June 23. 1922 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



the trade that there are times when I really dislike to be called a 

 lumberman, as I, like all other lumbermen, have been blamed for a 

 lot that we did not do and had nothing to do with other than 

 failure to show an interest in our product rather than the mere 

 sale of it. We have been letting the other fellow do that, and he 

 has not been much thrilled or excited over his responsibility. The 

 Department of Commerce has opened the door to us and we should 

 go to the extreme end of the road in putting over the plan, and 

 not in a lukewarm way, as it is truly a manufacturers' problem." 

 Mr. Bitter further remarked that his company could get along 

 without association grading rules. He said: "We have a capacity 

 of 100,000,000 feet a year. We produced 70,000,000 feet last year 

 and are running normal now, and with our own grading rules at 

 that. We could get along very well, and would probably be less 

 affected than anyone, but it is a duty to aid the cause. I have 

 worked day and night on the problem because it is right. ' ' 



On the suggestion of B. F. Dulweber the meeting was thrown 

 open for general expressions of opinion, resulting in a lot of mem- 

 bers expressing themselves as being strong with the Hoover indorse- 

 ment contingent. 



The following committees were named to draft organization plan: 



J. E. Stark, chairman : B. B. Burns. Hugh L. White, Harry Anderson. 



W. M. Ritter, F. K. Conn, B. F. Dulweber. C. M. Kellogg. W. R. Satterfield, 



L. C. Bell. A. N. Smith, H. G. Bohlssen. G. W. Allport and E. K. Mahan. 



To draft sales code: 



T. E. Sledge, M. B. Cooper and .1. W. Mayhew. 

 This closed the first afternoon session. 



SherriU Pleads for More Pep 

 C. H. Sherrill at the session on Frida}- morning stated that while 

 there had been some question of the ability of hardwood and soft- 

 wood people to cooperate in the Hoover plan, he claimed that such 

 cooperation would result in a great economic saving and work out 

 perfectly. He called attention to the large amount of gum, oak 

 and other low grade lumber rotting on piles in the South, which 

 could be cut into dimension stock for structural use if graded for 

 such use, and which could be used side by side with pine, fir or other 

 woods. Such grading would result iu some items bringing $30 a 

 thousand, which are bringing .$7 a thousand. Mr. Sherrill stated 

 that letters were constantly being received from various sources 

 relative to adaptability of certain woods, and that through proper 

 grading all contained in one book, it would make it much easier 

 for the architect, and easier for buyer and seller, either jobber or 

 retailer. It would aid the architect in securing specific items 

 needed to carry certain stresses in structural work. 



Mr. Sherrill claimed that he had cut practically every wood 

 grown, and had been in the lumber business from retailer to pro- 

 ducer, from pine to hardwoods, from lumber stacking to the execu- 

 tive end, and had worked in the engine room and on the machines, 

 with the result that he didn't think, but knew that the soft and 

 hardwood interests could cooperate to mutual advantage. Mr. 

 Sherrill said: "At the Hoover conference a lot of lumbermen at 

 first looked with dismay on the plan as impracticable, but after 

 mulling over it for a couple of hours they saw the light and were 

 quickly convinced that it could be done." 



A System to Fix Responsibility 

 In discussing grade markings as proposed, he held that no effort 

 was made to give the pine people, who use the letter markings, any 

 advantage, but that with the use of the letters A. B. C, etc., and 

 numerals, along with Q. for quartered, V. for vertical grain, E. for 

 rift, etc., it would be quite ea.sy to mark any grade or kind of lum- 

 ber, including the identification of producing mill and association 

 of which it is a member, resulting in complete record of producer 

 and grade, with the result that it would be very easy to check up 

 and lay the blame where it belonged in event of any controversy 

 later on, as the lumber would carry its original identity. In this 

 way the producer, jobber, retailer or consumer could be brought 

 together and the National organization called in to settle a dispute 

 if it could not be settled otherwise. The speaker argued for one 

 set of grading rules, covering all lumbers produced, as the stand- 

 ardization idea would not only help the public, but the general 



industry. In discussion of grading rules and inspection he held 

 that it had been far from perfect, due in part to changing condi- 

 tions, and added uses of lumber in new consuming quarters. 



