February 10, 1917 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



41h 



quantity desired, if uot from a single manufacturer, tlien^ fiTini several. 

 It is believed that judicious and persistent advertising will largely 

 increase the demand for birch, resulting in larger orders for certain 

 kinds, and one of the reasons for branding is to make it possible to 

 take care of orders of all sizes. The lower gi'ades in particular are 

 in need of a wider market, and it is believed that a vigorous advertis- 

 ing campaign will do more than anything else to bring about tliat 

 desired result. 



Mr. Hines presented four recommendations for conducting a greater 

 birch campaign antl for guaranteeing the product, which are sum- 

 marized as follows: 



1 — A tborough standardization o£ grades ; 2 — The branding of every 

 piece of lumber with an association trademark, name of the manufacturer 

 and grade, and such other designating marks as may be found essential : 

 3 — ^The association inspection should be final and settlement arranged 

 where branded lumber is not up to the brand guaranty. The association 

 should be protected by a bond from every company licensed to use the 

 brand, and bonded certificates of inspection should be issued on all ship- 

 ments ; 4 — Provision should be made for securing funds with which to con- 

 duct a practical campaign for securing accurate knowledge of the require- 

 ments of the consumer and the operation of a comprehensive and forceful 

 advertising and publicity campaign. 



The merchandising of lumber from the viewpoint of the profes- 

 sional advertiser was discussed by J. B. Crosby, of the Crosl)y-Chicago 

 Advertising Agency, in which he took for his text: "It Is Better to 

 Make a Market than to Meet the Market. ' ' Advertising, when prop- 

 erly used, has power to create a market by causing desire or stimulat- 

 ing curiosity in the prospective purchaser. 



Wmiam B. Greeley, of the Forest Service, spoke on markets abroad 

 and the agencies and policies in foreign countries which are now shap- 

 ing them. A large part of his address was devoted to a discussion 

 of this country 's timber resources and the industries which are de- 

 pendent upon them. 



Changes in the By-laws 



The by laws of the association were changed to provide for a regu- 

 lar association bureau to be called the Bureau of Statistics and Edu- 

 cation Information, in accordance with the following: 



This bureau shall consist of twelve sales managers actively engaged in 

 the sales department. One member from each district shall serve for three 

 years, one from each district for two years and one from each district for 

 one year — and annually one member from each district shall be chosen by 

 the committee to serve for three years. 



Any member who, except for sickness, refrains from attending two con- 

 secutive meetings, cancels his membership and the balance of the commit- 

 tee elects to fill the vacancy. 



The districts to consist of upper Michiga(i, western Wisconsin, central 

 Wisconsin and eastern Wisconsin. 



Meetings shall be held monthly at the call of the chairman at such time 

 and place as he may select. The committee shall gather information on 

 market conditions, stock on hand, sold and unsold, consider carefully the 

 market conditions and general situation as it applies to competitive woods 

 and shall monthly, or as often as is necessary, issue information to the 

 members of the association, through the secretary's ofiice, conveying to 

 them such information and recommendations as they may have to make on 

 anything of interest, in connection with stocks on hand, market conditions, 

 and everything tor the betterment of the industry. 



Bureau of Promotion 



A report by Chairman McCullough, of the Bureau of Promotion, 

 outlined the work being done by that important branch of the asso- 

 ciation. The bureau consists of five members whose duty it is to 

 compile information concerning the uses of woods manufactured by 

 the association, and to promote an extension of uses where practicable 

 to do so. 



The use of birch as interior iinish in some of the finest buildings in 

 the United States was cited as proof that this wood meets the most 

 exacting requirements demanded of interior finish. The Massachusetts 

 Institute of Technology, in Boston, regarded as the handsomest school 

 building in America; the Hotel MacDonald, Edmonton, Canada; Wil- 

 liam Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh; Hotel Astor, New York; Grunewald 

 Hotel, New Orleans; Palace Hotel, San Francisco, and many other 

 prominent hotels, office buildings and apartments trimmed in birch 

 are evidence of this wood "s high character. 



