58 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



June 25, 1922 



{Continued on page 50) 

 Central Plateau of Asia was changing from tropical forests to 

 meadow and prairie. Most of the species perished or perhaps 

 followed the tropical forests South. The saving remnant, per- 

 haps cut off by natural barriers, were forced to struggle for ex- 

 istence on the ground. Some few survived. These were our an- 

 cestors. Pre-history shows broken glimpses of the development 

 of this race into manlike creatures and finally into men. 



"Beginning with early paleolithic times, man began to organize. 

 This is a story of absorbing interest. In neolithic times the founda- 

 tions for civilized organization were laid down. Since the dawn 

 of history organization and differentiation have been progressing, 

 now fast, now slow. In modern times the great key to our prog- 

 ress in civilization has been organization. Man's first organization 

 was for defense or aggression, then came religious organization 

 and this led to the organization of the State. With the develop- 

 ment of the State, organization, due to community of interests, 

 spread in every direction. Commercial interests organized and 

 developed but more or less on the individual basis. 

 Trade Organization Is Modern 



"It has only been within modern times that commercial organi- 

 zation has developed on any thing but geographical lines. It is 

 only within comparatively recent years that distinct lines of in- 

 dustry have become really conscious of themselves. Today the 

 most progressive industries are well organized. The various in- 

 dividual firms that make up the industry can see farther than just 

 the horizon of their own particular little business. They can think 

 in terms of a certain raw material, a process of manufacture, or a 

 product, as the case may be. One of the earliest and most futile 

 conceptions in commercial organizations was the idea that mutual 

 advantages could be gained by mutual agreements in regard to 

 selling prices. This led to certain glaring abuses and later to very 

 proper legislation in the interest of the public to prevent unfair 

 price organization. Some industries even today may feel that 

 this is the one great field for mutual profit and by various clever 

 practices seek to evade the penalty of price combination. Such 

 industries by fighting the great business law of supply and demand 

 will be our least prosperous and stable industries. Their system 



is wrong and when they fall they fall hard and there will be a lot 



of casualties. 



Morality Alone Succeeds 



"The modern idea of industrial or commercial organization is 

 founded upon moral lines, that is — it operates for the public good. 

 The successful trade association of today renders a worthy service. 

 It not only serves its members in a perfectly legitimate and con- 

 structive w^ay, but it serves all business and the public at large 

 equally well. 



"Bringing the discussion down to the present moment, we may 

 now ask why the veneer and panel industries are organized and 

 what they may expect to accomplish. 



"The 'why* part of it is easy. You have an organization today 

 because there are certain men in the industry that have enough 

 vision to see that their own interests cannot be fully successful un- 

 less the industry as a w^hole is successful. They are willing to 

 give their time and money to improve the industry of w^hich they 

 are a part. 



"What you can accomplish will depend upon the quality of your 

 leadership and the degree of cooperation in your membership. 

 With proper leadership and unfailing member support this industry 

 can chart and follow a remarkable path of progress. 

 Defining Association Services. 



"The path of progress for the industry can readily be divided 

 into productive fields of endeavor: 



"1. Information on raw materials. 



"2. Information on manufacture. 



**3. Information on stocks, production and shipments. 



"4. Credit information. 



"5. Traffic and insurance. 



"6. Improvement of products. 



"7. Standardization of specifications. 



"8. Conservation of materials. 



"9. Public information bureau. 



"10. Trade extension. 



"In the first of these fields you are doubtless as familiar as 1 

 am with the methods and the results to be accomplished. In the 

 field of trade extension my experience in the handling of the suc- 

 cessful Walnut educational work may give w^eight to the sugges- 

 tions that I have to offer. In so doing, however, I do not wish 

 to minimize the importance of the other fields of association effort 

 that have been suggested. Your trade extension is really the heart 

 and soul of your association as its accomplishment means success 

 for the industry and for the members, through service to business 

 and to the public. 



"Before putting into operation a plan of trade extension I be- 

 lieve that you should devote a lot of real thought to a study of 

 the situation. Plot the history of the industry. Chart its pres- 

 ent condition, and then map out just what you w^ant to accomplish, 

 and how you expect to do it. Don't jump at conclusions. 



"It is easy to spend money in foolish advertising and it is easy 

 to get someone else to spend it for you foolishly. Test your plan 

 thoroughly before you spend your money. A theory evolved in an 

 office may not be w^orth a nickle in real cash drawer returns to the 

 men who have to pay for it. 



Plywood Is Word to Advertise 



"As 1 see your problem, it is comparatively simple. You want' 

 to sell more veneers and plywood. To do so you must create 

 consumer demand, rather, in your case, or overcome consumer 

 resistance. According to the dictionary and to the belief of fifty 

 million people in the United States the word 'veneer' means some- 

 thing shoddy make-believe, or a process to cover up something 



inferior. At the 'Better Homes Expositions' I have come in per- 

 sonal contact with thousands of furniture o\vners in various large 

 cities and have had the painful knowledge thrust upon me tKat 

 the word 'veneer' is hopelessly 'in bad' with the public. We know 

 it isn't true, we know^ that veneers have a most worthy place in 

 wood construction, and that plywood, both structurally and artis- 

 tically, is a superior article. What you know and what the public 

 thinks, however, are two distinctly different matters. 



"Your problem is to put both veneer and plywood w^here they 

 belong by educational \vork. This can be done at a reasonable 

 cost and profitably by education on 'plywood,' 'built-up panels,' or 

 whatever you decide to call the product. It cannot be done by 

 talking 'veneers.' The pretty stories of the history of veneers 

 make the veneer man feel good, but they won't sell veneers to the 

 public. It will be infinitely easier to sell a new word to the public 

 like 'Ply\vood' than it will be to overcome a universal prejudice 

 that exists against 'veneers.* The word 'veneers' is hopelessly 

 damned and it would take a generation and several millions of dol- 

 lars to educate the public to a full appreciation of its advantages. 

 On the other hand, the word 'plywood,' where it is known, is 

 favorably known. Its development during the war caused a lot of 

 people to hear of it and learn its value. Building on the plywood 

 idea you can sell it to the American public, and if plywood goes 

 over then gradually veneers will come again into their own. It 

 is human nature to tell others when you get a new^ idea. Every- 

 one likes to pass on timely bits of real information. 

 Public Shies at "Veneer" 



"This trait can be utilized to sell the public on 'plywood.' The 

 same trait makes the well established resistance to 'veneers' possi- 



tively hopeless. As a concrete example 1 have shown fine w^alnut 



room paneling and literally talked it to thousands. The first ex- 

 pression is usually, 'My, isn't that beautiful! 1 always did like 

 walnut.' The next expression is usually an interrogation, 'Is it 

 solid or only veneered?' At first I answered 'Yes,* and enthusiasm 

 cooled and the visitor passed on. After various experiments 1 

 found that I could hold their interest by explaining that the panels 

 were built-up plywood. I explained the core, the crossbanding. 

 and the figured face. I briefily pointed out the superiority of these 

 panels and the word 'veneer' finally was dropped entirely from 



