20 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



it is also true that the opposition to the Christmas tree tradition is 

 seen generally among the stern old Scotch element, and that the 

 custom is being experimented with ,by the younger generation. Our 

 Canadian neighbors should try it and see how much fun it is. There 

 is no question but that, if they would bend their cold dignity to that 

 extent, they would reap a rich reward in the added pleasure lent 

 to the Christmas season and would amend their views on conservation 

 in this particular. It is to be deplored that the mere thought of 

 monetary aggrandisement would take precedence over the celebration 

 of a custom which has given so many of us so much pleasure. 



Canadian Shippers Also Suffer 



That the many aggravating questions which constantly face the 

 shippers in this country and which command so much of their time, 

 thought and capital are not confined alone to our American industries 

 is instanced in a protest emanating from Canadian lumber territory 

 against a decision of the Dominion Board of Railway Commissioners 

 handed down recently. This board is a body similar to our Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission and works very much on the same basis. 

 The question in dispute is one involving an increase in demurrage 

 rates, the commissioners having granted permission to the railway 

 companies to increase demurrage charges. "While railways are not 

 permitted to put into effect the total increase which they asked, they 

 were granted the privilege of doubling the charge on the first demur- 

 rage day and allowing a charge of $3.00 for each succeeding twenty- 

 four hours. A Canadian contemporary, speaking editorially on this 

 decision, says that the speed with which the commissioners handed 

 down the decision in the interests of the railroads as contrasted 

 with the length of time it usually requires to arrive at a decision in 

 the interest of the shippers, argues that the commissioners did not 

 give due consideration to the shippers' interest. 



This point merely illustrates the fact that the controversy between 

 different factors in the commercial world engaged on the basis of 

 trading service or commodity for coin of the realm is a perpetual 

 one and one of universal extent. The time will probably never come 

 when there is not some question up for dispute between these different 

 factors. The question should not be one looking toward the elimina- 

 tion of such dispute, — which is impossible, — but rather toward a sure 

 and quick means of amicably settling them. 



Where the Panel Man Is Weak 



Probably in no other item entering into panel construction is there 

 such a variety of opinion and lack of authentic and uniform informa- 

 tion as in glue. Consumers of glue using it for gluing up pur- 

 poses in panel work have long resorted to ' ' rule of thumb ' ' methods 

 of determining the adaptability of certain grades of glue for their 

 work. In view of the extreme importance of uniformity in glue 

 used and of constantly employing a high class quality, it would 

 .seem that in the interests of their reputations manufacturers of 

 panels would exercise every precaution to secure a uniform quality 

 in their glue purchases. That this is, however, not generally done is 

 conceded by anyone conversant with conditions. 



Various practical methods have been employed for testing glue 

 but there seems no reason why scientific methods which in them-' 

 selves are extremely simple should not be used generally by panel 

 manufacturers. In treating of this subject an authority, speaking 

 before the recent meeting of veneer and panel manufacturers, ex- 

 plained the simplicity of scientific treatment of the glue question. 



He advocated instead of the old so-called practical methods of glue 

 testing, many of which are really no test at all, that manufacturers 

 make their tests based on two principles — namely, the viscosity and 

 the jelly strength of the glue. As most people know, viscosity means 

 the rate of flow, and it is gauged by timing the rapidity of flow of a 

 glue solution through a small hole in the bottom of a receptacle con- 

 taining it. The number of seconds required for a certain amount of 

 glue to pass through this opening at a certain temperature con- 

 stitutes its viscositj'. By the jelly strength is meant the amount of 

 compression required under certain conditions to force a steam 

 plunger into the mass of glue. This is measured in pounds. 



