26 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



June 25. 1922 



iCoiitiiund from page 34) 

 offended country. The management of this association is not invested 

 with authority to Itill or to imi?rison a disloyal member, but it has author- 

 ity, under the constitution of the association, to suspend such a member 

 from the association ; and during the past year it has been the painful duty 

 of the mana^'emeut to separate several offending members from the 

 benefits arising from their connection with the National Hardwood Lum- 

 ber Association, by reason of their disloyal attitude ; and doubtless this 

 policy of purging the membership of mischievous and destructive elements 

 will be adhered to in the future. 



Of late much has been said about dishonest practices employed in the 

 lumber trade, including softwoods as well as hardwoods, and it is astonish- 

 ing that the greater part of this loose talk has emanated from men engaged 

 in the lumber business. One may well wonder if it may not be the 

 deceptive outcry of "Stop thief !" indulged in for the purpose of distract- 

 ing attention from the practices of those by whom the cry is raised. 



There is no warrant in law or equity for the indictment of a trade, or 

 a considerable portion thereof, without evidence to support the charge, 

 (leneral statements are unfair and dangerous, and when loosely indulged 

 in are unqualifiedly condemned by all fair-minded men. I am submitting 

 no brief in defense of dishonest men or dishonest practices, but I am 

 simply protesting against that quality of ignorance and intolerance that 

 would burn the barn because it may be infested with rats instead of 

 catching the rats ; that would seek to blacken the reputation of an entire 

 industry — or the reputation of a substantial portion thereof — because it 

 may contain an iniinitesimal percentage of dishonest operators, instead of 

 making the individual rogues pay the penalty for their nefarious practices. 



The discussion which lately has been rather extensively engaged in 

 regarding unfair methods of merchandising lumber has been of an entirely 

 e\ parte nature. But the employment of unfair methods is not entirely 

 confined to the seller of lumber. The buyer is not at all times above 

 criticism in his methods. Take, for instance, the Individual who has 

 justly acquired the reputation of being a "price buyer." lie knows what 

 a fair market price is for the stock he requires, and y<it. with this knowl- 

 edge at hand, he never hesitates to beat down prices below the market. A 

 weak salesman will submit to this hearing-down process, accept orders 

 below the market and then attempt to make up the difference in price in 

 the quality of the stock ilelivered. Had the buyer been fair no such a 

 temptation would have been placed before the salesman. 



I am not attempting in any manner to justify the practice of selling one 

 grade and delivering another, but I am claiming that the "price buyer" 

 is frequently responsible in part for the existence of this reprehensible 

 practice. As a usual result, a fair Ijuyer will develop a fair shipper, while 

 an unfair buyer may develop an unfair shipper. The mutual slogan to 

 govern transactions in lumber should be : Fair prices, fair grades and a 

 square deal all around. That is what this association stands for and in 

 that attitude it has the support of its meml)ership. who will meet the 

 consumer more than half way in making this slogan effective. 



Other matti'r in the report was on membership, showing a present total 

 '>]■ ].4(I.S. and on inspection ami finances. 



Changes Made in Inspection Rules 

 Another important concern of the convention was the report of 

 the Inspection Rules Committee, delivered by Chas. N. Perrin of 

 Buffalo, N. Y., the chairman, -nhicli was adopted by unanimous 

 vote. This report was made at the morning session Friday, June 2.3. 

 It is as follows: 



The tendency in all lines of industry is to concentrate upon a common 

 standard, or set of standards, in both the practical and ethical policies 

 pursued. In the hardwood field the focal standard of practical policy Is 

 the inspection rules of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. It is 

 safe to say the ninety-flve per cent, and very probably ninety-nine per cent, 

 of the world's hardwood business at this time is carried on under the 

 mutual acceptance and olHcial application of these rules. 



True there is an element in the hardwood trade, though an uninfluential, 

 and in fact a negligible one. which does not acknowledge its obligation 

 to the standards of our organization, but wh<)se own standards so closely 

 imitate ours that in fact there is but one basic standard, or set of stand- 

 ards. The position and prestige of our National rules is the natural and 

 merited result of the hard work and close study which our successive 

 inspection rules committee have given to the nmtter during the last twenty- 

 five .years, and in the ultimate outcome of which work and study they have, 

 of course, been supported by the wisdom and approval of our membership 

 as a whole. 



Conditions affecting our industry have undergone material variations 

 during the past quarter-century, and will no doubt continue subject and 

 liable to such variations in the time to come, and I take this opi)ortunity 

 to reiterate our fixed purpose of welcoming, in tact seeking out, sugges- 

 tions from any and all interested sources which promise to contribute to 

 the more intelligent uses of our standing timber and the more thorough 

 utilization of sawmill products by the consumer. 



Hence it will be necessary to keep our rules abreast of the times and 

 hold them to the same definite, easily understandable and eminently 

 efficient status which they have now attained. At the same time I want 

 to eni'i'nisize the fact that the general attitude of your rules committee, 

 which has served during the past year, has been to leave the inspection 



rules as now founded and codified for the most part undisturbed, for we 

 feel that they are cast on correct and equitable lines. 



