HARDWOOD RECORD 



iissuiiie iliat to tile iuitinil'a<-tiit-t>r of liiiiiber ac- 

 riifatp inforuintlon as to ih*' dfniand for and 

 current prices on suclt material as be markets, 

 together witli statistics showing the amount of 

 stocli held by others, the probable supply of logs 



and the general conditions obtaining iluoiigiioiit 

 the producing territory must, of necessity, lie 

 limited in value only in proportion to the accu- 

 laey ■>( thi- inforinaticn placed before him. 



Krom the ollice of ilie secretary of ibis asso- 

 elation are issued from time to time various 

 bulletins pertaining to the above subjects, the 

 value of which will be discussed briefly in this 

 address. 



The matter of building conditions is treated 

 each month in a concise manner, showing the 

 number of buildings in course of construction 

 in the large cities throughout the United States, 

 their value in dollars, and comparative ligures 

 with last season. This information should be 

 of great interest and value to ihe manufacturer 

 of lumber as showing the prosperity of the coun 

 tr,v rejlected in the amount of constructiou, the 

 points of greatest activity and the current con- 

 sumption of building material. 



The semimonthly bulletins giving the stock 

 for sale and stock wantetl by members are worthy 

 of carei'ul attention. These show items of stock 

 which manufacturers, by reason of overproduc- 

 tion or from various other causes, are desirous 

 iif selling, and a careful study of the offerings 

 will fiecpiently disclose a general surplus of some 

 particular item or items, and manufacturers are 

 (hereby enabled to regulate to some extent at 

 least the placing of a still larger amount of 

 similar stock on the market. It will often be a 

 decisive argument for the selling of the liarlicu 

 lar kind or grade of material, or the holding of 

 it for liefter prices, as the judgment of the manu- 

 facturer may dictate. 



r.umher offi?red through the bulletins may not 

 infre(iuentl,v be secured liy members to apply on 

 orders which they may liave. and thus accom- 

 plish a twofold purpose -affording an opportunity 

 to handle an increased amount of stock and the 

 niaintaining of current prices to the consumer. 



Stock wanted, as a gi-nerai lule, will indicate 

 to the mill man ilie particular items which are 

 in demand and should influence him to liold out 

 for prices which his knowb'dge of the business 

 W'liiUI suggest as being c<immi'nsurate. Items 

 appearing under this heading may be of great 

 irtcrest to parties with sucli slock for sale, as 

 aRoi'dini: them an opportunity for disposing of 

 surplus lumlier wilhoiil the necessity of atlver- 

 tising or cutting prices. 



This ilepartiiieiii of slatlstlcs may be correctly 

 terinid "a lumber e.xchaiige," anil the fact that it 

 Is conducted through the medium of the malls 

 should not render it the b'ss valuable or effective. 

 Attention Is directed to the fact that these 

 balletlns ni'ft sent out twice each mouth, which 

 will be changed to weekly Issues when condi- 

 tions Justify the increase, 



.Market conditions are reporleil to members at 

 regular Intervals, and the Information, covering 

 the various divisions and subdivisions of the 

 Ininber Industry, Is interesting and valuable. 



I'.ut It is not sulllclenl that the producer be 

 acipiainted with the demand only for his com 

 modity ; he should have full and reliable in 

 fortnation as to the amount of lumber on liand 

 at the various mills, the ipiantily of logs avail 

 able and the conditions siirroiiiidlng Ihe maiiu 

 faclure of lumber. These last may be general or 

 confined to one locality, lelnle to o Hpcclfle line 



of manufacture or to a particular wood, but in 

 tiiis d:i,v of substimtes the effect of a shortage 

 in production of one line must be felt, at least 

 indirectly, in others. 



Starting witii the log supply, we are given 

 condensed information, compiled fnuii reports 

 made to the secretary liy individual manufactur- 

 ers, as to the logs available and tlie jn'ospects 

 for future supply. There are but few manu- 

 facturers to wliom this point is not of vital con- 

 cern, .*'or, given an almndant supply of logs, one 

 of the most difficult problems confronting the 

 sawmill man is solved. Circumstances beyond 

 human control enter ver.v largely into lite manu- 

 facturing of lumber : and, w-hile no amount of 

 statistics can change conditions, reliable infor- 

 mation, covering the visible supply of logs, tides 

 and otiier means of delivery to manufactur'ng 

 points, is of stu'h importance that no wide-awake 

 manufacturer can afford to ignore it. 



Slocks on hand would appear to he a matter 

 but second only in importance to that of demand. 



To have before one, on one or two pages, tliis 

 information compiled from individual refiorts is 

 to be in possession of facis which cannot but be 

 of great value. ,Vt a glance is seen the atuount 

 of lumber'in pile, and comparative ligures sliow- 

 ing tile increase or decrease in each and every 

 wood. What manufaclurer would not be willing 

 to lend his aid lo making this report a full and 

 complete one. and who is there among us tiiat 

 would not consider liiniself repaid a tliousand- 

 fold for the amount of time and trouble expend- 

 ed upon his individual statements V 



There is one otiier matter which may not, on 

 first tlinnght. appear to be included under tlie 

 topic of statistics, but it is a point wliicli is 



Dl! 



