24 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



August 25, 1922 



Institute Spokesman Approves Babbitt Article 



Laiidon C. Bell, chairman of the Press and Publicity Committee of 

 the Hardwood Manufacturers' Institute, in commenting upon the 

 article by William A. Babbitt, secretary of the Association of Wood 

 Using Industries and National Association of Wood Turners, enti- 

 tled Utility Standardization, which appeared recently in Hardwood 

 Record, said: 



Mr. Babbitt has rendered a distinct service to the cause of standardization 

 by emphasizing in the way he has that true standardization must result 

 from consideration of facts from which may be formulated rules and 

 definitions mailing for the "highest possible economic use of the whole 

 of the forest harvest." This the Hardwood Manufacturers' Institute has 

 always insisted upon. He justly and properly emphasizes the necessity 

 of the consideration of the facts of utility. 



Having gone so far as lie has in the past in the consideration of this 

 subject, as is well known to all who have followed his enlightening studies 

 and contrilintious with particular reference to dimension stock and com- 

 modities used by the wood turning industry, lie seems to have — and It Is 

 natural that he should have — but little patience with the vast amount 

 of time consuming and largely purposeless discussion which has been 

 indulged in at some of the meetings which have considered the standardi- 

 zation project. Much of such discussion, however, it seems is inevitable, 

 and is the chaff which is to be found along with the grain, until the 

 separating process is accomplished. 



The non-partisan attitude of Mr. Kalibitt will not be questioned, nor 

 will his purpose to aid constructive accomplisliinent be misunderstood. 

 Thoroughiiess Will Prevail 

 Neither Mr. Babbitt nor anyone else need have any fear, such as his 

 article indicates he may have, that the hardwood manufacturers are 

 proposing to treat the subject of standardization in an inadequate, super- 

 ficial and ineffective way. 



It is an entirely erroneous view to take that the hardwood manufac- 

 turers believe that there can be any remedy for the situation by mere 

 discussion and verbal statement or by mere change in the phraseology 

 of definition. The hardwood manufacturers know too well the futility of 

 any such treatment and that in the main t'le present unsntisfactory con- 

 dition of grade rules has arisen in this way. 



At the Louisville meeting in .Tune the Hardwood ManufacturiTS' Insti- 

 tute went upon record uiii-quivocnlly and unanimously as of tlic opinion 

 that a revision, reformatinu and reforinulation of tlie rules for the 

 grading and inspection of hardwood luml^er were necessary ; tiiat every 

 grade of lumber should liave for its purpose the answering of some par- 

 ticular consumption or fahricatiou requirement, a part of tlii' resolution 

 being as follows : 



"Admittedly, hardwood luuilier manufacturers would be unable at once 

 to draft specihcations tliat would properly conform with tlie principles 

 herein set fortli. on account of tlie vast number of dilferent woods in- 

 volved and the many different uses to which they are put. This is a prob- 

 lem that can only be worked out properly after tlinroii,':rh scii-ntific re- 

 search, and largely constitutes an engineering proiijem. It is recom- 

 mended that a competent forestry products engineer lie employed liy this 

 association to make an exhaustive study of tliis proiiiem. taking up each 

 wood separately and submitting at a later date suggestions for tlie proper 

 construction of the grades, based on consumption reiiuirements and in 

 conformity with tbe manufacturing capaliilitles of the producer. 

 Must Have ConEumers' Aid 

 "The hearty co-operation of tbe consumer is essential to tlie success 

 of this plan and it is suggested that each national organization repre- 

 senting the various branches of consuming or fabricating industries using 

 hardwoods employ competent engineers to consider the suliject from their 

 standpoint and to confer with the engineer of this institute relative to 

 their particular needs, resulting, it is believed, in tbe eventual complete 

 agreement between the producer and the consumer, and the elimination 

 of much of the waste that now occurs in the utilization of hardwood 

 lumber." 



Furthermore, the Technical Committee which met at Madison and pre- 

 sented its report at Chicago, among other things in respect to hardwoods 

 recommended ; 



"That a complete engineering survey be made to determine if grades 

 cannot be constructed to more closely meet present consuming require- 

 ments.'' 



