HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



that the factions composing this organization, 

 the veneer and panel men, are antagonistic to 

 each other. There are wheels within wheels, but 

 It will take time to straighten all these points 

 out. It is exceedingly hard to get all these 

 people into the association. It is necessary for 

 every man to put his shoulder to this wheel to 

 make the wagon go. I hope this point will im- 

 press every man here — the idea that it is his 

 special Job to get all his competitors into this 

 association. I hope our next meeting in June 

 will show an attendance of 100 people. Habit 

 is a great thing, and men are not yet in the 

 habit of attending veneer meetings. Doubtless 

 they will do better next time. 



Mr. Kline : I think there are other gentlemen 

 who would fill the bill of president more suitably 

 than I can, but I will say that I am willing to 

 do the best I can and stick by it. If it had not 

 been for the backing I have received from men 

 familiar with association work, I would have 

 felt like dropping it. 



Mr. Gibson : I don't see any reason for you 

 veneer people to be discouraged. In my long 

 familiarity with association work I have noticed 

 the same reluctance and holding back on the 

 part of many, the same small attendance at first. 

 but I think that you already have a most excel- 

 lent start. This association work does cost 

 money, but I will say to you that for every cent 

 you put into it I am sure you will draw dollars 

 out. Already the new Hardwood Efimension As- 

 sociation, as I said before, is reaping the benefits 

 of its one meeting, and at the coming one in 

 Cincinnati next week the officers have pledges 

 that over a hundred concerns will send repre- 

 sentatives. 



Mr. Sawyer : Where is the money coming from 

 up to the present time for our expenses? 



The secretary was instructed by the chair to 

 read a report of finances up to the present time, 

 which showed that the income so far had been 

 derived from dues paid by members. 



Mr. Sawyer : It strikes me that this Is a busi- 

 ness proposition. I do not know where that 

 ^10,000 mentioned is coming from, but I know I 

 like the idea and I believe as Mr. Gibson does 

 that every cent expended will bring back dollars. 

 I believe the thing for us to do today or tomor- 

 row is to form an executive committee or get 

 some one to give his entire time to this thing 

 until we can form plans by which we can act in 

 unison. Somebody must give a great deal of 

 time and an immense amount of thought to it. 

 I presume Mr. Gibson, who is a past-master in 

 that thing, should give us the idea. Then it is 

 for us to decide what we want to do. If we 

 want to pay the fiddler, I think we can make the 

 other fellow dance. 



A general discussion followed. 



Future Meeting Places Discussed. 



Mr. Kline : Perhaps the most important place 

 to consider first iu regard to holding future 

 meetings would be in the South — say at Knox- 

 ville or Atlanta. It is a subject that should be 

 considered and a conclusion arrived at before we 

 separate here in Chicago. Of course we cannot 

 expect that all these northern gentlemen will go 

 down South to attend a meeting. Some of us 

 who live in the South can do so, however. 



Mr. Defebaugh : Let's have a meeting in the 

 Southeast and perhaps one in the North, say in 

 Michigan. I am sure there are enough enthusi- 

 asts to get together in these sections with the 

 cooperation of the officers or members livins; in 

 these respective sections and induce others sn 

 that when we meet in June we will have at least 

 100 present. We must break down the high 

 fences ; we know it has been done before and can 

 be done again if we can only get enough people 

 together to accomplish it. 



On motion the meeting adjourned. 



THUBSDAT MOBNING SESSION. 

 At 10 a. m., Feb. 15, the meeting of veneer 

 men was called to order, and on motion Bur- 

 dis Anderson was made chairman. 



General discussion ensued on grades and 

 relative prices. Suggestions were made on 

 amending rules as authorized heretofore, and 

 adding to them; especially a grade rule for 

 cross banding. 



A Base for Prices Decided. 

 Mr. Dayton : I move that 1-20 inch cross 

 banding veneers, 24 inches, be made a limit of 

 an average width, and be made a base for prices. 

 We do not get enough for our wide stock. I 

 would also suggest an advance of ten per cent 

 for every foot in width above 24 inches. 

 Seconded and carried. 



Mr. Anderson : It seems necessary to me to 

 define exactly what is meant by cross banding. 



Discussion followed on this subject by Messrs. 

 Underwood, Kline, Groffman, Munyon, Anderson 

 and Dayton. 



Mr. Anderson : A motion has been made and 

 seconded that under this grade of rotary cut oak, 

 birch be added, and that the specifications apply 

 to rotary cut birch as well. 

 Carried. 



Mr. Anderson : I move that the specifications 

 on Vs inch and thinner veneers shall apply to 

 dimension stock and not include log run. 

 Carried. 



Mr. Calhoun asked for prices on oak, which 

 brought out interesting discussion from Messrs. 

 Munyon, Kline. Underwood and Groffman. 



Mr. Groffman ; I move that we take a blind 

 vote as to what plain oak faces and backs shall 

 be worth on 1-16, 1-lS and 1-20, based on these 

 grades, up to 14 inches. Faces and backs to be 

 named separate. 



Seconded and carried. 



Cross Banding Defined. 

 Mr. Sawyer : I would like to present the fol- 

 lowing definition for cross banding, and move its 

 adoption: Cross baiiding shall be clear, save 

 from pin worm holes, and of even thickness ; 

 straight closed checks, straight splits, sap and 

 discoloration not to be regarded as defects. 

 Seconded and adopted. 



