The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-05-18

from the larger mills, and are suf-
ficient to show the present drift and
the inevitable consequences.
Whether the manufacturer who gets
these reports will realize the situa'
ton and will govern himself accord
ingly, and thereby save himself While
contributing to save the general SIT
uation remains to be seen. 1t will be |
seen in the next few weeks. The pres |
ent excess of production of yellow |
pine must stop 1t it is not stopped
voluntarily it will be stopped involun-
tarily-through involuntary bankrupt
cy of many concerns.
There is no use in trying to vel
the real facts or in speaking guarded
words in gentle whispers. The pro-
lection of yellow pine lumber must
be iminished-heavily diminished.
There has never been a time in the
history of the business when immed-
late and decisive action was so imper-
alive.
It is up to the individual mill oper-
ator He has to choose. If strong
financially he has to consider only
what will be his greater loss, to shut
down and lose his organization of
crew and business, but save his tim
Der; or to run and swallow his loss
(of which the stumpage will only be a
part), but be ready for quick action
when the turn comes. 1t is a question
of the mems temperament and his
ideas of the future. as to when the
turn will come.
Every man will prefer to run at
, loss for certain time rather than
disrupt his organization, is reasonably
assured of the briefness of the inter
, val. Is there any assurance ahead o.
the briefness of the term during which
, yellow pine lumber will be manufact
ured at an absolute loss, if the pres
, ent production is continued? Witt
: the experience of the past eighteel
months of the extrem slowness wit
q which all business has expanded sine
o the panic, is there the slightest hop
= that there will be an increase in ye
low pine consumption more than
proportionate of what has occurred?
The answer must be an emphati
~ no to both questions. There is nc
= the remotest hope that consumptio
; can overtake the. progressive eXces
! of production as shown by these dali
- reports at any time within the perio
when lumber cut now will be rotten o
the sticks.
, Does any man believe that furthe
fall of price will stimulate a singl
sale that would not otherwise
made? All experience shows exact
the contrary is the case. Every gu
=, tation sent out at further cut, is a
other step toward making a bad ma
ter worse, and the quotation sent Oh
- by mill cutting thirty thousand fe
-, per day is just as hurtful as that fro
a concern cutting one hundred al
-. fifty thousand feet per day 1t is Il
:. figures that hurt. The amount
- lumber involved is not thought {
= Every such quotation marks dow
y, ward step and it's effect practical
reaches over the whole field of CO
- sumption.
!, These are the considerations tn
should impel every operator to a.
- and to act quickly in the curtailme
- oil his output We have spoken OIL
:. of those considerations that prese
80 themselves to the operator who is
~ nancially strong, and can continue
"a operate if he thinks it is good busine
-. to operate To the other, the operat
=, who owes heavy debts, there is ,
g., other consideration. 1t is the credit
,o What is his status and best intere
b. Suppose the question to be put clea
oo up to him. Whose security is bel
bo depleted? Whose prospect of ultimi
Of repayment in full with interest is
mill in debt is identical with that
the mill out of debt, only more imp
ing in the matter of such curtailme
&C. 1t has not given to many men TO
IN ure on the inside of such colossal de
not as have been several of those put
nd ward in recent years in the yell
III. pine business. but as the big can
q quently be judged in the little, and
part is a sample of the whole,
,od may be said that the creditor can u
fo, ally see his true interest more quic
10, than it can be pointed out to him,
an. that though in some cases there n
be grasping men, or grasping ban
or- which think they see opportunity
tos the distress of others, as gene
- HOW'S THIS?