The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-27
HARDWOOD LUMBER
YARDS DWINDLED
WITHOUT TRANSIT
Traffic Association Fighting
for Restoration Of Privilege
of Yarding on Through
Rate.

How Memphis once had 81 wholesale
hardwood lumber wards and lost so
many OF them through the cancellation
Of the yarding transit privilege mat
today there are only four bouai.do
wholesale lumber yards within the pu1-
lleus OF the city. will be told by James
=. STARK, former president ~ th-
southern Hardwood Traffic association.
when he takes the stand Wednesday
morning In the Interstate commerce
hearing OF the plea ~ the traffic asso-
citation for restoration Of the privilege
The hearing iR being held at the
Hotel GaYoso before Examiner Graham.
of Washington, representing the |. e.
C., and opened Tuesday morning. The
suit Of the Hardwood Traffic associa-
ton on behalf Of its Memphis mem
bers Is against Walker y, Hines. dtrec-
tor-genersl Of The United states rail-
road administra lion an dthe railroads
under his control Judge X, ' Fletcher.
Of Chicago, counsel for the Illinois CEN
trial, Is representing the defendants at
the hearing The demand Of the com
piainants is that Memphis he made a
point al which lumber may be yarded,
stored and sorted while en- roNte from
point OF origin to final destination for
the payment OF tho through rate plus
. cents per hundred transit charge, The
complainants also ask the question OF
whether the recent ruling Of the /.
&. G. restoring the milling in transit
privilege TO Memphis also included priv
ilege OF kiln drying IN transit The !.
G. e.. ruling does not specifically IN
cIude kiln drying, but the lumber in -.
terests claim that this Is a process OF
manufacture and goes with the milling
in-transit privilege. The railroad com
panics object to this Interpretation,
however
MIR. stark said Tuesday morning in
an interview that Memphis demands
The same basis of lumber yardng In
transit enjoyed BY such points as Fort
Wayne, Detroit Cleveland, Buffalo, TO
ledo and Pittsburgh We hold that
Memphis Is as much or more entitled
to the privilege as any Of these points,
Mr. Stark said. for II Is the logical
and natural point Of distribution Tor
the Southern hardwood territory. bum-
her from the small mills has TO be
concentrated AT some central point Tor
rehnndlng and 1t Is certainly more log
Teal that the concentration from miltS
In the Memphis territory should take
place In Memphis rather than IN some
Northern or Eastern point Memphis
Ii entitled to her fair share Of this
business"
Mr. stark explained that the dealers
in lumber often buy the cuts OF a
number Of small mills and that they
have 10 have some pace to concentrate
their purchases loI ftnhhullhR pui /.
poses. Much of this lumber Is shipped
from the small mills IN mixed grades
and species aud in that shape can not
be resold by the buyer
The failure to extend this yarding
privilege to Memphis serves TO retard
production Of hardwood lumber In the
territory, Mr. stark said, for It dis
courages wholesalers from buying IN
this territory. The wholesalers, In gem
ersl, demand a more accessible point for
rehandlng Of lumber than this terri
tory can now offer
BY thus retarding production the
withholding of the yarding transit pflNl-
lege by the railroads contributes TO the
scarcity Of lumber and helps to keep
nrices high Mr., Stark said,
j. II. Townshend. secretary manager,
and j. Y, Norman, Of Louisille, counsel,
of the southern Hardwood Traffic assoc
citation. are directing the complain
an case
Memphis lost her transit privilege II
1913 aud the wholesale lumber yard
Immediately began to dwiRdle. Victory
In the present suit would undoubted!l
mean the opening Of many new }ard'
in the city wholesale lumber dealers.