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HARDWOOD RECORD 



Meeting of Veneer and Panel Manufacturers. 



A special meeting of the National Veneer 

 & Panel Manufacturers ' Association was held 

 at the Auditorium Hotel, Chicago, at 2 p. m. 

 on Wednesday, Feb. 14, President P. E. Kline 

 in the chair. 



Secretary E. H. Dcfcbaugh cnlled the roll, 

 to which the larger portion of the members 

 of the association responded. There were 

 present : 



Attendance. 



Burdls Anderson. Croat Lakes Veneer & Panel 

 Co., Grand Marais, Mich. 



E. W. Benjamin, Cadillac Veneer Co., Cadillac, 

 Mich. 



J. W. Bishop, Glidden Vecoer Co., Glldden, 

 Wis. 



W. E. Bonesteel, Worden Tool Co., Cleve- 

 land. O. 



W. C. Calhoun, Fiost Veneer Seating Co.. She- 

 boygan, Wis. 



Harry P. Coe, Coc Manufacturing Co.. I'aines- 

 Tille, O. 



D. E. KIJ.NK, PKKSiDEKT, I.OLISVIIjLE, 

 KV. 



Walter Claris, Grand Kaplds, Mich. 

 P. C. Dayton, Uhinelander Veneer Co., Rhlne- 

 landcr. Wis. 



E. U. Uefebaugh, Barrel & Box, Louisville, Ky. 

 M. C. Dow, Goshen Venper Co., Goshen, Ind. 



J. C. Dozier, Standard Box Co., Baton Rouge, 

 La. 



F. W. Eggers, Eggers Veneer Seating Co., Two 

 Kivers, Wis. 



H. H. Gibson, Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



A. E. Gordon, Hardwood Record, Chicago, III. 

 L. P. Groffman, St. Louis Basket & Box Co., 



St. Louis, Mo. 



C. T. Jarrcll, B. C. Jarrcll &. Co., Humboldt, 



TCDD. 



D. E. Kline, Louisville Veneer Mills, Louis- 

 ville, Ky. 



B. W. Lord, Chicago Veneer Co., Burnslde, Ky. 

 M. C. Moore, Packages, Milwaukee, Wis. 



W. C. Mummert, W. C. Mummert & Co., Wa- 

 waka, Ind. 



W. G, Munyon, Virginia Veneer Co., Keczle- 

 town, Va. 



M. W. Perry, Ahnapec Veneer & Seating Co., 

 Algoma, Wis. 



L. V. Phillips, Linwood Manufacturing Co., 

 LInwood, N. C. 



Charles Pulverman, C. C. Mengel & Bro. Co., 

 Ix>nlsvlllc, Ky. 



E. V. Sawyer, Cadillac Veneer Co., Cadillac, 

 Mich. 



William Schoenlau, Schoenlau-Kukkuck Trunk 

 Top & Veneer Co., St. Louis. Mo. 



Jerome H. Sheip, Philadelphia Veneer & Lum- 

 ber Co., Knoxvllle, Tenn. 



P. G. Spangier, Worden Tool Co., Rhinelander, 

 Wis. 



J. A. Underwood, Underwood Veneer Co., Wau- 

 sau. Wis. 



C. I'"red Yegge, Chicago Mill & Lumber Co., 

 Chicago, 111. 



At the suggestion of the president, the 

 reading of the minutes of the last meeting, 

 held in Chicago, Dec. 19, was dispensed 

 with. The secretary then read a number of 

 interesting letters from prominent manufac- 

 turers, expressing their regret at not being 

 able to attend the meeting and their inter- 

 est in the organization. These letters were 

 from all sections of the country and were 

 unanimous in their assurances of co-operation. 



President Kline then addressed the meet- 

 ing, speaking briefly of the value of associa- 

 tion work and of the need of snch effort in 

 the veneer industry. 



Value of Association Work. 



Mr. Kline : Mr. Defebaugh and I met with 

 several veneer manufacturers at Indianapolis not 

 long ago. Our suggestion that they join an 

 association of this character was favorably re- 

 ceived. We have had replies from other con- 

 cerns along the same line; others seem to think 

 they know their business so well they don't 

 need any association or anyone to help them to 

 get better prices. One man said he was running 

 his mill twenty-four hours a day and employed 

 no traveling salesmen, had no commission men 

 disposing of his goods, and thought he was get- 

 ting the best prices that were obtained in the 

 trade. Without going into personalities, this 

 gentleman was contradicted and the fact shown 

 that he was not getting the best prices. This 

 shows the inconsistency of the position he takes. 

