be beneficial to the State. but the Reese bill, as pre- sented. would prevent the lumber manufacturers from meeting the com petition of manufacturers from other States and render imperative the Ala bama manufacturers plant and timber holdings
 similar provisions were in a bill in- troduced in the Louisiana Legislature about a year ago, and 1t was defeated almost without serious discussion. The last session of the New York Degis- lature rejected bill, of similar chara6- fer. The bill in Alabama. as 1t now stands, puts in force the forestry law that was fully considered at the regu- lar session of the Alabama Legisla- ture. A clerical error. which had crept ' into the Senate journal. made the bill | of the last session unconstitutional.
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