HARD wo UP RECORD 



31 



Secretary Doster then delivered his annual address. In speaking 

 of the bureau of grades he said that the number of men has been 

 reduced owing to the reduction in the number of complaints during 

 1912. He said further that the inspectors had been so located as to 

 insure quick service at any place where complaints arise. 



The aggregate amount of lumber on which complaints were regis- 

 tered was 4,133,137 feet in 1912; 6,215,908 feet in 1911, and 6,324,127 

 feet in 1910. 



The secretary attributed this lessening in the amount of rejects to 

 improve business conditions and the system employed by the inspectors, 

 which gives the purchaser the opportunity of studying the proper 

 methods of applying the grading rules. He also said that a closer 

 study of the grading rules by the purchasing element has a tendency 

 to reduce the number of complaints. 



The secretary reported that the system of mill inspections employed 

 during the past year has instilled a considerable feeling of confidence 

 among the members, and that as a result they feel that they are pre- 

 paring and loading their lumber out properly and uniformly. This 

 system consists of a series of visits by inspectors who make sugges- 

 tions as to standardizing methods of grading. 



The secretary referred to the subdivisions among the membership 

 that were put into effect during 1912. The following classes were 

 established : 



Class 1 : Oak construction and car material ; 



Class 2 : Wholesale poplar planing mills : 



Class 3 : Poplar, chestnut, basswood and buckeye ; 



Class 4 : Gum and cottonwood, rough and dressed : 



Class 5 : .-ish, cherry, walnut, butternut, beech, birch, maple, elm and 

 sycamore ; 



Class C : Chair turniture and vehicle dimension : 



Class 



Mahogany. 



These divisions reported at various times during the year on stocks 

 on hand and general conditions regarding the various woods. The 

 first book embodying a compilation of these reports was issued in 

 July, and the second in October. Since then three supplements have 

 been published. 



The secretary spoke of the canvass on the part of the association 

 for specific and private information covering credit features of the 

 consuming trade not shown in the ordinary credit rating book. He 

 said this information is held absolutely confidential, and that the 

 source is in no instance divulged, but that the members are enabled to 

 get close and intimate knowledge of consuming factories through this 

 means, which they could not possibly obtain in any other way. 



The report spoke of work now being done through the secretary's 

 office with a view to compiling information and statistics as to com- 

 parative stocks on hand and values January '1, 1912, compared with 

 January 1, 1913. The report forms will show the rough stock column 

 in feet, and the average value January, 1913, and the same columns 

 for January, 1912. The items will be subdivided into the standard 

 grades. These statistics could not be gathered in time for the annual 

 meeting, and it is hoped that the members will give the matter their 

 early attention so that the information can be issued in the near 

 future. 



In touching on the sales code question the report said that various 

 members are using on their quotation forms and on their letterheads, 

 immediately under the salutation, the following: 



"All quotations and contracts are made sub,ject to the sales code 

 and inspection rules of the Hardwood Manufacturers' Association 

 of the United States now in effect, copy of which will be furnished on 

 application." 



This method has been decided to be the simplest and the strongest 

 to pursue, and avoids unnecessary complications which arise from 

 time to time without some such provision. 



The report referred to the question of arbitration and then told 

 of the meetings of the executive board. 



In speaking of workmen's compensation laws and legislation to 

 prevent accidents in industrial plants, Secretary Doster commended 

 the work being done by the National "Association of Manufacturers 

 with a view to securing uniform legislation on these subjects. He 

 suggested that every hardwood manufacturer could profitably lend his 

 support to this movement. 



The report said that there has been a substantial increase in the 

 membership of the association during this year. He said further 

 that at the end of 1911 the estimated total acreage owned by the 

 membership was 5,207,000; .the estimated increase during the year 

 was 420,000 acres. Of the total, 200,000 acres were cut during' the 

 year, leaving a net increase of 200,000 acres. 



The report then referred to the publicity department and financial 

 condition of the association. 



In speaking of the general conditions of the country, Secretary 

 Doster said that in his travels over the various hardwood states he had 

 found that more manufacturers are now maintaining their offices at 

 their mills. There has also been an apparent increase in the number 

 of transfers of large timber areas. This insures larger operations 

 and hence more up-to-date machinery, and a better line of production. 

 It will also result in a closer utilization. The further result of this 

 change will be closer interest in association work, because of the fact 

 that the larger the interest and consequent investment, the greater 

 interest will be felt in the development of any work that will result 

 in information bearing on the business. 



In closing Secretary Doster thanked the members for their co- 

 operation in the matter of gathering statistics, and further for their 

 assistance in helping to promote the welfare of the association. 



The chair then appointed a committee on officers' reports, which 

 included W. A. GUchrist, A. P. Steele and C. L. Harrison. 



The meeting then adjourned until the afternoon. 

 AFTERNOON SESSION 



The afternoon session was opened by John A. Smith of the Smith 

 Sa,sh & Door Company of Rochester, N. Y., who talked on the subject 

 of "Waste of Material, or Lumber from the Sawmill to the Con- 

 sumer. ' ' 



As suggested by the title, Mr. Smith 's talk went into details 

 covering possible waste and closer utilization of forest products 

 both in the matter of utilizing waste and of preventing it by cutting 

 lumber more closely to meet the consumer 's requirements. 



The speaker said that of all hardwood lumber used in house work 

 and furnishing seventy-five per cent goes into millwork, twenty-three 

 per cent into furniture and two per cent into picture frames. He 

 said that the greatest waste is found in the manufacture of millwork. 



WhOe Mr. Smith's suggestion that logs should be cut into sixteen- 

 foot lengths aroused considerable interest among the membership, the 

 suggestion was not deemed highly practical. 



He further suggested that lumber should be piled according to 

 widths and lengths, but in making this suggestion it would seem that 

 he overlooked the enormous amount of space it would take to sort 

 out the cut of the average hardwood mill in this way. If it could be 

 done it would undoubtedly result in a great service to the cons umin g 

 trade, but the difficulty would be in realizing a sufficient premium on 

 such sorted stock to return a profit on the additional investment. 

 It may be that this will ultimately become the general method of pil- 

 ing hardwood lumber, but it is hardly probable according to the senti- 

 ment as expressed by the members that this condition will be realized 

 for some little time to come. 



The speaker then referred to the facilities offered by the manu- 

 facturer of hemlock who has his lumber (which is probably one of the 

 cheapest in the market) cut in lengths and sizes desired. As pointed 

 out by several members, however, he entirely overlooked the fact that 

 hemlock is sold to a large extent as bill stuff, while hardwood on the 

 other hand goes into a very different line of consumption, and cutting 

 into stocks of special lengths and widths is entirely impracticable. 



The speaker said that seventy-five per cent more hardwood goes 

 into the manufacture of houses than forty years ago. He further said 

 that over eighty per cent of the hardwood lumber that the millman 

 uses has to be cut seven feet or more in length. He then outlined an 

 example showing the sizes and dimensions of the various pieces of 

 lumber going into certain lines of manufacture. The idea of this 

 suggestion was that sixteen-foot lengths could be more profitably em- 

 ployed than the twelve or fourteen-foot lengths commonly offered. 



The speaker made one point which undoubtedly is based on fact 

 and that is that familiarity on the part of the sawmill operator with 

 the waste daily resulting from his lumber production breeds the pro- 