 If he can, by joining the association, educate 

 others, It will better his condition by lessening 

 the number of irresponsible competitors and 

 eliminating the absurdly low prices some men are 

 getting for their goods. The manufacturers of 

 oak in Indiana have an association. That asso- 

 ciation was formed in 100,"!. They adopted a 

 constitution and a set of rules for the inspection 

 of quarter-sawed oak veneer. If these rules 

 were carried out It would better the condition 

 of the manufacturer very materially. They tell 

 me that they are trying to carry them out. But 

 within the past twenty-four hours it has been 

 stated to me on good authority that a certain 

 gentleman is going to Indianapolis to select 

 a carload of quartered oak veneers at a price 

 that is fixed in advance. That kind of an asso- 

 ciation won't do anybody any good. 



It seems to me that the high priced man Is 

 a mighty good man to belong to this associa- 

 tion. If he can educate olhers up to his stand- 

 ards he will better them that much. I have 

 before me in the way of printed price lists what 

 might be termed the history of the veneer and 

 panel business In the way of prices. They have 

 been published and obtained by various manu- 

 facturers throughout the country, and I would 

 like to read these figures to you. But before we 

 leave the subject of association work the presi- 

 dent of the Maple Flooring Association was here 

 today, and we had hoped to have the pleasure 

 of having him tell us something of the advan- 

 tages of association work. He was called away, 

 but gave his ideas to Henry H, Gibson, editor of 

 the Hardwood Record, and I would like very 

 much to have Mr. Gibson tell us obout them. 



Mr. Gibson : I met W. D. Young of Bay City, 

 Mich., a few moments ago, Just before he left to 



attend a flooring meeting. I suggested to him 

 that I was satisfied from his experience In asso- 

 ciation work that you would be very glad to hear 

 from him for a few moments on the achieve- 

 ments of the maple flooring association. He said 

 he was already overdue at a meeting in another 

 part of the city, but wished he might have had 

 the pleasure of speaking to you. He wished on 

 his behalf that I would say just this to you : 

 "Association work is a most valuable aid to busi- 

 ness. The association won't make any money as 

 an association, but will make you money as in- 

 dividuals. We have spent hundreds of dollars as 

 individuals in this work, but it has made us 

 thousands." 



If I may be permitted just a moment more, 

 I have been familiar with association work in 

 lumber affairs for years and don't knoiv of any 

 which has not helped the work to which it per- 

 tained. Take the new Hardwood Dimension -As- 

 sociation, for instance. Although but one meet- 

 ing has been held up to the present time, a St. 

 Louis manufacturer told me yesterday that al- 

 ready he has been able tn get nu nihance of thirty 



.1. A. UNDERWiMil', \\.\l s.\r. WIS., FIRST 



VICE i'iti:siDi:NT. 



per cent over former prices. Two men at l.oulS: 

 ville a few days ago had similar favorable re- 

 jjorts to make. The menace to every man's 

 business is uuintelllgent competition. It Is worth 

 while to educate every man up to the standard 

 of positively knowing what constitutes cost. 

 When you do that you have gained something in 

 your business. I think this work you have 

 started will make you more money than any 

 other venture you ever entered into. 



.Mr. Kline: We would like to have expressions 

 of opinion along varituis ilncs. 



Associate Membership. 



Mr. Underwood: 1 have written your secre- 

 tary on two or three points: one concerning the 

 cash discount allowed on bills and anotlier the 

 subject of associate members of this association. 

 I see you mention machinery and supply men. 

 I want to know what bencUt these assoelatlons 

 ever get from manufacturers of machlnecy. We 

 can all buy all the machinery we want, and we 

 all know where to get it when we want It. Man- 

 ufacturers of machinery have created more un- 

 necessary comjjetltloii among us than we our- 

 selves. Their one Idea Is to sell maehlnery. 

 They go after a fellow with a small lot of limber 

 and make hlin think he can make a fortune if he 

 will only buy a veneer machine and cut It up. 

 That Is the hardest competition in the world 

 to meet. These maehlnery men don't care any- 



