The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-12

Hinton.
be carried through the canal to the mar
kets of the eastern and central parts of
the United States. There are some Amer
lean citizens who are the owners of
great tracts of timber lands in western
Canada. One of them is clergyman who
is pastor in a historic church of
the east. The new tariff law which per-
mits lumber to be imported without duty
and the opening of the Panama canal
to navigation will in the opinion of these
owners of timber lands and of the Canad-
ian railroad officers. lead to very
great development of the timber industry
in western Canada and in Vancouver.
This may mean revolution in building
operations in the eastern half of the
United States. Competent authorities in
New York say that one of the reasons
why iron, brick and concrete now sup
plant timber to great an extent in
building construction is due to the foct
that they are cheaper materials. Those
who. are interested in the timber lands
of the Puget Sound region even as far
north as the Alaska boundaries, are per-
suaded that the low cost for transporta-
ton of timber from these lands to the
ca stern coast of the United States by
way of the Panama canal. and the fact
that the timber or lumber Will be mar
keted here free of duty will make it pos
sible to furnish effective competition with
iron and brick and concrete for build
ing construction in the eastern half OF
the United States.
The timber supplies in that region are
enormous and climatic conditions are such
as to make it possible to cut cheaply and
nut into marketable condition the timber
which crows there.
What of the Northwest
If such revolution in this industry
does take place as those who own timber
land in the Puget sound region and In
Vancouver predict, it will inevitably af-
feet the great timber industry of our
northwest. Already the complaints are
grievous that the lumber industry there
is beginning to suffer in manner SINH
lar to that which now characterizes the
sugar industry of Louisiana. Should there
be any great falling off in the market for
the lumber which is produced In the
northwest it seems likely that this Will
affect the earnings of railroads. The men
Of Canada who are active in affairs are
confident that the great development OF
this industry in that region will put an
end to the depression which has prevailed
there on account of over speculation in
land.
Cooperation and the Public
Recently some valuable hints which
point to the benefit the general pubic
would gain from the policy of co-opera-
tion have been furnished first in a state
ment made by George ID. Ogden of the
Pennsylvania Railroad company, on the
occasion of the Farmers Week. at the
| New Jersey experiment station In New
Brunswick New Jersey, and next in the
unvarying testimony given to the master
who is taking evidence In the proceedings
brought by the government for the DISCO
- bo Tvnftad States Steel COTDQr.
alton.
In Mr.. Ogden's address the statement
was made that the cooperation which
the railroad company of which he is an
OFFICER has adopted whereby there can be
reasonable community of interests be-
tween the farmers and the railroads will
be productive of the highest benefits both
to the railroads and to the farmers.
Through this cooperation the farmers
can greatly aid themselves while also at
the same time aiding the railroads. one
of the things which the farmers can do
is to develop team work. They do that
in some parts OF Europe to the advantage
OF themselves and the transportation COM
panies The commission which was sent
abroad last summer by the government
to study conditions OF agricultural
finance, production and distribution OF
farm products found in Europe far bet
ter business organization OF agriculture
than prevails In this country, for the
farmers there have learned to work IN
cooperation with one another so as to
bring their products to the market at the
lowest possible cost. Team work of that
kind Is to be developed in the United
states and 1t represents perfectly the
principle OF corporation
Almost all of the. witnesses who have
recently testified in the United States
steel company's case have spoken OF the
value to the entire trade Of the method
which characterized the corporation. 1t
| has. these witnesses have testified.
through cooperation been able to steady
| nrices prevent cut-throat competition
without crushing reasonable competition
There has been an extraordinary unanim-
| ify of opinion upon this point and much
| Of the testimony has come from those
who managed the so-called independent
steel and ipron manufacturing corpora
| tions. When the testimony 10 completed
| n will be possible to extract from II IN
formal ton which could be made the basis
| Of a valuable treatise upon the principle
| and expedient policy of cooperation. In
. recent address delivered by Howard
| Elliott. executive ctdef Of the New Haven
Railroad system. he clearly intimated
| that in the long run the benef1t to the
peoule through the establishment of per-
| feet cooperation would be found far
/ greater than any that would follow the
establishment of permanent competition
In railway service In New England.