HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



Generai, Disc'u.ssiox. 



The ufternoou session was largely dccupipd 

 ill (lisoiission of current prices on panels, espe- 

 cially liciiKin^tratiny tin- inconsistencies ex- 

 isting in the business, ami further evidencing 

 the necessity of a more friendly feeling and 

 closer relations among manufacturers in these 

 lines. F(jr many j-ears efforts have been made 

 to organize veneer people into an association 

 tiiat would disseminate information for the 

 lienefit of the trade. Hitherto it has seemed 

 impossible to arrive at a mutually satisfac- 

 tory basis upon which these interests could 

 unite. In the wiu-ds of n ini'inber. "Eighteen 

 foot fences have >urriiui:ilc.l tljc factories, and 

 the secrets of the business have been kept un- 

 der lock and key." However, manufacturers 

 consulei that today the organization is an 

 aljsoliite necessity, since timber is scarcer, 

 poorer and more inaccessible, hence higher in 

 price; also labor has .-idNanci'd ten per cent 

 or more, and with i-oinpt'titioii in r.ll lines 

 exceedingly keen, modern, up-to-date plants 

 are essential to the successful conduct of busi- 

 ness. All these factors point to organization 

 as the only solution of the problems of more 

 just grades and higher standards of prices. 



The members decided that there is great 

 necessity for frequent meetings until they are 

 better aecjuainted, and they hope that every 

 manufacturer, whether making hardwood ve- 

 neers, sawed veneers, cut \eneers, or panels, 

 will be present at the next meeting. It will 

 occur on Feb. 14. 190(5, at Chicago. 



A vote of thanks was extended to the offi- 

 cers for their uutirieg eHorts in making pos- 

 sible the organization uf the National Veneer 

 & Panel Manufacturers ' Association, which 

 promises so much for the future welfare of 

 the trade, after which the meeting adjourned. 

 Attendance. 



Among those present were the following; 



K. H. Hayburn. Michigan Veneer Co.. Alpena. 

 Mich. 



K. \V. Dcnjamin. Cadillac Veueer Company. 

 Cadillac, .Mich. 



Charles Tliiini|iso:i, Cadilliic N'cni'cr (.'ci.. Cadil- 

 lac. Mich. 



.M. W. Tcnv. .Vlinapi'c Vcnccr & SciUini; Co.. 

 .\hnapce. Wis. 



Mr. Haines, .Minaiii'i' \'<-n • *; .Scatini; Co.. 



.\hnapce. Wis. 



It. C. Iinylon. Wis.'onsin \ cncci- Co.. lihine- 

 landcr. \^'is. 



.1. !•■. Conanl. .1. K. Conanl .MI'j;. Co., Milwau- 

 kee. Wis. 



A. L. Ilnljl.ard, l'unri'-llul,li:ircl .Mlg. Co., .Min- 

 neapolis. 



I,. 1'. Cniftnian. St. Louis I'.asket & liox Co., 

 SI. I.ouis. 



Shoeniau-Ivnkkvick Trunk Top ■■^i Vcneor Co., 

 St. T.onis. 



W. S. Walker, I'orlsmouth Vcnccr & I'ancI Co.. 

 l'ort.!raonth, O. 



H. P. Coe. Coe Mt'g. Co.. l'aiuesvili<', O. 



,1. K. Crandall. Crandall I'anel Co., lirockton. 

 N. Y. 



F. D. Hatch, .laiui'slown I'anci \ Veneer Co., 

 .Jamestown, N. Y. 



Chas. E. Fisk, i'carl Cit.v Vcnccr ('•).. .Tames- 

 luw.o. .\. Y. 



M. C. T>u\v, Coslien \'eneer Co., Coshen, Ind. 



W. c. Mnmmcrt. JInnimcrt Vcnccr Co., Uosheu, 

 Ind. 



S. r>. .Vudcrsnn. .\uderson-Tully Co.. Mcmi)his. 

 Tenn. 



Mr. Tillman. Tillman-Shannnn Co.. Trimble. 

 Tenn. 



Mr. Whitis .\uicr. liaskcl Mfs. Co.. Canastota. 

 N. Y. 



II. K. Kline, l.ciiiisvillc Veneer Mills, Louisville, 



K.V- 



II. M. .McCrackcu. Kentucky Veneer Works, 

 Louisville, Ky. 



A. L. Stoat, Indiana Veneer & I'ancI Co., New 

 Albany, Ind. 



C. Fred Y'e.ise, Chicago Mill & I.nnibcr Co.. 

 Chicago. 



,1. M. Cook. i'liica.ao. 