Without doubt you will be interested to hear of some of the activities 

 of your committee, which are not reflected in the recommendations formally 

 l)resented to you. In the matter of small dimension stock which is receiv- 

 ing close attention at present, both from the United States Department 

 of Forestry and from the consumers' associations, we have kept in close 

 touch with the situation and have informally taken the position that this 

 small dimension stock should be of such a nature and carry such specifica- 

 tions that it could be manufactured by the ordinary sawmill outfit without 

 the addition of elaborate and highly specialized machinery. Clear small 

 dimension stock properly manufactured has a high intrinsic value — prac- 

 tically the same as firsts and seconds — and its advent into common usage 

 would Dot onl.v he in the interest of conservation, but assist in the solving 

 <if on" "ow grade problem, and would obviate the paying of vast sums in 

 freight on the unusable portions of our lower cutting-up grades. 



Your association is olficially represented on the committee for the stand- 

 ardization of cross ties and switch ties, and which committee is meeting 

 under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Forestry and 

 the .Vmerican Railway Engineers' Association. This standardization com- 

 mittee has held several meetings and we hope soon to be able to present 

 for your consideration and approval, and for incorporation in our rules 

 book, an American standard that will cover all railroad material of this 

 character. In this connection we have also been working directly, but 

 informally, w'.ch certain representatives of the American Railway Associa- 

 tion for the purpose of moving toward a clearer and more exact under- 

 standing of their requirements in timbers, planking, car material, etc., 

 and thereby making it possible for us to readjust our present specifications 

 to those requirements. 



This association is also olficially represented on the standardization 

 committee of the American Mining Congress, which committee is endeavor- 

 ing to work out a single American standard for mine timbers, props, mine 

 boards, mine ties, etc. 



The importance of this standardization work should be apparent to 

 every lumberman, for if the work is successfully done, and those particular 

 standards incorporated in our rules book and subject to oiBcial service by 

 our inspection department, the lumber manufacturers will be able to cut 

 his sound low grades into a standard commodity, for which there is a 

 large and growing demand. 



The export problem is also receiving careful consideration in an 

 endeavor to work out a s.vstem that will insure better protection to our 

 members who are engaged in the exporting of hardwood and more accurate 

 service to their customers in foreign countries. 



The work done by our official inspectors during the past year has been 

 outlined to yon in the report of the secretar.v. The department is func- 

 tioning smoothly and evidently to the satisfaction of our active users of 

 the service. 



I will now read the recomnnmdation of your rules committee : 



Change Made in National Rules 



Tile report of the Inspection Rules Committee, which was unanimously 

 Md<.picd. follows : 



I*arag!-aph 1 — Change in finished sizes of Bevel Siding. (See page 47.) 



The following changes in the finished sizes of Bevel Siding are recom- 

 mended by request of a number of manufacturers and distributors for the 

 reasons that presimt practice and improved methods of manufacture de- 

 mand them, 'rhe paragraph as amended will read as follows: 



"Bevel Siding shall be made from strips S4S to W by 3%. 4% 



and 5%" and resawn on a bevel and shall be measured as 4, 5 and 6" 



wide res| lively." 



Paragraph '1 — Kestriction regarding defects admitted in No. 1 Common 

 Siding. Flooring Ceiling and Partition. (See page 48.) 



The present rule was doubtless written before the adoption of the pres- 

 ent definition of a standard defect in wane. X technical application of 

 the present rule would mean that a piece of Siding. Flcmring, Ceiling or 

 Partition. 15 feet long, could have wane 1" wide, two-thirds the length 

 of the piece, which would be four standard defects. This is unreasonable, 

 because this material is used in cross cuttings the full width.. The addition 

 of the following clause is recommended to be applied in reference to the 

 standard defects admitted : 



" which defects, however, shall not cause a waste of more 



than one-sixth the length of the piece." 



Paragraph 3 — Short lengths in Panel and Wide No. 1. (See page 53.) 



The present rules contain no restriction as to short lengths in wide 

 No. 1. and this is sometimes the cause of emi)arrassment in tranactions 

 where the percentage of lengths is not specified. The insertion of the 

 following clause is recommended : 



"The combined grade of Panel and Wide No. 1 will admit 30% 



shorter than 12 feet." 



Paragraph 4 — Firsts and Seconds Rock Elm. Hickory and Pecan. (See 

 page 25.) 



The present rules on Firsts and Seconds Rock Elm, Hickory and Pecan 

 are more severe on pieces 10 feet and over surface measure than on any 

 other domestic wood. In view of the scarcit.v of these woods this is consid- 

 ered unreasonable and not in harmony with the idea of uniformity of 

 grades. It is therefore recommended that the second exception under the 

 caption of Seconds on page 25 be eliminated. This will make the grade 

 stnndard. with the present exception regarding the minimmn, width. 



Paragraph 5 — No, 1 Common Quartered Poplar. (See page 56.) 



The present grade of No. 1 Common Quartered Poplar is the only grade 

 of No, 1 Common in the rules which is required to work 75%. In the in- 

 terest of uniformity and the prevailing custom of the trade, it is recom- 

 nundcd that this grade be made standard. (See page 16, paragraph 55 to 

 0.5. 1 



Paragraph — Black <^um and Tupelo. (See pages 20 and 22.) 



Owing to the great similarity of Black (ium and Tupelo, which are 

 really two species of the same family, and the impossibility of positively 

 (CotithniffI oil pnffv ."iOl 



