Putnam patriot., 1914-12-25
TO LUMBER MEN
Tie Problems ia Soulhern New Englaud interesting Statement hy President Ely

To the farmers and manufacturers of
 railroad tiesa
 We would call your attention te the following letter ol Professor Record of Yale College on Inc outlook for railroad ties Tor the coming season, and would warn all such persons that 1t would be to their best interests not to produce ties to any great extent until after the end of the present season, which will be July l, 1915, as il seems 10 the writ CT that the probabilities are that If many ties afe produced during the coming winter they will have to be carried by the producers, and as there is possibility of change in specltica- lions il would be much better If the 1 timber were left in the woods than to be got out under the old specifications with no know ledge of what the new specifications will be,
 Clarence NJ Ely, President, Lnm. Der Manufacturers Association Of Southern New England,
 The Lumber Manufacturers Asso. citation of southern New Enela met in Hartford, Dee. :. One Of the most important questions considered was with reference to the demand and specifications of the New Haven rail- rond far ,croSSlies. Tue rnmur had been afleat that the railroad wns not going to buy any more leeal hes but would substitute ereosoted southern pine instead. X committee of the as socintion took the matter up with President Elliott, who advised in part as follows.
 "ln the year ended June 30, 1914, ven's lines, compared with 1,Sl4, l9o in 1918 and l ,498, 1s6 in 1912. Of those laid last year about l,s0o,00o were bought in New England. The increas. ed number of ties laid in the past four teen months has brought back the road more nearly to n normal basis, so that it's purehnee of ties next year will naturally show some decline of both native and foreign ties. But even al- lowing for this and for the increase to be made in the number of yellow pine ties, there will be purchased as before large number oi ties tn New Eng land, the naWner probably reaching aVer 1 .soe ,n0e
 1t appeared from dain supplied by the members ot the association that there are already enough ties cut and stacked in the tie yards and along the right ofway 10 fill the acquisitions for the year ending June 30 As the pres. surplus stock as low a possible 1t was evident to all the members of the asso. citation that further production of ties will gluI the local market.
 The proposed specifications exclude red oak from first class or No. 1 ties and state that ties of red oak or timbers other than white, yellow and rock oak i, chestnut and cedar, having dimensions required for No. l ties will be paid for as No. ties, those having dimensions required for No. 2 ties will be paid for as No. 3 lies; while those having di. mensions for No. ties will not be ac- cepted. In other words, red oak ties must be of the first oy second class di- mensions but will be paid for at second or third class rates, as the case may be.
 The directors of the association ob- jected to this change. They are wil- ling that red oak be excluded from the first class but wish the specifications this wood 10 be the same as for the other woods The railroad company has taken this suggestion under ad' visement and may adopt it.
 In other respects the proposed sreci- ficalions are in effect unchanged, ex- cept that ithe first class or No. l ties must be cut one from section. "No | halved, quartercd, or split ties will be accepted." There Is difference of 1 opinion as to the merits of this specifi- cation. The obvious purpose Of it Is to assure as large proportion of heart wood as possible, which is very de- sirable consideration when ties are used without preservative treatment. 1t Is also claimed by the railroad Of. ficiaIs that such tie withstands wear better and does not cheek or split so badly as ties cut from quarters or halves. Their explanation is that when single lie Is cut from T stick 1t is from young and thrifty timber which is harder, stronger and tougher, and does not rail cut so easily as tim Der cut from large, old and softer wooded trees.
 The company officials also claim that ! stabbed or hewn pole ties give better service and longer life Tn track than l squared ties of the same quality and 1 class do. On the other hand, there are 1 several objections to pole ties. One that applies to both slaDbed and hewn 1 ties k the lack lof uniformity in size | which increases the difficulty of re- placement, particularly in rock bal 1 last. Other objections to hewed ties are the unequal bearing afforded lie plates and rails, and the unnect ssary 1 waste of valuable material. The ob- jeetion to sawed square lies should en- tirely disappear if The ties are treated with presefyatises.