18d 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



July 



1922 



date a representative of the National Hardwood Lumber Associa- 

 tion, the original motion for the committee having provided for 

 only five members. 



Immediately after Mr. Sherrill had spoken the second time, C. V. 

 McCreight, Pittsburgh, Pa., representative of the National Whole- 

 sale Lumber Dealers ' Association, nominated Mr. Goodman as rep- 

 resentative of the National Hardwood Lumber Association on the 

 committee. Mr. Sherrill promptly seconded this motion and Mr. 

 Goodman was duly elected to the committee. 



After the membership of the committee had been provided for, 

 Landon C. Bell of the Wm. M. Eitter Lumber Co., Columbus, 0., 

 called the attention of the conference to the fact that certain im- 

 portant groups of consumers of hardwood lumber should have repre- 

 sentation on the committee, and suggested that the committee at its 

 earliest convenience provide for the expansion of its personnel to 

 give these important elements of hardwood consumers the repre- 

 sentation deserved. Mr. Bell then named the manufacturers of 

 furniture, manufacturers of musical instruments and the wood 

 turners as being representative of the important groups of hard- 

 wood consumers who "must be reckoned with in any determina- 

 tions arrived at with respect to hardwood lumber." 



This statement is a practical assurance that the important groups 

 of industrial consumers of hardwood lumber will liave adequate 

 representation on the committee, as it was part of the plan involved 

 in the creation of the committee to bring such suggestions to its 

 attention. That was the idea in giving the committee power to 

 expand its size according to its judgment of the need of giving 

 full and proper representation to all elements vitally concerned 

 with the program it will promote. 



Becommendations Relating to Hardwoods 



The time of the conference was largely devoted to consideration 

 of basic grades for softwood yard lumber and structural timbers, 

 but recommendations relating to hardwoods were also received. 

 However, as the conference was not empowered to adopt nor reject 

 anything, but could merely receive and consider opinions on mat- 

 ters relating to the standardization program, no action was taken 

 on these recommendations. The recommeudations follow: 



It Is recommended that — 

 1 — A complete engineering- survey be made to detenmine If grades 



cannot be constructed to more closely meet present consuming' 



requirements. 

 2 — The present hardwood ^ades be divided into the three general 



classes recommended by the Washington Conference: and it is 



suggested that this division of the present grades be made as 



follows: 



A. To include those grades which are practically clear or are 

 determined by a limited number of enumerated defects of minor 

 character. 



B. To include those grrades which are determined by clear or 

 clear face cuttings. 



C. To include those grades which are intended for uses where 

 reasonable strength is required, and where certain percentages of 

 sound cuttings is the determining factor. 



3 — In the event a revision or reconstruction of grade specifications Is 

 found to be necessary from the survey that is recommended, the 

 same general division can apply to the revised or reconstructed 

 grades. 



Personnel of Madison Conference 



These recommendations were formulated at a conference of 

 representatives of lumber manufacturers and others, which met at 

 the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., July 12 to 

 20, on invitation of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion, to consider the equalization and simplification of lumber 

 grades. The membership of this conference was as follows: 



Dudley F. Holtraau, chairman, construction engineer, National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association. 



C. J. Hogue, manager, West Coast Forest Products' Bureau. 



J. E. Jones, chief Inspector, Southern Pine Association. 



T. F. Laist. Chicago representative. National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association. 



J. M. Pritcbard, secretary-manager and chief inspector. Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Institute. 



B. F. Dulweber, chairman standardization rules committee, Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Institute. 



C. H. Sherrill, president, Hardwood Manufacturers' Institute. 



Uco. E. Strehan, consulting engineer. Southern Pine Association. 



Fred W. Alexander, secretary-manager. Pacific Lumber Inspection 

 Bureau. 



Wm. F. Hawley. assistant engineer, Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railway, 

 committee No. 7, American Railway Engineering Association. 



Manufacturers Hold Conference 



These conferes presented the results of their deliberations to a 

 conference of lumber manufacturers, which was held at the Con- 

 gress Hotel on July 20, immediately preceding the larger general 

 conference of July 21 and 22. These results, or, rather, recom- 

 mendations, included the hardwood recommendations, carried 

 above, as well as the "Suggested Basic Grades for Softwood 

 Yard Lumber and Structural Timbers," all of which were finally 

 presented to the large general conference. The hardwood recom- 

 mendations were included with the softwood suggestions under 

 one title, which follows: "Kecommendations in respect to 

 equalization and simplification of al grades of all lumber — 

 sofewood and hardwoods. Suggested Basic Grades. Those for 

 softwood yard lumber and structural timbers being based on rules 

 projiosed by the Forest Products Laboratory, Forest Service, IT. S. 

