24 



THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 



In the settlement of any disputes as to inspection 

 this of course, where tlie credit, financially, of 

 the parties ordering the stocli is not in dis- 

 pute, the question of grades being the point at 

 issue. Many consignees are heartily in favor of 

 our plan, which is to attach to the invoice a 



LEWIS DOSTER. 



certificate of inspection, issued by this associa- 

 tion on such shipments, wherein tliey agree to 

 accept the ofiicial inspection of this association 

 as final, these certificates being issued by us to 

 cover such points which would be too far dis- 

 tant to permit of a visit by one of our official 

 traveling Inspectors, for the purpose of settling 

 differences that may arise. No one is allowed 

 to issue such certificates except under Instruc- 

 tions from the Secretary's office, where the piece 

 tallies are extended and thoroughly proved, to 

 avoid any errors, the inspection of course to be 

 made by one of our recognized salaried inspect- 

 ors, who is thoroughly coninetent and absolutely 

 impartial. These certificates are issued In the 

 same form as our reinspection reports ; they be- 

 ing made out in triplicate form. 



Our grading rules have become effective with 

 a class of people who have not atllliated with 

 this association, but who nevertheless have been 

 shipping their lumber In accordance with our 

 grading rules, and also from consumers who are 

 anxious for a ha.sty report to avoid demurrage 

 and secure a basis f(»r settlement, and in every 

 case we have given the same our careful atten- 

 tion, to the entire satisfaction of all. settlements 

 having been made in accordance with our re- 

 port. 



Reinspection Department. 



The peculiar conditions existing in the com- 

 mercial industries of the country the past year 

 had some effect on the demand for the product 

 which we represent, and although It was a no- 

 ticeable fact that these conditions were more 

 marked in other lines of Industry than ours, at 

 the same time, it caused a falling off In the de- 

 mand in the earl.v part t»f the year, and as Is 

 always the case under such conditions, the buy- 

 ers and consumers of hardwood lumber have 

 been more exacting in regard to grades and 

 measurements, and we have had active use for 

 our reinspection department, resulting In much 

 beneficial protection to our members. 



During the year we have had 276 requests for 

 reinspection In different sections of the con- 

 suming markets. From a late canvass made 

 relative to the results of this work. 220 replies 

 state that the inspection report gave hasty 

 basis for the most satisfactory method of adjust- 

 ment : twenty-three reported that the claims 

 -were not .vet adjusted, and the balance did not 

 report. 



Our plan In handling stich matters is as fol- 

 lows: The concern w-ho has shipped the car In 

 dispute, advises us fully as to car number, con- 

 signee and location, contents of car and any 

 other information which would assist our in- 

 sneetors to locate the exact stock in dispute, 

 giving us wherever possible, any mill marks 

 that may be jdaced on the lumber, and whether 

 the stock is band or circular sawed, for the pur- 

 pose of Identification. Immediately upon re- 

 ceipt of the request for such work we advise the 

 consignee that we have been instructed by the 

 shipper to make a reinspection of the stock in a 

 particular ear and request him to hold the lum- 

 ber Intact until such reinspection can be made. 

 and as soon thereafter as possible we send oiu' 

 of our traveling In.spectors to destination to make 

 a careful Inspection and measurement of the 

 stork in question. In accordance with niu- ofll- 



eial rules. By advising the consignee we have 

 at various times, without a reinspection, been 

 able by correspondence witli the consignor, to 

 assist the member to make a settlement on the 

 basis of the original invoice. 



In making reinspeetions for non-members we 

 always make a per diem charge for services of 

 inspector, which is not made to members. 

 These charges have alwa.vs been gladly paid. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



Lewis Dostbr, 



Secretary. 



Chief Inspector's Report. 



Chief Inspector ,T. V. Hill read liis report 

 as follows: 



During the past year the work of our bureau 

 lias been to install in a systematic manner at 

 the point of pr<iduotion our system of grading, 

 and a greater part of our time is devoted ta 

 this work. 



The firms, especlall.v the largest producers 

 who have more than one plant, realize the im- 

 portance of a grade of lumber that is shipped 

 uniformly from each plant, especially when 

 the same customer would be buying the same 

 grade shipped from two different mills. We 

 devote a great deal of our time with success in 

 such work and have placed in the minds of the 

 inspectors the knowledge of and the methods of 

 Interpreting the rules. 



