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^g The Lumber Trade Journal 



Editor's Note 



Tlic foUowins paper ou The Relation of the Lumber Trade Journal to the Lumber Industry, was iJresenle<l at 

 the recent second annual meeting of the Lumber Sales Managers' Association, held at Chicago, by IL U. tJibsou. 

 editor Hvkdwood Recohd. In tliis document Mr. (iibson attempts to handle the subject without sloves. and while 

 confessing the weakness of the lumber trade journal, he b'lieves there are wonderful possibilities in the future of 

 the class Journal, and that manifest increased bt-nelits lo the hiiiilier industry can be attained by closer co opera- 

 tion between the lumber trade and its exponents 



11 H 



I hold that there 



The compliment you pay me in giving me the 

 opportunity to address you on the subject of 

 "The Relation of the Lumber Trade Journal 

 to the Lumber Industry, ' ' is highly appreciated, 

 and while I fear I can say little that will be 

 of interest, "the deed that follows the hope," 

 impels me to frankness. It is just possible that 

 I may be able to present to you a iie\v view 

 point on the subject of lumber trade journalism 

 that you may be able to employ to your ad- 

 vantage. 



I am well aware that in tlie minds of many 

 the trade journal is regarded either as a neces 

 sary evil, or its acceptance is condoned in the 

 belief that the publisher is a good fellow, is 

 doing the best he can, and needs the money. 

 Either of these attitudes on the part of lumber- 

 men places the trade newspaper publislier in a 

 very unenviable position, as they display liini 

 practically as a parasite on the lumber busi- 

 ness, or as an object of charity. Personally. 

 I wish to make no plea for a change of opinions 

 in regard to the lumber trade press, although 1 

 do hold they are false ones. 



Furthermore, I wish to confess my belief in 

 the inherent weakness of lumber trade journalism 

 is not a lumber trade journal published that is doing as good work as 

 it might. I bold that they have a basic weakness in contents, and 

 that they are filled with "con, bunk and pifSe," appealing only to 

 the individual. The fact that "Jim Jones, the alert sales manager 

 of the Red Cross Lumber Company of Big Ditch, Indiana, spent 

 several days in Chicago last week, and enjoyed a good trade," is a 

 matter of no consequence to the trade at large, and the mention only 

 appeals to the vanity of Jim Jones. This item and hundreds of others 

 of a similar nature contained in a trade newspa))er is devoting good 

 paper, good linotype and good ink to trivialities that have no general 

 interest or essential value to the trade at large. 



This example of personal exploitation is presented as a concrete 

 one of the system that has grown up in trade journalism, and has been 

 brought about in the lielief that personal "jolly" of individuals has 

 a reflected value in the cash box of the publication. 



It is my contention that an entire change in trade newspaper policy 

 would release the trade press from the imputation of being cither a 

 necessary evil or a parasite on the lumber business. Primarily, I 

 hold that most of the details of the lumber business, from the stuni|) 

 to the e\'entual consumer, are conducted on lines of marked inefficiency 

 — so marked that in standard it is far below that of any other cliief 

 .\merican manufacturing industry. I don't believe one alleged lum- 

 tiennan in fen is able to accurately analyze the marked difference of 

 wood structure that will enable him to confidently commend the best 

 type of wood for specific utilization. 1 hold that the average man of 

 this day and generation in the business has ceased to be a lumber- 

 man, but has become simply a manufacturer or merchant. 1 hold 

 that the average man manufactures lumber from timber as he finds 

 it, Vjiit lays very little attention to an analysis of the possibilities of 

 his wood with a view to marketing it in the inost intelligent fashion. 

 With the great mass of the jobbers in the trade, they handle lumber 

 as a grocer handles his package of coffee, tea or sugar. They simply 

 merchandise their lumber, and pay little or no attention to doing it 

 in an intelligent manner. 



Hence, I hold that if there ever were a time in the history of the 

 trade '.clien not onlv tin- :i\er;tL'e, Imt tlif- iii:i(oritv ni' tiuiiberincri, 



G1H^^(I^'. KlUTDl; llAKllWdOD 

 RECORD. 



needed technical iutorniation aljout every detail 

 of tlie lumber business, it is today; and it is 

 tlu' province of the lumber trade ))ress — the 

 deed born of hope — to make publications of 

 such essential value to the lumber industry as 

 to insure for all time their standing in public 

 regard. 



This can be brought about only by a sys- 

 tematic study being made of the best methods 

 (if tlie most competent men in every division 

 (if tlu' trade; a thorough analysis of the facts 

 ulilained, and its publication in the form of 

 .(increte and specific articles relating to the 

 iTiany and diversified elements of timber selec- 

 tion, logging, manufacture, seasoning proces- 

 ses, assorting, manipulation and sale. And, 

 furthermore, these expert articles based on, not 

 what the editor knows on the subject, but what 

 (he best talent in the trade knows, should go 

 farther than that, and should carefully recount 

 the best methods for the remanufacture of lum- 

 ber into the thousands of things in which wood 

 is employed, and establish w'ith great care what 

 constitutes the best wood for each specific 

 juirpose. 

 Forest products have a long and honorable history, ami when Ihey 

 are employed in the best way, complaints against their stability and 

 longevity is comparatively nil. In every instance where lumber shows 

 weakness or failure, it is by reason of the employment of the wrong 

 kind for a specific purpose. If in every instance the best sort of 

 lumber were used, there would be no criticism about wood, and there 

 would be no excuse for the existence of the several wood substitutes 

 that now- encroach in the field of lumber sales. 



This phase of lumber trade journalism, the publishing of technical 

 and semi-technical matter of a concrete nature that shall make for the 

 increased knowledge of the logger, sawyer, filer, inspector, etc., has 

 been tried out during the past year in the publication for which 1 

 stand sponsor with manifest success. What I mean by success, is 

 evidence of added interest of readers, and a very snbstanti.-il increase 

 in the number of subscribers. 



This improved character of the publication by no means yet satis- 

 fies me, and it is my belief that it can be manifestly improved, but — 

 this character of lumber literature costs money. It is nmcli lOieaper 

 for a lumber newspaper man to fill his publication with gossi]) aud 

 |iiflle of everyday personal news, than it is to dig up, collect, collate 

 and illustrate the specific details of the business. Wlien a trade news- 

 paper publisher gets back to the matter of dollars and cents, he is 

 obliged to cut his coat according to his cloth. I want to go on record 

 right here in saying that the lumber trade of the United States can 

 have just as valuable trade pultlicntions as it is willing to pay for. 



I believe every trade newspaper publisher is doing the best he can 

 with '.lie revenues at his command, to jiublish |iapcrs that shall bo of 

 essential value to the trade, and I believe that everyone recognizes 

 the weakness not only of his neighbor's, but of his own publication. 



There are certain other things tlial V hold in connection with the 

 functions of the trade newspaper. It must Ik- borne in mind thai 

 circulation constitutes a distinct loss to practically every uews]);iper 

 that is printed. The newspajjer man's revenue comes from his ad- 

 vertising patronage. In other words, the advertiser absorbs the 

 money spent on business management, editorial work, paper, linotype 

 and advertising composilion. jiress work, postage, mailing and all the 

 incidentals connected with llie publishinij business. Tie unl milv pays 



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