Average Prices on Oak Faces and Backs and 

 Birch and Poplar. 



The chairman then read the result of the blind 

 vote which had been taken on oak faces and 

 backs, giving the highest and lowest quoted 

 prices on each and their average, as follows : 

 1-16 faces, from $12 to ?7.50, average, $9.91 ; 

 1-16 backs, ?6 to ?3.75, average $5.40 ; 1-18 

 faces, from $12 to $7.50, average $9.62 ; 1-18 

 backs, from $3.75 to $6, average $5.25 : 1-20 

 faces, from $12 to $6.50, average $8.42 ; 1-20 

 backs, from $6 to $3.25, average $5.53. 



It was then decided to take a blind vote on 

 the prices of birch and poplar, under separate 

 heads, log run stock, from 1-30 to 1-16. The 

 chairman read the result of this vote, as fol- 

 lows. On birch, 1-30, from $3.50 to $2.75, aver- 

 age $3.17 ; 1-24, from $3.50 to $3, average, 

 $3.30 ; 1-20. from $4 to $3.25, average $3.65 ; 

 1-16, from $5 to $3.50, average $4.40. On pop- 

 lar, 1-30, from $3 to $2.75, average $2.94 ; 1-24, 

 from $3.50 to $3, average $3.31 ; 1-20, from 

 $4.50 to $3.25, average $3.87 ; 1-16, from $5 to 

 $3.50, average $4.50. 



President Kline then announced that a suffi- 

 cient number of panel people were not able to 

 get together for a noon meeting, hence the entire 

 association would reconvene at 2 p. m. 



On motion the meeting adjourned. 

 THTJBSDAT AFTEBITOOD' SESSIOIT. 



Promptly at 2 p. m. President Kline called 

 the association to order for the afternoon 

 session. It was moved and seconded that the 

 minutes of the meeting of the veneer branch 

 of the association be incorporated in the min- 

 utes of the meeting of the regular associa- 

 tion. 



Eventual Plan of Organization. 



Mr. Defebaugh : We now have thirty-eight 



members, having received a few new ones today. 

 I have here some recent letters bearing on the 

 regret of the writers at not being able to attend, 

 aud one from Mr. Anderson of Memphis In re- 

 gard to separating the veneer and panel manu- 

 facturers. The original idea of the association 

 was to educate the trade, but to form strictly 

 separate branches, one of veneer and one of 

 panel men. After everyone possible is interested 

 we will look toward something of that kind, 

 since it is not possible to harmonize the two 

 altogether. An association is only the machinery 

 to bring people together, and the Idea in view 

 was to bring about a veneer association strictly, 

 and also a panel association strictly, but meet- 

 ing at the same time. Thus those affiliated with 

 the different branches should be affiliated with 

 both bodies. 



Constitution Amended. 

 Mr. Kline ; I would like expression of opinion 

 on associate members again, especially with re- 

 gard to dealers and commission men. Various 

 members state that they object to admitting such 

 people to the membership of the association. 



Mr. Groffman : I move that it be considered 

 the sense of this association that persons not 

 manufacturers are not eligible to membership In 

 the association. 



Then followed discussion about amending the 

 constitution wherein associate members were re- 

 ferred to. 



Mr. Groffman : I now move that the rules gov- 

 erning amendments to the constitution be sus- 

 pended for the purpose of entertaining an amend- 

 ment to the constitution. 

 Seconded and carried. 



Mr. Sawyer : I move that the clause relative 

 to associate members be stricken out. 



Mr. Anderson : I would like to have the clause 

 'manufactures and sells" construed by the chair. 

 As it now stands It is somewhat ambiguous. 



Mr. Kline : I should decide that the clause 

 "manufactures and sells" means both manufac- 

 tures and sells, not either one or the other. 



Motion seconded and carried and Article 3 

 ordered amended to that extent. 



The Question Box. 

 Mr. Kline : Has anybody prepared any ques- 

 tions for a question box? I appoint Mr. Groff- 

 man a committee of one to pass cards to each 

 member on which to write any question he 

 chooses to ask. 



This being done, Mr. Kline propounded the 

 questions as follows : 



Q. What constitutes the thickness of a panel 

 sanded on one or two sides ; the thickness after 

 having been sanded, or the thickness before sand- 

 ing? 



Mr. Groffman : If an order comes in for % 

 inch panels sanded, is the question — shall they 

 be V4 inch when finished or before they are sand- 

 ed? Well, if a man sent me an order for % 

 inch panels sanded on one side, he would get 

 panels a scant % Inch unless he specified Vi 

 inch when finished. 



Mr. Perry : That same question has to be 

 asked every time the subject comes up. • I would 

 like to have it settled. 



Mr. Kline : If you make up a quarter inch 

 panel and sand it down on one side, the customer 

 would likely object. It seems most reasonable 

 to me to ask the question in advance. I don't 

 think it would be advisable to make a rule on 

 this subject. 



Mr. Sawyer : I move that we make a rule to 

 have rough stock % inch or whatever Is re- 

 quired, before sanding. 

 Seconded and carried. 



Q. Is it advisable to have branches of the as- 

 sociation in different sections of the country? 



Mr. Defebaugh : I do not think state lines 

 could be properly drawn, but I believe If people 

 would interest themselves in a particular trade 

 and in particular territory or districts it would 

 be a good idea. 



Q. Is there any cause for fear of our body be- 

 ing thought a trust in restraint of trade? 