 Department of Agriculture. Submitted to a conference to be held 

 in Chicago, July 20, 1922, in accordance with a resolution adopted 

 at the Washington General Standardization Conference of May. 

 1922." 



Hardwood Controversy Precipitated 



This title is quoted in full and is important, because when it was 

 read to the general conference on the morning of July 21, it pre- 

 cipitated a controversy, which continued heatedly, and at times 

 acrimoniously, until adjournment of that session at 1 o 'clock. The 

 controversy revolved around a motion introduced by Edward J. 

 Young, of the Foster Creek Lumber & Manufacturing Company, 

 Madison, Wis., who desirt>tl that all reference to hardwoods be 

 stricken from the title of the report on equalization and simplifica- 

 tion of grades, and that the conference refrain from any discussion 

 of hardwood matters whatsoever. The story of this injection of the 

 great hardwood schism into the floor of this conference is best told 

 in the verbatim report made by the official stenographer of the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' Association. This follows: 



Chairman (Dr. Wilson Compton, secretary-manager of the National 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association) : If there is no objection, Mr. Holt- 

 man will proceed with the reading of the report of tentative suggestious 

 for lumber grade simplification. 



Mr. Holtman. construction engineer. National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association : Tlie report of the Madison committee meeting was received 

 by the conference yesterday and several minor changes were made. I will 

 read the report in its corrected form. 



The Chairman : Does the conference desire to take the time necessary 

 to enable everyone to write out these corrections in full? 



Mr. C. V. McCreight (National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Associatiim, 

 Pittsburgh, Pa.) : As to the corrections, including hardwoods, on the title 

 page, do you intend to put that before the meeting later on? 



(Changes here referred to were those placed in the title to indicate tlie 

 inclusion of hardwood recommendations in the Madison report. — ^Editor.) 



The Chairman ; Yes. This phase of the program is simply to give you 

 tlie corrected form and possibly give you an opportunity to acquaint 

 yourselves with the entire report. 



Mr. E. S. Hall (American Institute of Architects, Chicago) : It would 

 seem to me that it would simplify matters if he would read the corrections 

 only. 



(Here followed the reading by Mr. Holtman of the changes made by the 

 conference Thursday afternoon. With the exception of the change in the 

 title of the report, the changes were all in the suggested basic grades for 

 softwood yard lumber. — Editor.) 



Introduces Resolution to Strike Out Hardwoods 



i\Ir. Edward J. Young (Foster Creek Lumber & Manufacturing Company. 

 Madison. Wis.) : Mr. Chairman, first, I would like to say I am here as a 

 manufacturer of southern pine, not as a representative of any association. 

 I speak as an individual. If a motion is in order at this time I move 

 that tile words hardwood and all other words relating to hardirood be 

 stricken from the record, if the gentlemen present so desire that this con- 

 ference proceed to treat the sul>ject of softwoods only. 



The Chairman ; Does that refer to the first page, Mr. Young? 



Mr. Young : It refers to the word hardwood all the way through and 

 also the title page. 



The Chairman : It refers to the use of the word hardwood throughout 

 the report. 



Mr. Young : Mv motion is to eliminate the word hardwood in its en- 

 tirety. 



Mr. W. L. Saunders (Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association, 

 C;idillac. Mich.) : I second that motion. Mr. Cbairman. 



^Ir. McCreight ; Mr. Chairman, I represent the National Wholesale 

 T-nniber Dealers' Association. The subject of hardwoods was not discus.scd 

 at Washington. It was left out of the conference at Washington, and as I 

 understand it. it ought to be left out here Pt this time. As I understand 

 it. Mr. Hoover was interested in representing the public, and in considering 

 that all that was necessary to be considered was ordinary sizes and the 

 lumber consumed, the lumber used b.v furniture manufacturers and manu- 

 facturers in industry. They are not in favor of changing the grades of 

 hardwood. We have sent out 3,000 letters and we have 100 replies back 

 at the present time asking that the grades of hardwoods be not changed, 

 as well as no change in the names of grade. I think it would l)e a 

 waste of money and an expenditure or waste for the people of this conn- 

 try that should not l»e tolerated or considered. I do not think tbat Mr. 

 Hoover or the Department of Commerce want to enter into any proposition 

 to destroy any industry tliat has been building up for twenty-five years. 

 It is for the men — and there are men in this audience right now who 

 bav4> sat on the inspection rules committee of the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association for years who are trying to be a Moses and lead us 



