September 25, 11122 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



23 



Getting the Facts First 



By Wilson Compton, 



Secretary-Manager National Hardwood Lumber Association 



The problems of lumber standardization and trade practices have 

 been before the lumber industry in some form for several years. 

 At the annual meeting of the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association in 1919, and at the First American Lumber Congress in 

 the same year, organized steps were taken looking to the simplifica- 

 tion of lumber grading standards, greater uniformity in the names 

 of similar grades of competing species, and the standardization of 

 the sizes of yard lumber and mouldings. 



From that time to the present the engineering bureau of the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' Association has been engaged 

 in a thorough study of the prevailing standards and practices and 

 of the practical possibilities of improvement. Conferences from 

 time to time have been held in 

 which all branches of the lumber 

 trade have participated. 



The first standardization con- 

 ference in June, 1919, was held 

 under the authorization of the 

 American Lumber Congress. 

 Further meetings were held in 

 1919 and 1920. Although a care- 

 ful analysis and comparison had 

 been made of the lumber grading 

 standards, the attention of these 

 lumber conferences was devoted 

 to the standardization of sizes of 

 lumber and mouldings. Definite 

 recommendations supported by 

 the majority of associations of re- 

 tail dealers, wholesale dealers and 

 many associations of lumber 

 manufacturers and lumber con- 

 sumers were submitted to the 

 lumber manufacturers as the re- 

 sult of the conferences in 1920 

 and 1921. These recommendations 

 are now in the hands of lumber 

 organizations throughout the 

 country. 



Soon after his appointment as 

 the Secretary of Commerce in 



1921, Mr. Hoover indicated his purpose to invite representatives 

 of the lumber trade at an appropriate time to discuss with him the 

 possibilities of increased economy and more profitable and more 

 stable business which might result from the simplification and 

 standardization of certain lumber size, grade and inspection stand- 

 ards, and in the development of more adequate quality guarantees 

 to the lumber-using public. In accord with action proposed by the 

 construe; ion industries in favor of a general program of standard- 

 ization of construction materials, and consumers' requirements, the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' Association invited the Secretary 

 of Commerce to address its annual convention and the annual 

 meeting of the American Lumber Congress, consisting of delegate 

 representatives of the organized lumber trade of the United States, 

 and to submit to the lumber industry his views with respect to 

 improved lumber standards. 



Genesis of Washington Conference 



As a consequence of the discussions which took place at these 

 meetings, under the authority of specific resolutions passed at that 

 time, and to make possible the realization by the lumber industry 



*Central Committee on Lumber Standards 



John W. Blodgett, Chairman, Blodgett Company, Ltd., 

 Grand Rapids, Mich. 



John H. Kirby. Representing Manufacturers, Kirby-Bonner 

 Lumber Co., Houston, Texas. 



Charles A. Goodman, Representing Manufacturers, Sawyer- 

 Goodman Lumber Co., Marinette, Wis. 



Dwight Hinckley, Representing Wholesalers, Dwlght- 

 Hinckley Lumber Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. 



John E. Lloyd, Representing Retailers, William M. Lloyd 

 Company, Philadelphia, Pa. 



W. E. Hawley, Representing Railways and Engineers, Du- 

 luth, MiEsabe & Northern Railway Company, Duluth, Minn. 



E. S. Hall, Architect, Representing Architects, Chicago, 111. 



'Ill acvordance mth the action oj the Chicago meeting, held 

 and concurred in by subsequent standardization meetings in Port- 

 and concurred in by subsequent standardization vieetings in Port- 

 land. Oregon, the 'National Lumber Manufacturertf' Association now 

 advises that a Central Committee on Lumber Standards has bean 

 selected by the organised lumber trade to conduct the further devel- 

 opment of lumber standardization. 



Thi.8 committee ha.s full authority, and Tnay in<^ea.se its ou?n 

 membership. In creating this committee the general conference in 

 Chicago requested that the organizations) in the lumber trade par- 

 ticipating iu the stncflai-dization activity co-operate with and work 

 through the Cf>ntral Committee on Lumber Standards. 



of the benefits of greater economy, more s'able and more profitable 

 lumber conditions, and to the end that the lumber trade might 

 have an opportunity to demonstrate its capacity for self-govern- 

 ment as a means forever "Of Keeping the Government Out of the 

 Lumber Business," and avoiding the inevitable wastes which 

 attend the intervention of government in the ordinary affairs of 

 business and industry, the ' ' Washington Standardization Confer- 

 ence" was arranged with the Secretary of Commerce for the last 

 week of May, 1922. 



At no previous time in the history of the lumber industry has a 

 practical problem involving the ordinary processes of production, 

 distribution and consumption of lumber received such widespread 



consideration as did the problem 

 of lumber standards and guaran- 

 tees for the protection of the lum- 

 ber-using public, in the discus- 

 sions at this conference in Wash- 

 ington with the Secretary of Com- 

 merce. The results of that con- 

 ference were promptly announced, 

 and have been widely published 

 throughout the lumber trade and 

 through the daily press. 



In brief, the matters suggested 

 by the Secretary of Commerce for 

 the consideration of the lumber 

 industry and fully discussed at 

 the Washington conference, and 

 concerning which definite recom- 

 mendations were then made for 

 further development and consid- 

 eration, included: 



First — Simplification of lumber 

 grades and grade names. 



Second — S t a n d a r dization of 

 lumber sizes. 



Third — Adequate and practical 

 guarantees to the buyers and 

 users of lumber of the proper de- 

 livery of both quality and quan- 

 tiy. 

 Fourth — Improvement and extension of lumber inspection service, 

 as an aid to the maintenance of published grading standards. 



Inasmuch as this was considered to be essentially and in actual 

 practice primarily the problem of the lumber producer, the National 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association, representing the organized 

 lumber producers of the United States, was requested by this con- 

 ference to arrange suitable means for carrying out the conference 

 recommendations. It was specifically instructed to arrange for a 

 general meeting to which representatives of the entire organized 

 lumber trade of the United States, including producers, distributors 

 and consumers, would be invited. Pursuant thereto a general con- 

 ference on lumber standards was held in Chicago, July 21 and 22. 

 To this more than 150 national, state and regional associations of 

 lumber producers, distributors and users were invited. These 

 meetings were probably the most representative of the lumber 

 industry, from the tree to the consumer, held in recent years. 



Basic Aims of Chicago Meetings 



The primary purpose of these Chicago meetings was to submit 

 to the organized lumber trade of the United States the program of 



