HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



timber were wantonly destroyed. Other millions 

 of acres were depreciated and largely ruined, 

 and the choicest trees of other millions of acres 

 were felled and cut Into badly manufactured 

 lumber, and, worse still, this placed upon the 

 market unseasoned and not fit for use. 



The commercial history of the hardwood busi- 

 ness during all this time was bad : it was diffi- 

 cult for any manufacturer to know in advance 

 that he would make any profit in his business, 

 or market his lumber in a satisfactory manner ; 

 and it has only been within the last few years 

 that the hardwood manufacturer could, with 

 any degree of certainty, expect a dollar's profit. 

 Present Conditions. 

 We present day manufacturers of hardwood 

 are just learning our trade and with former 

 forest conditions existing could easily carve out 

 fortunes, but today we generally stand con- 

 fronted with sparse and depreciated forests, for 

 the most part located at long distances from 

 market, and it is almost impossible for us to suc- 

 ceed without the aid of experience, skill, good 

 judgment, industry and the cooperation of our 

 fellows in the trade. It is incumbent upon 

 every man who would succeed to be on the alert, 

 study his business thoroughly, analyze every 

 feature of it, learn something about it every day, 

 ami be satisfied that he has done his best only 

 when he has mastered the details of the most 

 approved methods in the trade. To do this, he 

 must learn from the experience of others, as 

 well as himself, and should be equally ready to 

 assist others to learn best methods : this can be 

 done through this organization and by exchang- 

 ing our views liberally with each other. 

 Inspection. 



I want to impress upon you the principle upon 

 which this association was builded — "To every 

 man a square deal." Our inspection rules are 

 fashioned so that the consumer can not only 

 obtain uniform grades of lumber, but grades 

 best suited to his requirements, at a minimum 

 cost ; grades that also logically can be pro- 

 duced by the manufacturer with economy of 

 material and commensurate with qualities ob- 

 tainable from today's recognized standard of tim- 

 ber. That the grades are high I will admit, but 

 it is by reason of this excellence that we retain 

 the respect and confidence of the buying public. 



Above all things I wish to commend the im- 

 partial system of reinspection, originated, put 

 in force and carried out by this association, by 

 means of which no member, through either ig- 

 norance or intention, can successfully market 

 his lumber without giving due heed to the tenets 

 of this association — just and fair treatment to 

 every buyer. 



1 want to again impress upon you the essen- 

 tial importance of branding your lumber. In my 

 annual address at Nashville last year. I said : 



"Kvery man has. or should have, a just pride 

 in the goods he manufactures, and to the end 

 that a manufacturer may not lose his identity 

 in the trade, I would suggest that this associa- 

 tion make provisions for a specific trade mark, 

 or brand, for every member, whicli lie can either 

 stencil or brand upon his lumber, in addition to 

 the grade mark. This system would insure a 

 means whereby any piece of lumber manufac- 

 tured by a member" of this association could be 

 traced to its origin, which would be a protection 

 to tlie individual manufacturer, as well as tend 



bers and that such mark be plainly placed on 

 each piece before It goes upon the market, to the 

 end that the mark may become a recognized 

 grade symbol, and this be known to every manu- 

 facturer, inspector, buyer and consumer of the 

 hardwood products of this association. Uy doing 

 this, we will, in my judgment, command the 

 confidence and respect of every buyer and con- 

 sumer of lumber the world over." 



These features guarantee an absolute check 

 on careless inspection, and safeguard our product 

 from the manipulations of the unscrupulous, 

 from the time it leaves " our possession to the 

 eventual disposal of it to the consumer. The 

 system ■ has met the unqualified approval of 

 thousands of consumers during the past year, 

 and while not yet utilized by all our members, 

 it is to their manifest advantage, and to the 

 satisfaction of the ultimate buyer that they 

 should do so. The system materially contributes 

 to bringing into close contact and sympathy 

 nmnufacturers and consumers. The experience 

 of the past year has shown the grade marking 

 system to be of paramount importance in the 

 successful carrying out of our business, and I 

 most heartily advocate and recommend its con- 

 tinuance and universal adoption. 



With double emphasis, I want to commend 

 your action at our last meeting, and again make 

 the recommendation made at Nashville : 



"Let there be a determined demand of this 

 association that all its members avoid the de- 

 moralizing practice of manipulating or changing 

 established grades so as to enable the unscrupu- 

 lous to impose on the consumers of our lumber." 



No member of this association, in my opinion, 

 should, at any time, permit this to be done with 

 any of his products, or lend bis assistance to 



are growing in appreciation, as forming a basis 

 for every man to make an intelligent estimate 

 of what lies In the future for his business. 



