HARDWOOD RECORD 



21 



Hardwood Dimension Association Meeting. 



A special meeting of the Hardwood Di- 

 mension Association was held in the club 

 room of the Grand Hotel, Cincinnati, O., 

 on February 21 and 22. The attendance 

 was considerably larger than at the meet- 

 ing of the association held in Chicago No- 

 vember 21. As will be noted in the de- 

 tailed report of the proceedings following, 

 it was determined that the Hardwood Di- 

 mension Association form an alliance and 

 become active members of the Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association of the United 

 States. This decision was brought about 

 by tlie fact that it was found that nearly 

 all manufacturers of dimension material 

 are also producers of hardwood lumber, and 

 it was therefore deemed wiser, rather than 

 to pprfpct a permanent organization of di- 



We learned at the Chicago meeting that some 

 inanul'a'turevs of this stoclj were getting good 

 prices and malting money, and had all the or- 

 ders they could fiH. and that a very large part 

 o£ our low-grade lumber and present waste could 

 Wo used profitably in dimension stocls. 



The use of low-grade and waste material in 

 dimension stoclt will apply more particularly 

 to oak than to hickory, for in hickory of all 

 «oods the dimension proposition is most vital 

 lor the entire output is put into some kind of 

 dimension stock. 



After quite a full discussion at Chicago as to 

 the best means to develop a larger demand for 

 liardn-ood dimension material and have the 

 stock properly cut to satisfy that demand, a 

 temporary organization was formed, with Ed- 

 ward I.. Davis of Louisville, president, and 

 Charles S. Bacon of Grand Rapids, secretary, 

 and several committees, to try and ascertain 

 how much of this stock was produced and how 

 much would likely be produced, and if produced. 



EDWARD L. DAVIS, E. E. DAVIS & CO., 

 LOUISVILLE, KY. 



mcnsion people, to ally with the big Hard- 

 wood ilanufacturers' Association. 

 riKST SESSION. 



The first session of the meeting was called 

 to order at 10:30 a. m. with President Ed- 

 ward L. Davis presiding. Mr. Davis presented 

 the t'olkmiug report: 



President's Address. 



.\s you all know, this is a call for the dimen- 

 sion producers of the hardwood district. It is a 

 hard matter to say anything definite to you, as 

 this organization is not really formed, only try- 

 ing to be. 



This hardwood dimension stock proposition, 

 as you all know, has for years been a losing 

 business to most producers, and I believe that 

 their loss has not added as much to the con- 

 sumers' profit as one would suppose. 



Early last year this department of the hard- 

 wood industry was taken up by some of the 

 producers, and. aided by the lumber trade Jour- 

 nals, enlisted enough interest to get together in 

 Chicago, on November 21, quite a number of 

 producers and some large consumers. There by 

 an e.tchange of ideas it appeared that to the 

 consumer this stock cut to his exact require- 

 ments was worth as much as first and second 

 lumber, but that this stock badly manufactured 

 or cut to wrong sizes was to them only good for 

 firewood. 



branch of the business would now justify. If 

 we affiliate with some other organization that 

 is now in full force and power, it can be done 

 with much less outlay. Even if we affiliate 

 with some organization, we must keep it in 

 mind that it will cost, and be prepared to meet 

 the expense. 



After a very full consideration I am firmly 

 of the opinion that we should affiliate with a 

 now organized association, and I think that 

 should be the Hardwood Manufacturers' .\,«so- 

 ciation of the United States, as a great many 

 producers of hardwood dimension are at present 

 members of that association, and they have 

 Iierhaps the best organized force of any organi- 

 zation and what they undertake will be carried 

 to a successful conclusion. 



I further think that that association would 

 gladly take up the work if they see that the 

 amount of stock produced would justify the ex- 

 pense, and this I fee! sure we can show them 

 here today, and also that the addition to their 



C. S. HACOX. ISACOX LUIIBER CO.. CRAND 

 RAI'IDS. MICH. 



what its true value should be as compared with 

 first and second lumber, and to report these 

 facts to some future meeting. We were also 

 expected to recommend at this time the way to 

 best develop this branch of the hardwood manu- 

 facturing business. 



We have tried to get full information on all 

 these points, but still have few, if any, positive 

 facts. Everyone would like to cut dimension if 

 it paid, but I am sorry to say most of us have 

 cut some and lost money. Prices have been too 

 low as a rule to tempt our best manufacturers 

 to cut it. and the stock cut by some too bad to 

 tempt the consumer to encourage the line. 



The cutting of hardwood dimension stock can 

 be made profitable to the producer, and when it 

 is the consumer will eagerly take all that is 

 made, for it will be gotten out, as it should be. 

 fcr the purpose intended, and be cheaper than 

 lumber that they now have to use. We want 

 to find out here today, as nearly as possible, 

 how much of this stock is now produced by 

 those present and what part of their total out- 

 put is dimension stock, and if this would be in- 

 creased by proper increase in prices and demand. 



We also want to decide on the best plan to 

 develop the business and to get the best result. 

 There seems to be only two ways : either to 

 form here a permanent organization, or affiliate 

 with some organization now in existence. To 

 form and develop a new organization would take 

 vast labor and expense, more I think, than this 



,1. S. (lAUETSON. GARETSON-GKEASON 

 LUMBER COMPANY. ST. LOUIS. MO. 



piesent membership would be a most profitable 

 item. 



In conclusion. I wish to say that we wish to 

 arrive at the following conclusions : 



First, How much hardwood dimension is now 

 being produced. 



Second, How much this may be increased. 



Third. What per cent of the output would be 

 dimension stock.- 



Fourth. Rules of inspection. 



Fifth. Relative value and basing points. 



Sixth, How best to accomplish these ends. 



Edwakd L. Davis, President. 

 Further Eem^arks by President. 



Mr. Davis : Gentlemen — This is a very hard 

 matter to get at, and it seems that, from what 

 I have seen here today and what has been cov- 

 ered in correspondence, nearly all hardwood 

 producers are interested in this proposition and 

 are anxious to get it upon a paying basis. I 

 think that it would be folly to put our prices 

 so high that nobody would buy. and yet prices 

 must be high enough to pay the manufacturer 

 to produce the stock. I would like to have a 

 full and free discussion of this subject. Y'ou 

 have all kept up with the lumber journals : 

 they have all taken up this matter in good 

 shape, and have discussed it pretty thoroughly, 

 and they have shown why it ought to be car- 

 ried on in association form. I think the Hard- 

 wood Record, if you have kept up with that 

 paper, has more fully than any other shown the 