The attitude of the association on the question of reconsignpients 

 of lumber was set forth as follows: 



Resolved, That a reasonable rule should he imposed by' the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission on Interstate traffic for the privilege of reconsign- 



racnt, and the same should be paid for in a separate charge for each recon- 

 signment. 



The veneer manufacturers of the territory attended the meeting, 

 being particularly interested in the plans for advertising birch, and 

 at the next meeting of the Kotary Birch Club wiU consider allying 

 themselves with the greater birch campaign by giving it suitable 

 financial support. 



Over one hundred reservations were made for the annual dinner 

 which was hehl at the Pfister Hotel on the evening of the first day. 

 There were no speeches, but the occasion was enlivened by music and 

 entertainers. 



Election of Officers 



The election of ofiicers for the succeeding year resulted as follows: 



President — J. J. Dingle, Westboro, 'V\"is. 



Vice-president — C. H. Worcester, Chicago. 



Treasurer — George E. Foster, Mellen, Wis. 



Directors — W. K. Clubine, Park Falls, Wis. : H. H. ITeineman, Merrill, 

 Wis. ; A. C. We'ls, Menominee, Mich. ; J. T. Phillips. Green Bay, Wis. ; R. 

 B. Goodman, Goodman, Wis. ; >L J. Quinlan, Soperton, Wis. 



The following chairmen of bureaus were then elected: 



Bureau of transportation, A. L. Osborn, Oshkosh, Wis. ; bureau of grades, 

 George H. Chapman. Stanley, Wis. ; statistics and educational information, 

 H. H. Butts, Park Falls, Wis. ; hemlock promotion bureau, M. P. McCul- 

 lough, Schofleld, Wis. 



The new board of directors met immediately after the adjournment 

 of the annual meeting and reelected O. T. Swan secretary for 1917. 

 They also empowered Secretary Swan to employ an assistant secretary 

 to take the place of Assistant Secretary O. A. King, who wUl leave 

 shortly to take up his duties as secretary of a commercial organi- 

 zation. No other business outside of the usual routine was conducted. 



Logging Conditions Improved Around 

 Memphis 



The weather has been rather unfavorable in this territory recently 

 for getting out logs though it is somewhat improved at present as it 

 is now clear and as the ground is frozen over important areas. This 

 makes the haiding of logs a comparatively easy matter and also tends 

 to increase the amount of timber being cut. The larger mills here and 

 elsewhere throughout the Memphis territory have enough logs on hand 

 to keep them going and they are therefore working at something like 

 capacity. A number of the smaller miUs, however, are less fortunate 

 in this respect and some of them are now either closed down altogether 

 or are running intermittently. .These smaller mills cut a quite impor- 

 tant figure in the total production of southern hardwoods and the 

 interruption to operation on their part is appreciably reducing the 

 amount of lumber being put on sticks. The Valley Log Loading Com- 

 pany is going ahead steadily with the loading of logs and has enough 

 timber in sight to insure full loading for some weeks yet. The Mis- 

 sissippi has shown another rise during the past two weeks but the 

 crest has already passed Memphis and there is nothing in the volume 

 of water now in sight to suggest flood conditions in the immediate 

 future. Lumber interests, however, are aware of the fact that the 

 time for tlood in the Mississippi is not far distant and they are keeping 

 a close watch on developments in this direction because of the vast 

 interference with their whole plan of work exercised by this one par- 

 ticular influence. Every effort is now being made to cut and haid all 

 the timber possible for the double reason that developments later may 

 seriously hinder this work and that present indications point to the 

 need of large supplies for the mUls. 



This brings up the question of southern hardwood supply and also 

 prospects for business. It is generally believed here that supplies are 

 not heavy and it is likewise felt that there is going to be demand 

 enough for all the hmiber that can be manufactured whether the 

 United States gets into the European war or not and whether peace 

 comes in the near future or is to be seriously delayed. As already 

 suggested, manufacturing operations are being curtailed through con- 

 ditions over which the smaller mUls are able to exercise no control. 

 Meantime lumber is being shipped just as fast as facilities can be 

 provided for handling it. There is no doubt that traffic conditions 

 are decidedly less favorable now than they were two weeks ago. A 

 number of the southern roads which raised their embargoes then have 

 reinstated them:. 



