12 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



fachirers' Association of the United States, by reason of its action 

 at the Louisville oonvention, has evidenced such interest in this 

 branch of the hardwood industry as to promise hearty cooperation. 

 Leading members interested in this detail of the hardwood business 

 will ba present at the Cincinnati mooting and will volunteer the best 

 information they have on the subject. It is to be hoped that the 

 importance of this meeting may not be overlooked by any hardwood 

 producer in the country, and that the prospective attendance of a 

 hundred and fifty may be increased to fully double that number. 



Ijogically the dimension business should bo the very best and most 

 profitable part of the hardwood trade, and its deficiency is a lack of 

 understanding of the requirements and lack of organization. 



A well organized hardwood dimension association means that this 

 industry shall be taken out of the rut in which it has fallen and 

 be placed on a parity in profit with other divisions of the industry. 

 Even what was accomplished by this element of the trade at its 

 first meeting on Nov. 21 has resulted in securing quite generally 

 a very handsome advance in price, and with the thorough comple- 

 tion of the organization it will be found that the business can be 

 made one of much profit to the majority of hardwood lumber pro- 

 ducers. 



The Veneer Industry. 



On Nov. 28 and 29 last a few veneer and panel men were induced 

 to get together at Cincinnati in a conference looking toward the 

 organization of an association. The conference resulted in the call 

 for a convention of veneer makers in Chicago on Dec. 19. As re- 

 counted in the Hardvtood Kecoed, this meeting resulted in the organi- 

 zation of the National Veneer & Panel Manufacturers' Association. 

 The first meeting of this association to continue the details of the 

 work instituted will be held at the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago, on 

 Wednesday, Feb. 14, and thereafter it is expected that annual meet- 

 ings will be held on the second Tuesday in December, and semiannual 

 meetings on the second Tuesday of each June. 



In no branch of the hardwood business, save that of dimension 

 stock, has there been so much need of organization as in the veneer 

 and panel industry. Ever since veneer making and panel stock pro- 

 dBCtion became a commercial pursuit, every man in the trade has 

 been going it alone, with the axiomatic condition of the ' ' devil take 

 the hindmost." For some occult reason veneer makers have always 

 regarded their business as an occupation to be kept secret as to 

 details of manufacture and sale. There are many veneer plants in 

 the country as difficult of access as the working department of the 

 United States mint at Philadelphia. The average veneer man has 

 alleged, "I know my business, and I am not going to take any 

 chances on giving away my processes of manufacture to my neigh- 

 bor." Comparatively few of them have ever realized that the great- 

 est menace to business is unintelligent competition, and even thus 

 far in the good work instituted by the progressive men in the trade, 

 there has been but a handful of the approximately five hundred 

 concerns in this country engaged in this line of work who have taken 

 any interest in the association. 



The Hardwood Kecoed believes that if veneer makers would post 

 themselves on the results attained from association work in nearly 

 every other line of lumber production, they would be in attendance 

 and join this association work to a man. No individual ever lost a 

 dollar by participating in unity of work with his fellows in a given 

 line of trade, and the majority have made money out of the propo- 

 sition. There are no more secrets to guard in the making of veneer 

 and laminated wood than there are in quarter sawing an oak log 

 in a sawmill. There is no veneer maker so well posted in his calling 

 that he cannot learn something of value to him from his neighbors, 

 and it is sincerely to be hoped that producers generally will fall 

 in line with the progressive men who have organized this association 

 and assist each other in carrjing out approved methods of produc- 

 tion, just inspection and logical values. 



D. E. Kline of Louisville, Ky., president of the National Veneer 

 & Panel Manufacturers' Association, is one of the best posted 

 veneer producers in the United States, and other manufacturers join- 

 ing this movement 'under his leadership need not fear that he is 

 in this enterprise for what he can make out of it personally, but 



ni;iy rest assured that he is spending his time for the general good 

 of the trade. The Record bespeaks for this association a full attend- 

 ance of veneer and panel producers at the next association meeting, 

 in the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago, on Wednesday, Feb. 14. 