C. .\. SCIIKNCK. r.ll. T.MllKi:. N I 



of such general concern lo those engaged in Hie 

 selling of lumber that it may not be considet'od 

 out of pla<e lo uientiiui it here. 



Meniliers of tliis association receive at fre- 

 ijuent intervals inquiry blanks relating to tlie 

 .jobbing and consuming trade. 'i'hese inquiries 

 "cover ilie manner of payment, setllement accord- 

 ing to agreenietit, deductions and other points 

 with which all engaged In the lumber business 

 are painfully familiar. 



There are. it is asserted, some lumbermen who 

 are so fortunate or talented as never to be 

 placed, under any circumstances, in the iJOsit'on 

 where a claim is made ; or. if it be maiie, it Is 

 not allowed. The secret of conducting a business 

 of any magnitude without being compelled to 

 make concessions, at least occasionally, iias been 

 so carefully guarded that the majority of us will 

 undoubtedly feel an interest in lending our aid 

 toward the supiiression of the ciirouic kicker. 



In few manufacturing luisliiesscs is the product 

 sold on the buyer's inspection, count and terms, 

 lull there is no sawmill man who has not been 

 forced, at some time, lo allow a piiri'haser to 

 make deductions which were arbitrary and un 

 Just. 



The credll rating rejiorts issued liy this asso- 

 ciation are unique in so far as Ihe information 

 is based on the actual dealings of meuiliers and 

 covers recent tiansnillons. .\iiy niie of iis cati 

 i<btain from tiie standard nierraiillle agencies 

 a report as to the llnanclal siiinding of any 

 concern, but this is not snlllclent. We are vitally 

 Interested in knowing liow the yard man nv tiic 

 consumer treats the manufacturer who ships the 

 lumber, not only as lo payment but with par- 

 ticular regard lo Ihe matter of claims. 



It is our duly, as well as our privilege, to 

 contribute our experience to this Important 



work, bearing in mind the fact that the greater 

 the nnmlier of replies the more valuable will be 

 tlie results. 



To all of this and these let us now resolve 

 to give our earnest support, that Hie statistical 

 work so alfly contiucted by our secretary an<l his 

 assistants may keeji pace with what lias iieen 

 acc'ompiished in oilier lines by the Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association. 



An Interesting Paper. 

 Then followed a most intcMesting paper of 

 iiiucli literary merit by .f. Iv. Williams of the 

 Williams-Haas Lumber Company of Fayette- 

 villc, Teun,, on the subject of the "Progress 

 of the Lumber Trade Since the Organization 

 of Association 'Work." Jlr. Williams' paper 

 follows: 



Mr. I'resitleut and Henlleiueu of the -Associa- 

 tion : The subject assigned u> me is, in a sense, 

 as broad as the ocean and boundless as the 

 universe. "I'rogress in the lumber business" Is 

 co-extensive witii that in everything else : for 

 lumber is a commodity so essential to all com- 

 merce that "progress in practicali.v every line 

 must carry with it that of lumber. is there 

 anything else that contribnies more to the cou- 

 veiiience and comfort of man than lumber'.' 

 It is the principal item in the construct iiui of 

 his home, of his warehouses and liarns ; of his 

 sciiool houses, churches and otlter public build- 

 ings, and in a very extensive way of his furni- 

 ture for use and ornament in his home and his 

 ollice. It enters largely into the formation of 

 his tools for tilling the soil and for harvesting 

 the ripened grain : of his veliicles of transpor- 

 tation for convenience and pleasure, and now 

 since its scarcity and great value the ver.v scraps 

 are converted into toys for his cliildren and in-ic- 

 a-brac to adorn and brighten his home. It Is 

 used by uiillioiis if feet in Hie construction and 

 eqnipiuent of vuir railroads, tliose veins of <'om- 

 mercc througli which ruslies the life iilood of 

 our prosperity ; in our water craft of every 

 kind, from tlie barge and tug boat to the river 

 pnckcl, the palatial ocean steamer and tlie ir- 

 tesisiible monsters of the world's great navies. 

 lOveu in those lines of manufacture where It Is 

 not au absolute essential it cannot be dispensed 

 witli. for there must be boxes, barrels, casks 

 .'ind packages of ever.v description used in tiieir 

 marketing. .\iid at the lasl. when in the cold 

 ■ground "his pale form is laid with many tears." 

 should a man leave onl,v a moderate estate and 

 be buried simply by an "undertaker," a simple 

 co/Hn of wood forms his resting place until 

 "<;aliricl blows his trumpet." unless jierchance 

 he should lie possessed of sullicieiit of this world's 

 goods to be attended by a "funeral director" and 

 "interred" in a casket: even tlien in most cases 

 this can only lie distinguished from wood by the 

 size of the "said "funeral director's" bill. 



In fact, as I liavc said, so essential Is It In 

 all lines that every pulsation in trade and 

 commerce is felt in the lumber business. To 

 keep pace wiHi ilic ilciiiands upon it man's In- 



.\. .1. I..\M!. ST. I.OUIS. Mil 



veiiHve genius has been culled Inio use probably 

 more in this business tlian In any oilier. The 

 old pitsaw of pioneer days was followed by steam 

 power and the clnuhir mill, which was thought 

 to he a wonder In lis time: and this In turn. 