Judge William S. Bennett of Chicago, counsel for the Edward 

 Hines' interests, made a short and snappy talk, following up the 

 wire of the previous day from Mr. Hines to the organization. Mr. 

 Bennett referred to a recent statement relative to the day of the 

 large storage yards being succeeded by large companies with many 

 salesmen. He held that the hardwood men can do the same thing, 

 and can sell direct through good salesmen, just as readily as the 

 jobber, and at the same time secure a larger profit. He asked why 

 the manufacturer should not sell direct to consumer. He held that 

 it might wipe out the jobber, but the economic day is coming when 

 there will be more and larger direct sales. He cited a recent case, 

 in which the producer after paying freight and demurrage, received 

 $9.25 a thousand, Chicago, out of which he had to pay commission. 

 All told Mr. Bennett 's talk was along the lines that the large pro- 

 ducer has nothing to fear from the wholesaler. He closed his 

 remarks by stating that he hoped all present would enter the organi- 

 zation, as they should make their grades and rules, as after all the 

 wholesaler 's place is merely in buying and selling, not in running 

 the producer 's end of the business. 



Pope Tallss for Consumer 



A short talk was made by A. E. Pope, lumber supervisor for the 

 Dodge Brothers Company, Detroit, who argued for fair dealing and 

 for a basis of selling sixteen ounces for a pound, either through the 

 lumbermen getting together on the problem themselves, or, if neces- 

 saTv, he favored Federal regulation of the industry, so that the 

 buyer may get that which he buys and which he pays for. He cited 

 some instances where retailers try to add five dollars a thousand 

 in taking advantage of lengths in yellow pine timbers, sixteen foot 

 in length, as against twelve foot, in 8x8 stock, and cited an instance 

 where he placed an order for 6/4 hickory, FAS, at $175 a thousand, 

 received a poor grade of No. 3 common, and where the dealer finally 

 admitted that it would cost more to haul the lumber away than it 

 was worth. He said: "For years I've been praying for the day 

 when we would have a fair plan in effect, a sort of pure food law 

 for lumber, which would force sales of sixteen ounces as a pound. ' ' 

 He closed by stating that he believed the day was at hand, thanks 

 to the Washington conference, when lumber would be properly 

 graded and marked, so that there would be no question as to what it 

 was. "If this can be done by your organization," he said, "then 

 I'm for you all the way." 



Van Norman Sets Meeting Afire 



J. Van Norman, attorney, Louisville, chief counsellor for the 

 Southern Hardwood Traffic Association, touched the match to the 

 assembly at this point. He talked to the point without gloves, and 

 so completely did he hold and electrify his audience that on his 

 conclusion the usual handclapping was not sufficient. The manu- 

 facturers present actually stood on their chairs and shouted, so 

 vividly had he appealed to their convictions and so clearly had he 

 defined the issue and the purpose of the meeting. 



From this point on the real progress was made. Mr. Norman's 

 speech follows in full: 



I have been asked to say a few words here as an outsider. I want it 

 distinctly understood that in what I say I am not representing anybody. 

 That nobody is responsible for what I say except myself, but I have some 

 views to express here that I think ought to be expressed in this meeting. 



In the first place, as to the necessity for the organization of a National 

 hardwood manufacturers' association. I have never been able to under- 

 stand why the hardwood industry was the only one that I know of or ever 

 heard of that has not a national association of its producers. I am con- 

 nected indirectly with some other industries. I have been to the annual 

 meetings of the National Coal Association. No man may belong to that 

 association that does not produce coal out of the ground. The hardwood 

 lumber industry is the only one that I know of whose national associa- 

 tion is dominated and controlled by the middleman. But that is true of 

 your industry. It would be just as appropriate for a national fanners' 

 organization to be controlled by the wholesale grocer and produce broker 

 as it is for the national hardwood association to be controlled and 

 dominated by the middleman that handles that commodity. Why have 

 you never had such an organization? Is it because you lack the genius 

 for organization? I think not. You have inaugurated and built up and 



