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HARDWOOD RECORD 



them will join the manufacturers in their efforts to eliminate this 

 reprehensible practice of grade manipulation, the better it will be 

 fcTr all concerned. There may be some manufacturers who resort 

 to it, but if so they are not loyal members of this association 

 and my remarks are equally applicable to them. It is deception. 

 It is dishonest, false pretense and disreputable. Honesty is the 

 best policy and grade blending is not such. Let it, therefore, be 

 the chief effort of every fair minded lumberman, be he manufac- 

 turer, dealer or consumer, to crush it out. 



The power of organization is what we need, and all the troubles 

 and hardships we have to tattle against are but measures of our 

 weakness and show up the importance of more members and more 

 loyal members until our influence as an organization is felt — even 

 pinches a little, if you please — and then, and only then, can we 

 win the battle and enjoy our just rights. Why, gentlemen, no 

 argument is needed to convince you of what can be achieved by 

 organization. Look around j'ou and what distinct line of business 

 of any magnitude do you find not organized? Certainly every line 

 of manufacture of any importance is so and even we lumbermen 

 feel the force of such in the harvester trust, though I am not 

 advocating the formation of a trust, nor do I think it necessary. 

 Witness also the steel trust and all the other gigantic trusts and 

 combinations, which I mention merely to show the power of 

 thorough organization and not as models for ourselves. But at 

 any rate what they can and do accomplish is marvelous, and though 

 their existence is dangerous, owing to the selfishness of human 

 nature, it must be admitted that much good to the entire world 

 results from their strength of organization and combined capital. 



Some months ago, in a conversation with a fellow traveller, this 

 question of organization was an interesting topic between us. He 

 was a shoe manufacturer and told of the difficulties his organiza- 

 tion had been fighting — such, for instance, as the labor problem, 

 the strike question, costs, credit ratings, etc. — but especially was 

 I impressed in his relating that after years of effort between the 

 tanneries and themselves, the tanneries had established such well 

 understood grades of leather that no difficulty was had in knowing 

 just what to expect when an order was given. Manufacturer and 

 consumer, don't you see? 



Now why cannot we hardwood millmen do the same? 



But these are not all the benefits to the manufacturer resultant 

 from organization. Ours is a distinct line in many respects. The 

 cost problem in its many phases is ever staring us in the face. 

 Cost of production has been the great topic of discussion for many 

 years, officially in the reading of papers on the subject and investi- 

 gation, as well as socially in our annual gatherings and I speak 

 from experience in saying that valuable ideas and the greatest 

 benefit have resulted. 



The selling cost, however, I fear has not received the same 

 deserved attention. A man may spend years in reducing produc- 

 tion cost 50 cents and let the selling cost increase $1.50. I cannot 

 speak for the larger mills who sell almost exclusively through 

 their travelling men, but I do know that with us a very consider- 

 able selling cost results from frivolous complaints, requiring small 

 concessions and when large enough to justify a reinspection, the 

 excess over the small margin allowed by our rules is barely suf- 

 ficient to put the cost on us, thus materially adding to the selling 

 cost. 



It seems to me that here is a field that right now should receive 

 our best attention. The more direct and intimate the contact 

 between the producer and the consumer, the less there will be of 

 such expense; and if I may venture a suggestion it is that the 

 best investment this association could make would be in putting 

 a number of wisely selected, well posted men in the consuming 

 field and keeping them there until the consuming element is so 

 thoroughly familiar with our grading rules that when one orders 

 a certain grade he will know exactly what he will get. And 

 further, the work of these same men could be made greatly bene- 

 ficial in studying the peculiar lines of manufacture by consumers 

 and let such information be published through our bulletin as 

 guides to the membership in making shipments. 



I might mention many other advantages of organization per- 

 taining solely to the manufacturer and the astonishing thing is 

 why are they not all members of this association. 



Is it because you are prejudiced from listening to defamatory 

 reports, or because, in our infancy, you became members of another 

 association and feel that we are still too weak to give you equal 

 benefit? Then come in and give us your loyal support in sup- 

 pressing false rumors and in bringing the manufacturers up to 

 your highest ideals. We are all in the same boat. Our trials 

 and difficulties are identical; our interests the same. Or possibly 

 you are one of that class which I have heard of saying: "You 

 adopt and establish one set of grading rules and I will join you." 

 Foolish question and unfair! As well might the recruit say to 

 the general of the army: "You go in and win the battle and I 

 will share with you the victor's gain." Get in the ranks yourself 

 and help win the battle and thus fit yourself for enjoying its 

 emoluments with a consciousness of duty done. 



And now in closing, let me urge every member to renewed 

 loyalty in the support of every function of our association work. 

 Stand firmly on our rules and let each one do all in his power 

 toward the swelling of our membership until there is not a sawmill 

 left out of the fold. 



Lumbering in Jamaica 



The island of Jamaica is not likely to attract many lumbermen 

 from the United States while present methods of sawing lumber 

 continue. The island 's forest area is about 500,000 acres. It is 

 remarkably rich in valuable hardwoods, 113 species having been 

 listed, all of which are suitable for cabinet work, furniture, house 

 finish, or some other useful purpose. Only a few of these woods 

 are known in the United States. Mahogany, Spanish cedar, satin- 

 wood and rosewood are about the only ones with which wood- 

 workers in this country are acquainted, although there are more 

 than one hundred others ranging in value from rosewood down to 

 crosstie timber. A recent consular report described conditions on 

 this island with regard to lumbering. An extract follows: 



There are no sawmills in Jamaica. The only sort of mill that 

 could be operated to any advantage here would be a portable out- 

 fit, which could be easily transported from place to place. As 

 there are no large bodies of well-timbered lands in Jamaica, and 

 as much of the timber, which is mostly of small to medium size. 

 is found on the hills and mountains, it would be difficult to operate 

 a mill profitably. Under the conditions existing in this island, where 

 labor is abundant and consequently cheap, the most practicable 

 method of manufacturing lumber from native timber is to saw 

 it by hand, as has been done since the first settlement of Jamaica. 

 Where the slope of the ground is favorable, the logs are rolled 

 upon a framework; otherwise a pit is dug, in which one man 

 stands, while another stands above the log to operate the long 

 ripsaw. After ripping off slabs on two sides, the men line the 

 log with a cord that is dipped in a chalk or charcoal solution. By 

 such primitive methods they are able to saw boards of nearly uni- 

 form thickness. In the towns a^on^ the coast especially Amer- 

 ican pine is generally used in the construction of houses, but in 

 the interior of the island there are many dwellings and other 

 buildings, and some of considerable size, which have been built 

 wholly of hand-sawed lumber. Mahogany boards are worth in the 

 local markets from ,$70 to $S0, cedar boards from $50 to $60, and 

 framing material from $25 to $35 per 1,000 feet, prices that seem 

 quite reasonable, considering the laborious method of producing this 

 lumber. 



The native woods in most common use for general building pur- 

 poses are West Indian cedar, bastard cedar {Guasuma tomentosa), 

 and buUit wood {Bipliolis montana). Even when American pine 

 is used for a building, the native woods are preferred for sills 

 and sleepers, on account of their greater durability in this climate 

 and their freedom from the ravages of ants and worms. Some of 

 the native woods are so hard when seasoned that it is difficult to 

 drive nails into them. The use of sapodilla {Mimiisops excisa) for 

 railway ties was abandoned because it was almost impossible to 

 drive spikes into it. 



