Title: Canadian forest industries January-June 1915
Identifier: canadianforjanjun1915donm (find matches)
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Lumbering; Forests and forestry; Forest products; Wood-pulp industry; Wood-using industries
Publisher: Don Mills, Ont. : Southam Business Publications
Contributing Library: Fisher - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
January 15, 1915 CANADA LUMBERMAN AND WOODWORKER 2'J One of B. C.'s Busy Shingle Plants Port Moody Shingle Company Turning Out Forty Million Pieces Annually and Enjoying a Widespread Demand The Coast district of British Columbia has a goodly list of shingle mills, with more in prospect. All of them manufacture an excellent article, but undoubtedly in some cases this is due more to the quality of the raw material than to any particular care taken in turning out the product itself. In too many of the smalelr mills the aim appears to be quantity rather than quality, the result being that the shingles turned out are lacking somewhat in the liner points of milling, grading and packing. . This cannot be said of the output of the Port Moody Shingle Com- pany, Limited, one of the industries of the city of Port Moody, at the eastern end of Vancouver's fine harbor—Burrard Inlet. The plant was erected about eight years on the waterfront by J. H. McLean, who, previous to that had operated for about a year a small shingle mill at Cedar Cove, Vancouver, where he demonstrated his ability to manufacture a high-class article and created a demand which followed him to his new location. Three years ago the entire plant was destroy- ed by fire, but the next day President McLean started a gang of men clearing away the debris, and within a month a larger and better mill was erected and operating with a full force of men. Output of Forty Million Shingles Five machines are installed, the daily cut averaging between 135,- 000 and 150,000 shingles for the ten-hour run or a yearly total of about 40,000,000 shingles. The Port Moody Shingle Company has a great advantage over many of the Coast mills as it owns and operates its own cedar limits, instead of buying logs or bolts of ordinary quality at the prevailing market price. The firm's limits are located at Capi- lano and on the North Arm of Burrard Inlet, and furnish a high grade of timber, which is cut into bolts on the ground and towed by steamer to the mill in rafts containing about 100 cords each. Then the bolts are cut by heavy circular saws into blocks of the required length, which drop into conveyors and pass on to the machines in endless procession. From the machines the shingles drop down chutes to the packers, who form them into bundles which are transported on cars to the dry kiln. The period of seasoning depends to some'extent on the rush of business and occasionally is modified to suit the wishes of the cus- tomer, but the company has found that, when dried for about ten days under moderate heat, the shingles preserve their good qualities much .better than when subjected to high temperature for a shorter time in order to make them fit for shipment. The temperature of the Port Moody Shingle Company's kilns is never permitted to exceed 180 de- grees. The motive power to operate the machinery of the plant is sup plied by an engine of 80 h.p. capacity, which receives steam from a boiler fitted with Dutch over feed, the fuel used being the sawdust and refuse from the machines. A small engine is also installed to operate the electric light plant. The filing room is in charge of a skill- ed filer who has every mechanical appliance necessary for keeping the saws in good order. J. H. McLean, the proprietor and sole owner of the Port Moody Shingle Company, is admitted one of the most experienced shingle manufacturers in the province of British Columbia. He enjoys the esteem of everyone including the fifty or more employees at the plant. Coming to British Columbia some fourteen years ago, Mr. McLean has been engaged in the shingle trade practically all his ilfe. Begin- ning when but twelve years of age, he worked in a shingle mill in Eastern Canada during his school vacations, receiving the munificent remuneration of 20c per day for his labor. By the time he was sixteen he was operating a saw, and from that day to this he has been actively connected with the shingle trade. Knowing the business from top to bottom, he is competent to supervise any part of the operations. There is a market for twice the present output of the Port Moody Shingle Company. At the present time much of this output is shipped to New England, the Boston market being the destination of a large part. Large shipments are also sent to Ontario and the Northwest markets. Five Per Cent Freight Advance Granted in United States By a supplemental report in the eastern rate advance case, the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States, has granted further increases in rail rates in official classification territory, which, except for limitations as to the commodities on which it is allowed in its order of July 29, advances practically on the basis of the five per cent, originally asked for by the carriers. The advance now allow- ed applies not only in Central Freight Association territory to which the advances were limited by the former order, and in which they are now increased from three to five per cent, above the old rates, but also in trunk line territory (that part of the official classification ter- ritory east of the Buffalo-Pittsburg line) where an increase of five per cent, is granted. The petition for rehearing in the case was filed September 15 on behalf of 112 roads affected and was based on conditions developed since the original hearing, including later statistics of operating re- sults and the financial difficulties growing out of the war in Europe. These influences received recognition. May Seek Increase of Canadian Freight Rates Whether any Canadian railroads will seek to raise their freight rates, as a result of the recent decision of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the'United States to permit Eastern roads to make an increase of 5 per cent., has not yet been announced. That they are giv- ing the matter attention and considering the wisdom of such a course is indicated by views upon the subject which have recently appeared in the daily press. The freight movement from Canada to the United States in the East, consists to a very large extent of lumber, pulpwood, newsprint paper, wood pulp, similar raw materials and, in some years, hay and live stock. The impression is that the railways will seek to raise these rates by 5 per cent, about the middle of February. When the Canadian railways wish to increase their freight rates they may do so, but they must give 30 days notice to the Dominion Board of Railway Commissioners. During that time, if complaint is made by any shippers, the Board will enquire into the justice or injustice of the increase.
Text Appearing After Image:
'

Note About Images