this plan, and reports that lie has scored a substantial saving bj- 

 means, of it. If the wholesale lumberman or sawmill man had 

 not equipped themselves with the proper machinery to provide this 

 kind of lumber, the user, the factory man, would have been com- 

 pelled to continue along lines which he realized were incorrect. 



The owner of a ripsaw at a wholesale yard, like any other 

 dimension manufacturer, must shoulder a big charge for waste. 

 In other words, in order for his plan to be successful, his increased 

 values, secured through the improvement of the grade, must be 

 sulficient to absorb not only handling charges, in and out of the 

 shop, manutaeturing expense and overhead on liis plant and equip- 

 ment, but also the loss in waste. This runs anywhere from fifteen 

 to thirty per cent, and is consequently a big item. A sawyer 

 who cuts up stock without discrimination, or a lumberman whose 

 inspectors or yard foreman i\ere not sufficiently knowing in their 

 choice of boards to be ripped, would soon pile up such a big 

 expense account, with such a small corresponding increment in 

 lumber values, as to make the experiment a particularly disas- 

 trous one. 



In this case, of course, the lumberman is not really cutting dimen- 

 sion stock, though he is improving the character of his lumber 

 in much the same manuer as that used by the concern which is 

 cutting lumber to the sizes required by specific consumers. Hence 

 offal that in the dimension mill might be worked up into stock 

 suitable for certain users would be a total loss at the wholesale 

 yard which was running its lumber through the saw with only 

 one object in ^iew — reducing the nimiber of defects to the 

 piece and thus raising the grade of the lumber. 



All these possibilities have to he taken into account by the 

 yard man who enters the manufacturing class along the line's noted. 

 A good many who have considered the project believe that the plan 

 is not worth while, but so many others have put in equipment 

 Mnd added to it from time to time that it is at least a fair 

 assumption that under proper conditions and with skillful handling, 

 the wholesaler-woodworker can at least make his investment in 

 machinery earn its six per cent salt. 



The yard man is also providing equipment in a good many 

 cases for surfacing work. It is really remarkable how many calls 

 there are for stock that is dressed on one side. Small factories 

 often ask for this character of lumber, and there are other consumers 

 who can use lumber finished on one side and consequently can 

 relieve themselves of the necessity of having to put in planers 

 on their own account. This is particularly true of small wood- 

 working concerns which do not handle a great volume of work, 

 and which consequently do not feel like investing in expensive 

 equipment which may be needed only semi-occasionally. 



As suggested, the idea in the lumber and woodworking trades 

 seems to be at present to do all that can be done profitably before 

 the lumber gets to the factory. If, as the possibilities seem to 

 indicate, the lumberman finally reaches the point where he delivers 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



lumber dried, cut to size and surfaced, all the factory man will 

 have to do will be to supply the cabinet-workers and the finishers. 

 He will, in fact, cease to be a woodworker in large measure, and come 

 to be a wood user onlv. 



Imports and Exports 



The imports of wood and the manufactures of wood into the United 

 States for March, 1913, showed a total value of $3,808,110. A total 

 value of similar imports for March, 1912, was $2,886,312. Of this 

 the value of mahogany imported was $369,907. The cedar import 

 was valued at $48,387. Pulpwood to the value of $443,027 was 

 brought in during the month, while wood pulp to the value of $1,268.- 

 567 was imported. Exports during the same month totaled in value 

 $8,730,658, as against $7,715,820 in March, 1912. Hewed and sawed 

 timber aggregating in value $667,284 was exported during the month. 

 Yellow pine led in total of export value with $2,136,800, oak being 

 second with a value of $820,239. 



Michigan Hardwood Cut 



Comparison of the estimated and the actual cut of members of 

 the Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association is embodied in 

 a report recently coming from Secretary Knox. On Jan. 1, 1913, 

 fifty-eight members estimated that their winter's cut would total 

 402,526,000 feet of hardwoods. The actual cut reported by these 

 members April 1 >vas 391,019,000. Maple showed the largest indi- 

 vidual cut; beech, second; birch, third; then followed basswood, 

 soft elm, ash and rock elm. 



Car Surpluses and Shortages 



According to the report of the American Eailway Association, 

 dated May 7, the total surplus of freight cars on May 1, 1913, was 

 53,977. The total' surplus on 'April 15 was 70,715. It is interesting 

 to note that a year ago the total surplus on May 9 was 136,776. 

 The total shortage May 1, 1913, was 14,178, and on AprU 15 was 

 13,217. A year ago, specifically May 9, 1912, there was a shortage 

 of 6,078 cars. These figures offer an interesting commentary 

 on the condition of shipments throughout the country. It will be 

 seen that there was a noticeable decrease in the surplus of cars from 

 April 15 to the first of May, while the shortage increased materially 

 during the same period. This would certainly indicate increased 

 shipping activity tliroughout the country. 



The most striking feature is seen in a comparison of figures for 

 May, 1912, and May, 1913. An excess of surplus is seen in Ma}- of 

 last year against a very moderate surplus in May of this year. 

 The shortage the ninth of May, 1912, was practically negligible, 

 while on May 1, 1913, it was fairly large. This should be a further 

 indication of the increased industrial activities as compared to this 

 time last vear. 



rWO D.\YS AT THE YARDS OF C. C. SHAFER. A RECORD IN SINGLE SHIPMENTS OF HARDWOOD FROM THAT POINT. (See page 38.) 



