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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



June 10. 1922 



Executive Committee Arranges for National Veneer 



and Plywood Convention 



Arrangements for the holding of the annual convention of the 

 National Veneer & Plywood Manufacturers' Association in Chica- 

 go at the Auditorium Hotel on June 20 and 21 were made by the 

 executive committee of the association in Chicago on Friday, May 

 19. The annual dinner and entertainment will be held on the 

 evening of the first day. This will be the first meeting since the 

 merger. 



The meeting was presided over by H. B. Sale of Fort Wayne, 

 Ind., president of the association, and other members of the com- 

 mittee present were F. B. Ward of Bay City, Mich., and H. E. 

 Kline of Louisville, Ky. T. D. Perry, of Grand Rapids, and C. B. 

 Allen, of Memphis, members of the association, were present by 

 invitation. 



M. Wulpi. of Chicago, commissioner of the association, re- 

 ported on the progress that has been made in perfecting the de- 

 tails of organization since the merger was effected early in the 

 year. He showed that ninety plants have joined the re-organized 

 association. 



The committee considered means of enlarging the membership 

 and increasing the interest of the veneer and plywood manufac- 

 turers in the organization. They resolved to call to the attention 

 of the industry the fact that in the unification of all individual 

 groups or group efforts they will lay the foundation of the future 

 success of the whole industry. They will point out that this was 

 the purpose of the merger of the Plywood Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion and the old National Veneer & Panel Manufacturers' Asso- 

 ciation. This purpose may be realized with relative ease if the 

 members of the industry can be brought to understand the real 

 meaning of association work as it is now organized in the merged 

 associations. 



Many members of the industry do not yet seem to realize what 

 national association work is. They seem to think that such en- 

 deavors are of little practical importance; that they are merely 

 casual and incidental and can be conducted on a "shoe-string. 

 Those who are striving to build up a strong national association 

 for the veneer and plywood industry know that there are today, 

 and always will be, many problems in the industry which can be 

 successfully dealt with only by the united strength of the members 

 of the industry. They know that the successful solution of these 

 problems means increased profits and greater security to the indi- 

 vidual members of the industry. But they also know that to make 

 profits and secure insurance, money must be invested. The in- 

 dustry must have an association substantially financed so that it 

 may employ a capable secretary and discharge the duties that 

 devolve upon it in the efficient and dignified manner that insures 

 successful results. Two of the problems of national scope that 

 immediately suggest themselves are traffic and advertising, or 

 trade extension. In order that the industry may protect itself 

 from rate discriminations it must have a strong representative 

 association to protest in the name of the industry. No individual 

 can expect to get the attention in a traffic controversy that can be 

 demanded by an entire industry. In the matter of publicity it 

 may be said that no product can take full advantage of its possi- 

 bilities of demand unless it is exploited through advertising and 

 publicity methods and this is a task that cannot be handled by an 

 individual, but must be made the duty of an entire industry. 



The executive committee will find means of calling these facts 

 to the attention of veneer and plywood manufacturers who are 

 yet unable to see the necessity of well financed and efficiently 

 maintained associate endeavors. 



The Latest in Kilns at the Forest Products 

 Laboratory 



The new kiln at the Forest Products Laboratory, with which the 

 action of any commercial type of kiln may be reproduced, will be 

 of especial interest to those taking the next kiln drying course. 

 June 5- 1 6. 



Each of the three fundamental factors in drying wood, moisture, 

 heat, and circulation is perfectly and easily controlled, not only for 

 duplicating any particular type of kiln-drying action, but for any 

 modification that the experimenter may wish to try out. 



The new kiln, while built for experimental purposes, is a regular 

 sized unit intended for practical work under any condition which 

 may be met in commercial operation. The kiln is not so much for 



Operating Room of the New Demonstration Kiln at the Forest 

 Products Laboratory 



comparing the relative efficiency of different types as to make 

 possible studies by which these various types may be improved 

 and the best drying rates worked out. It is intended also to use 

 the kiln as a demonstrator in the courses of dry kiln operation. 



In designing the kiln, special attention was given to the produc- 

 tion and control of the air circulation; two types, internal and 

 external, of blower or forced draught equipment are provided, and 

 further control is possible with the series of air ducts, dampers, 

 chambers, and vents. 



The four internal blowers are all mounted on one shaft below 

 the lumber and are driven by a motor located outside the kiln. 

 Heating coils are on either side of the blowers. Reversing the 

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