.lohn Iligman, WeUs-IIigman Co.. ISenton Har- 

 bor. Mich. 



Lyman >'atlin. W. II. Frederick Cn., Bronson, 

 Mich. 



.1. A. Setter. Setter Bros. Co.. Cattartuigus. 

 N. Y. 



E. H. Ferguson, Coffins liox & Lumber Co., 

 Minneapolis. 



H. A. Hageman. Indiana Veneer & Lumber 

 Co.. Indianapolis. 



A. L. Mattes, E. C. Atkins & Co.. Indianapolis. 



M. C. Moore, Packages, Milwaukee. 



A. E. Gordon. H.\nnwooD Record, Chicago. 



E. H. E'efebangh. The Barrel & Box. Louisville. 



Hardwood Ladders. 



The manufacture of laddcis is a most im- 

 portant industry as will be readily appre- 

 ciated when the wide variety and great 

 quantities ased at the piresent time are taken 

 into consideration, ft is essential from their 

 use that they be made from hardwoods of 

 even grain, elasticity and toughness, accu 

 rately and strongly put together, so as not 

 to endanger human life. Ash, hazel, hick- 

 ory, walnut, oak and elm are most commonly 

 employed since they possess these character- 

 istics to the greatest degree. For ladders of 

 lighter description chestnut, beech, pear- 

 tree wood, poplar, locust and cedar are fre- 

 quently used. Some Knglish woods, such as 

 larch, beech, boxwood and elm, are also seen 

 in the yards of ladder makers. 



The utmost care should be exercised in the 

 selection of woods for the various types of 

 ladders, taking into consideration the use to 

 which they are to be put. For long heavy 



fire ladders woods possessing tough and elas- 

 tic qualities, entirely free from defects and 

 perfectly seasoned, are necessary. For short 

 ladders of lighter description, such as step 

 ladders for household purposes, for paper- 

 hangers, whitewashers, etc., which are not 

 subjected to so great a strain, a great deal 

 of material which is not available for the 

 above-mentioned work, but of sufficiently 

 good qualities for this purpose, may be used. 

 So great is the variety of size and style of 

 ladders that a very close clean-up of tnaterial 

 is possible. 



However, many engaged in the manufac- 

 ture of ladders are not experts, and they put 

 on the market articles which are constructed 

 in a most careless, slip-shod manner. It is 

 surjirising to note the number constructed of 

 soft wood, which are really unsafe, and 

 serious accidents are not infrequent because 

 of their use. Figure 1 shows a type of 



jioorly I'onstructed soft-pine ladder, wdiich 

 is very common in factories and shops be- 

 cause of its cheapness. After a very short 

 period of wear the steps, which are simply 

 nailed to the sides as shown, give way at a 

 point indicated by A, perhaps, and the next 

 lower step is fractured by the weight of the 

 person ascending the ladder, as at B. At 

 one ftictory visited liv the writer, :i mill 

 hand inonnteil on a ladder was oiling the 

 bearings of an overhead shafting when the 

 step on which ho was standing split and he 

 was precipitated to the floor and injured 

 seriously. The ladd<u-, which was made of 

 heavy hardwood timbers but with soft pine 

 steps, is illustrated in figure 2, C indicating 

 the point of fracture. Of course, the com- 

 pany paid all expenses connected with the 

 accident which was mori' than tin entire new 

 outfit of hardwood ladders for the plant 

 would have cost. 



Large mills and shoiis are compelled to be 

 protected with fire apparatus which includes 



a number of ladders. These are often hung 

 in halls and rooms, where they remain undis- 

 turbed year after year. The timber shrinks 

 and warps, and the rungs loosen. Many 

 manufacturers do a flourishing business by 

 getting contracts with these corporations to 

 not only put in the fire ladders, but to keep 

 them in repair for a certain number of 

 years at so much per year They are regu- 

 larly inspected at certain intervals and the 

 needed repairs made. Figure " illustrates 

 the mending of a broken rung, the most 

 frequent repair required. Two pieces of 

 heavy wire are inserted through holes bored 

 in the fractured rung and extended to the 

 one above, as at D, thus .supporting the weak 

 rung. 



Figure 4 shows a very strong ladder con- 

 structed of metal pipe and hardwood. The 

 stringers are pipe, and the rungs are pro- 

 vided with threads at the ends which screw 

 into the T of each pipe union as shown. 



Ladders of hardwood and rope, as repre- 

 sented in figure 5, are used extensively be- 

 cause they are so easily constructed and so 

 inexpensive. The sides are manila stock, 

 with loops provided for supporting the 

 rungs, as shown. Unless great care is taken 

 in selecting hardwood absolutely free from 