I find that In the past foundations for a good 

 many disputes arose from the lack of knowledge 

 of inspection rules, which we are faithfully en- 

 deavoring to overcome, to the benefit of the 

 customer, and they appreciate our work and 



H. VON SCHRANE. 



enter heartily into promoting these universal 

 methods. 



The policy which we have been pursuing at 

 the present time has been to send our Inspectors 

 to the mill points at the request of the mill 

 owners, for Instruction and education of the mill 

 inspectors, our men being under the supervision 

 of their superintendents. 



We often find cases where the manufacturers 

 have been a trifle high in their grading. In 

 other instances we find that the grades are en- 

 tirely too low, and we at that time, according to 

 tiieir request, take their inspectors and bring 

 them up to a level with the grading rules, great 

 care being tis^'d that they do not become Im- 

 bued with the Idea that they must go beyond 

 the limits either way. 



Through those efforts we have seen a de- 

 cided inirease in the knowledgi' of our rules 

 bv the insiiectors. and their familiarity, we 

 think, is becoming very pronounced at the 

 [joints of destination. 



The elT(u-ts of our early visits on disputed 

 ears and the manner In which we explain a 

 grade to the consignee or customer has been 

 carried on in a sjitlsfactory manner. 



We conv(*y to the insi>ectoi-s In tile consum- 

 ("g markets the knowledge relative to the man- 

 ner of grading and our grading rules printed on 

 a large cardboard posted for their attention 

 and Information. 



Going back to the work of visiting mill 

 points, we have found at different times vari- 

 ous causes why we should visit mills, for at 

 points of destination wbcre disputes have oc- 



curred in the regrading of stock, we would 

 have found deviation from our regular rules, 

 both in grading and manufacture, causing us 

 to immediately take up through the secretary's 

 oflice the work of overcoming this diificulty. 



These matters have been given our strictest 

 attention, not from one visit only, but on my 

 second and third visit to different territories 

 and from personal contact I find that it re- 

 sults in desired satisfaction to all of the trade. 



The work of our grading has not been con- 

 fined in the past year to all association members, 

 and tile installation in new plants of members 

 has led others to place the same in force in their 

 mills, and a great deal of time has been de- 

 voted to outside or independent concerns, using 

 tbe adoption of our rules. The negotiation for 

 the expense of these matters is carried on in 

 the secretary's office. 



A necessary adjunct to successful grading, 

 I might add. is the necessity of care in the 

 manufacture of stock, as a great many of the 

 objections found in the consuming markets oc- 

 cur from this, and the carelessness In handling 

 the product are responsible for disputes in 

 Muestious — sometimes more than the natural 

 defects in the lumber. I also find that this 

 applies not always to the rough stock, but also 

 to the manufactured or finished product. It is 

 found by the yard men and buyers that a uni- 

 versal manufactured size of the finished product, 

 not only in flooring, but in siding, ceiling and 

 casing is necessary. 



The major part of the j>roduct handled has 

 been on uniform lines — in accordance with our 

 official sizes. We have visited delivery points 

 and found that objections have really been made 

 not to the grading but to deviations from the 

 standard sizes. 



.\t a great many places where we have re- 

 inspections to be made. I find that the con- 

 sumers are often forced to pile their lumber 

 In such a position that it is very hard to lo- 

 cate the e.xact stock which needs to be reln- 

 spected. and I certainly think that if a plan 

 could be enacted by n-hlcb members of the asso- 

 ciation could have a brand designating their 

 certain stock, it would be helpful not only to 

 the inspector, but at the same time protect (he 

 shippers, insuring them a definite location of 

 their stock which they want reinspected. 



The necessity of increasing our force of In- 

 spectors is an imixtrtant one. and to do so It 

 Is neci'ssary to educate a class of men to the 

 strictest familiarity with our rules, who are ab- 

 solutely impartial and who can intelligently dis- 

 cuss and convey to others the purposes and 

 methods iif grading at both the producing points 

 and in the markets. 



On motion of A. J. Gahagan the three 

 foregoing reports were referred to the ex- 

 ecutive board. 



On motion of S. Lieberman, the conven- 

 tion gave a vote of thanks to the oflScers 



W, M. RITTER. 



of the association for their industry, and 

 the splendid service they had remlored dur- 

 ing the past year. 



A communicatiou was received from K. 



