Great Falls tribune., 1921-12-06

circulation and put into tax exempt
securities"
Transportation costs compose an
other serious obstacle in the way of
cheaper lumber. the speaker declared.
The cost of production will remain in
definitely at about the present figure,
and reduction of the cost to the con-
sumer can only be realized through
lower freight rates. he said
Transportation Half of Cost
The average cost of Transporting
lumber is equal to the total cost Of
logging, milling, loading and all other
operations preceding the delivery on
board the cars" he stated. THE ex-
pense of months of work is eaualled
during the 10 days it usually takes to
deliver an order of lumber. Lumber is
indestructable; it can be left standing
on sidings; weather cannot harm it, but
1t takes a comparatively higher freight
rate than silk. Except the metals. it
is the heaviest freight transported, and
the rate ranges from SO to 50 cents a
hundred pounds. The average weight
of LOCO feet of lumber is from 2, 500
to $500 pounds, and the cheapest rate
brings the transportation cost to at
least $12.50 thousand"
Lumber, he said, is taxed every year
before it is cut, and in 90 years the
average total of taxes doubles the value
OF the timber. Demand for lower lum-
Der prices could well be accompanied
by consent to tax lumber after it is cut,
Mr.. Call declared. He reviewed the
history Of the lumber industry in the
United States and gave a description of
the typical lumber camp on the west
coast.
Some Whopper Stories
Joe Townsend of the Montana Farm
er was reminded by his environment of
a time when he worked in an Idaho
lumber camp. where he knew Paul
Bunion. But for Paul and his blue OK.
he stated, east Montana and the Dako,
tas would still be timbered. One of the
first exploits of the OK was that Of
drinking from the upper reaches of the
Missouri river until the water reversed
itself and brought back an estrayed
Shipment of logs. A crowd was once
nine days flying over one of Paul's
camps. His payroll was so huge that
IN one winter nine barrels of ink were
saved by PauPs decision to no longer
cross his t's or dot his is. Six, four
horse teams each morning hauled the
egg shells away from the kitchen and
a single blast of Pauls dinner horn
tore down section of standing timber
Trees, said Mr.. Townsend, grew verv
fast In those days. Pauls men found
1t impossible generally to fall a tree
because they couldn't strike twice in
the same place, but the boss would
drop any tree with single blow. Paul
Waded river one day and shook 70
pounds of fish from either boot when
he reached the other side.
Helped Dig Puget Sound
1T has always been presumed J,
SAID the speaker, that Bill Puget dug
the, Puget sound,' but the fact is he
had some help. On the spring of the
warm frosts Paul and his blue or
put in some time out there. and the
ridges you see along the west coast
are where the OK got mired. Mr.
Townsend acknowledged prolonged an.
plause at the conclusion of his narrative
Russel Caples, successor to J. o.
Elton as assistant general superintend-
ent OF the Great Falls smelter, was in
troduced as new member. T.. n
Flint was placed in nomination for
club president by a report from 10
members. the remainder of the ticket
being Z. J. Finn, for vice president
and j. L. Watson for treasurer Lee
Singer reported that a final check of
the canvass for Salvation Army funds
showed $4,000 on hand in cashiers
checks. $500 in cash and 5000 in
pledges.