1 want here to call your attention to the im- 

 portance of the members of this association 



LEWIS DOSTEK, SECRETARY, 

 COLUMBUS, O. 



to stimulate him to better methods in produc- 

 tion, and to more careful methods in the in- 

 spection and shipping of his j>rodurt. 



"That a special and universal mark be given 

 to each grade of lumber manufactured b.v mem- 



R. H. VANSANT, EX-PRESIDENT, 

 ASHLAND, KY. 



this scheme. If those who have permitted this 

 to be done fully realized the detriment to trade 

 and the injustice that is practiced by those who 

 buj- and ship their product in this way, I feel 

 sure it would be stopped at once. 



t'ciiiJiiTTEE ON Inspection. 



The committee on inspection was continued 

 from our last meeting, and will make a report 

 which I trust will embody no recommendations 

 for radical changes in the grades on the recog- 

 nized standard hardwoods. The history of the 

 past has demonstrated that our grades as now 

 authorized, meet the approval of the majority of 

 hardwood buyers. 



As there are quite a number of minor hard- 

 woods coming into the market at present, of 

 which the physics and character have been little 

 understood in" the past, it may be deemed wise to 

 alter or add to tlie grades of such varieties to 

 meet the requirements of a just Inspection from 

 the viewpoint of recent experience. 

 Grading Bureau. 



Our grading bureau has been carried on to 

 the manifest advantage of the association, and 

 to increase its elEciency I recommend that the 

 number of its members be enlarged, so that an 

 expert on all hardwoods be Included in the 

 bureau, and that the number of members be 

 sufficient to insure a visit to the plant of every 

 member of this association by one or more of 

 them, at least twice every year. 

 Statistics. 



The value of the documents sent out to the 

 members for their information, concerning gen- 

 eral trade conditions, building permits of the 

 chief commercial centers, records of stocks in 

 first hands and individual commercial reports. 



JOHN B. RANSOM, VICE-PRESIDENT, NASH- 

 ■VILLE, TENN. 



replying promptly to requests from the secre- 

 tary's office for such information as it is neces- 

 sary for them to have in order to carry on this 

 work Intelligently. While It will only take a 

 short time to respond to these requests, it is 

 of vast importance to the secretary that he 

 should be assisted in carrying on his work. 



CONCERNIXO THE BUSINESS YEAR. 



The prosperitv that has attended the hardwood 

 manufacturing industry of the United States for 

 the year 1005 is now a matter of history. It 

 has been marked by greater material success 

 than has ever before fallen to those engaged 

 in hardwood production. While the cost of 

 production and manufacture show a decided 

 increase over former years, lumber values have 

 also shown an increase in almost every variety 

 of wood, until today a satisfactory standard of 

 value has been attained. Equally satisfying 

 is the fact that consumers are cheerfully accept- 

 ing the basis of hardwood values as being just, 

 and have amended their limits on a great variety 

 of manufactured products that require such vast 

 quantities of hardwood, so that any possible 

 burden of increased cost is equitably distributed, 

 and does not fall as a hardship upon any division 

 of the final and consuming trade. 



These satisfactory conditions of the hardwood 

 manufacturing and" consuming industry bid fair 

 to continue indefinitely, as there are no clouds 

 on the commercial horizon. While 1905 has 

 been a record-breaking year in the construction 

 of high-class buildings, consuming large quanti- 

 ties of hardwood, in railroad and street-car work, 

 iu wagons, carriages and automobiles, and In 

 furniture and agricultural implements, the de- 

 mand for hardwood in 1906 looks even more 

 promising. 



Prices. 



At your anntial meeting a year ago. impelled 

 by the" necessity of obtaining just orofits, it was 

 with temeritv that you recommended a schedule 

 of prices that woiild place in relative value 

 several items of hardwood which were fast be- 

 coming of short supply. The sagacity of your 

 judgment has been proven, and the courage of 

 "your convictions has been rewarded. 



The opening of the year 1906 shows less hard- 

 wood in the hands of producers, wholesalers and 

 consumers than at any time since the hardwood 

 lumber business became a great commercial pur- 

 suit Prospects are also meager for an increase 

 of these stocks to anything like normal, for 

 months to come. You may therefore deem it 

 wise to analyze the conditions of hardwood 

 stocks, prospective demand and the possibility 

 of increased or decreased production, with a 

 view to suggesting such changes in present prices 

 as will meet the conditions of supply and de- 

 mand.. 



The Lumber Press. 



I want to say a word concerning the lumber 

 press. With few exceptions, the gentlemen who 

 so intelligently conduct these newspaper enter- 

 prises have recognized the manifold reasons that 

 impelled the organization of this association, the 

 spirit of fairness that has Invariably prevailed 

 at its meetings and the justice of the work that 

 has been carried on by it. In a like spirit they 

 have treated your oflicers with justice, resnect 

 and consideration. 