Able Contributions to Lumber Literature. 



li is rare indeed that two hardvanMl conventions are held at which 

 are presented so many papers of merit and value to the lumber trade 

 as was evidenced in tho.se read at the annual meeting of the Hard- 

 wood Manufacturers ' Association at Louisville and that ol the In- 

 diana Hardwood Lumbermen 's Association at Indianapolis. The 

 annual report of retiring President Vansant of the former associa- 

 tion is well worth the study of every man interested in the trade, as 

 his analysis of conditions, liis recommendations of needs and his 

 prophecy of the future are based on evidence of indubitable sincerity, 

 judgment and acumen. Other papers specializing certain features 

 lightly touched upon by the ex-president are almost equally worth 

 reading, although not as comprehensive. A notable feature of the 

 LouisvUle meeting was the address on forestry by Dr. C. A. Schenck. 

 It was an address of a forester on forestry, from the viewpoint 

 of one who has ceased to be a theorist, but who has become a prac- 

 tical forest expert from the American standpoint. 



At the Indiana meeting the most notable paper presented was the 

 one covering raili'oad rate legislation by Secretary John M. Pritchard. 

 Mr. Pritchard must have given a great deal of time, thought and in- 

 telligent study to this subject to cover it in as masterly a manner as 

 he did. The text of these valuable papers and addresses, as well as 

 several others well worth perusal, will be found in the reports of the 

 two association meetings in this issue of the IIakdwood Record. 



The Furniture Sales. 



The furniture sales season is in full swing in the great exposition 

 halls at both Chicago and Grand Rapids. These semiannual exhibits 

 of furniture and resultant sales are watched with a good deal of 

 interest by the hardwood trade, since the volume of business done 

 at these times is indicative of the prospective demand which the 

 hardwood trade can expect from furniture manufacturers. The 

 sales thus far during January, both in Chicago and Grand Rapids, 

 have been considerably above normal, and this notwithstanding the 

 fact that prices generally have been advanced fifteen percent over 

 those of last year. The sales are not as largo as they would have 

 been had not a good many astute dealers, in anticipation of advanc- 

 ing prices, placed their orders in December at old prices. The sales 

 in chairs do not seem to be quite as strong as in case goods. How- 

 ever, the lumber trade may make note that purchases above normal 

 may be expected from the furniture manufacturing trade for some 

 months to come. 



There is a decided improvement both in design and in the char- 

 acter of construction and finish manifested in the exhibits of nearly 

 every producer. The bizarre designs of the past are disappearing, 

 and in their place arc coming specimens of the woodworkers' art 

 that never have been excelled in beauty of design in the history of 

 the past. There seems to be a renaissance of good taste in furniture 

 making. The bedroom furniture that is now being put out by lead- 

 ing makers shows simplicity and beauty of design and a substantial 

 character. The same observation can be made concerning high-class 

 upholstered work. While many of the chairs made are still cheap, 

 unsubstantial and tawdry, quite a number of the more progressive' 

 makers are putting forth goods in which every line is correct, the 

 whole of artistic excellence; and besides, having the essential desid- 

 eratum of a chair — a comfortable place in which to sit. 



American Forest Trees. 



Heretofore, consonant In llic particular part of the lumber trade 

 to which the Hardwood Iti (duu is devoted, the woods described in its 

 series of articles on American Forest Trees have been entirely of 

 the class known as hardwoods. So many lumbermen, timber owners, 

 and persons interested in forestry have requested that these papers 

 be eventually collated into book form, that it has been deemed wisp 

 to incorporate in the series articles on the leading soft wood.s grow- 

 ing in the United States. Thus white pine is covered in this issue, 

 and from time to time the other soft woods will be as fully de- 

 scribed. 