It has been demonstrated that the best grade of commercial glue 



has a viscosity of 34.5 seconds, and a jelly strength of 48 pounds, 

 while the poorest grade has a viscosity of 6 seconds and a jelly 

 strength of 7.2 pounds, which points to the condition on which the 

 whole question hinges, — namely, the extreme variability of glue 

 quality. It has been demonstrated that no two concerns or any one 

 concern at all times will produce the same grades of glue. In some 

 instances shipments from the same concern supposedly of the same 

 grade have been known to vary forty per cent in viscosity. This 

 would surely argue that some means should be constantly employed 

 for regular testing of all glue shipments. Inasmuch as the panel 

 manufacturer's reputation stands behind his product and as glue 

 is one of the most important of raw materials entering into the 

 product, he cannot be too particular about his grade of glue. 



Lumber Exports from Baltimore 1911 and 1912 



A study of the custom house records on export shipments from 

 Baltimore furnishes an indication of the general trend of the export 

 trade and will therefore prove of interest. Comparisons of the cur- 

 rent year with 1911 are impossible except in so far as totals are 

 concerned, for the reason that the method of classification was 

 changed last July a year ago. Previous to that time all exports of 

 logs were entered in one column, but since then they have been 

 separated, the chief classifications being hickory, oak, walnut and 

 "all others." A similar rearrangement with respect to lumber has 

 taken place, the returns being divided into short leaf pine, pitch pine, 

 spruce, gum, oak, poplar and "all others." It is only by adding 

 up the various classifications and comparing them with the totals 

 for last year that the loss on gain can be shown. These totals al- 

 most invariably represent a large increase for 1912 over 1911. The 

 only item in which there is a considerable decrease is timber, the 

 value of the exports for 1912, with December estimated, being 

 $128,640 against $174,625 for 1911. In boards, deals and planks, 

 with December, 1912, estimated, there was an advance from $1,288,- 

 133 to $1,603,679; in staves one of from $33,886 to $63,250; in doors 

 one from $28,812 to $40,632; in furniture one from $28,325 to $30,- 

 509; in moldings and trinmiings a decrease from $6,015 to $5,120, 

 and in all other items an increase from $242,763 to $360,938. The 

 exports of this year, therefore, be it observed^ are of far greater 

 value than were those of 1911. A comparison of quantities is diflS- 

 cult with respect to logs for the reason that under the old classifica- 

 tion cubic feet were counted, while at the present time the measure- 

 ment is board measure. The number of feet of boards shipped this 

 year is much larger than the total for 1911, the figures being 49,- 

 005.000 feet for 1912, against 33,606,000 in 1911. 



Taking the figures for the current year, it is seen that the follow- 

 ing stocks went forward, December estimated: Hickory, 1,041,000 

 feet, valued at $28,246; oak logs, 1,649,00(1 feet, worth $119,150; 

 all other kinds of logs, 534,000 feet, worth $18,945. Of boards there 

 were exported through this port 39,000 feet of cypress, worth $1,874 ; 

 31,620,000 feet of oak, worth $1,088,269; 422,000 feet of white pine, 

 worth $34,306; 2,468,000 feet of jioplar worth $85,129; and 3,061,000 

 feet of other woods besides pitch pine, spruce and similar soft w'oods, 

 worth $133,264. Of staves a total of 987,629, worth $63,250, w^ent 

 out, while 15,329 headings worth $72,807 were exported. 



An analysis of the figures for 1912 also shows that there was a 

 decided falling off in shipments during the last six months or at 

 least during the latter part of the summer, as compared with the 

 first half of the year, the shipments of 'hickory up to July 1 having 

 been 771,000 feet as against 270,000 feet for the last six months. 

 The shipments of oak logs ran ahead, but of walnut 1,021,000 feet 

 was exported in the first six months against only 628,000 feet in the 

 latter half of the year. The decrease in all other classifications was 

 from 325,000 feet to 209,000 feet. In the shipment of oak planks 

 there was a sharp gain from 13,098,000 feet to 18,522,000 feet, while 

 poplar and all other woods also increased. This shows the effect of 

 the stevedores ' strike and the subsequent rush to send stocks abroad. 



Taken altogether, the year has been a very satisfactory one, both 

 in point of quantity and of value, and the indications for 1913 are 

 most encouraging, for the movement continues to be large, while 

 prices are higher than ever. 