The preliminaries of that survey are already under way, and all agencies 

 representing consumers have been invited and the invitation given the 

 widest publicity to appoint committees and utilize competent engineer 

 ing service in order to make surveys of the needs of each and every con- 

 Buming industry, so that when this is done the institute, repreesntatives 

 and these consumers' representatives may go into conference with a view 

 to arriving at conclusions mutually satisfactory and advantageous. 

 Utility Must Govern 

 There must be the consideration of the utilization of the lumber because 

 it would be absurd for the producers to attempt to standardize what con- 

 sumers cannot use, and consumers cannot standardize what manufac- 

 turers cannot produce, and in order for the one to be commensurate with 

 the other it must lie the result of tbe Joint or united judgment of the 

 consumers and the producers. Therefore, the hardwood manufacturers 



realize that a complete, scientific, detailed survey must be made of the 

 consumption uses as well as of production possibilities. 



The consumers and their needs are basic factors in the problem equally 

 with the producers and their production possibilities. From these factors 

 arise the vast engineering problems upon which tbe standardization pro- 

 posals and conclusions must be met and decided. To endeavor to stand- 

 ardize grade definitions or grade specifications without adequate, sufficient 

 and accurate basic information of this kind would be as futile as it would 

 be illogical. 



And it is entirely possible, and, Indeed, we believe more than probable. 

 that it will be more difficult and will certainly take longer to ascertain these, 

 basic facts of the consuming industry than it will for the producers 

 of hardwood lumber to secure the comparable information respecting pro- 

 duction possibilities. 



It would be an exceedingly ditficult undertaking for tbe hardwood manu- 

 facturers to secure this necessary information of consumption unless tliey 

 have the full co-operation of the consuming industries. In fact, it would 

 seem tliat the best way to go altout it w^ould lie for the producers' repre- 

 sentatives to meet with the consumers' representatives and agree upon the 

 volume, form and detail of the information needed from the consumers, 

 and then for tbe consumers to undertake themselves to secure, sys- 

 tematize, tabulate and formulate and supply that information. 



Undoubtedly Mr. Eabbitt sees clearly not only the character of the 

 information that consumers should bring to the conference with pro- 

 ducers of hardwood lumber in order for them jointly to determine what 

 is soundly utilitarian and economic, but also will be able to make prac- 

 tical and constructive suggestions as to tlie best, quickest and most 

 effective way for collecting and compiling, from the consumers' standpoint, 

 the data upon which the utility consideration must be based and upon 

 which wisely conceived standardization should lie predicated. 



To utilize the figure employed Iiy Mr. Babbitt there need be no fear 

 that the "old bridge" will be destroyed before another is ready for use. 

 Tbe institute has declared that present rules will be utilized until stand- 

 ardized rules, scientifically arrived at as a result of the consideration of 

 the character indicated b.v producer, consumers and others havin,g valu- 

 able knowledge of the subject, sliali have been formulated and made ready 

 for use. When ready they will be employed to the great advantage of pro- 

 duction, consumption and conservation. 



Lumber Exports Present Satisfactory Showing; 

 Oak Shipments Large 



The Lumber Division of the Department of Commerce reports that 

 total exports of sawn lumber — boards, planlcs, and scantlins).s — for the 

 month of June amounted to 152,000,000 feet as compared with 198,- 

 000,000 feet, which was the monthly average for the last pre-war 

 year, 1913. This is a most satisfactory showing and should be en- 

 couraging to American lumber exporters. While the total exports of 

 sawn lumber for the iiscal year ended June, 1922, amounted to 1,552,- 

 000,000 feet, nearly 300,000,000 feet in excess of the exports for the 

 corresponding period in 1921, the declared value of $52,677,000 was 

 $18,000,000 less, which probably about represents the general fall in 

 lumber prices. 



Hardwood shippers will be gratified at the showing made by oalj and 

 the continued improvement in oak lumber exports. The United King- 

 dom continues to rank first, over 42,000,000 feet having been shipped 

 to that country during the 12 months ended with June, Canada rank- 

 ing second, and Belgium and Argentina third and fourth. 



During the first six months of 1922 exports of veneers and plywoods 

 have totaled in value $529,000, the declared value for June exports 

 being slightly over $100,000. 



The outlook for the future export demand may be regarded on the 

 whole as favorable, especially since the rate of exchange in some of 

 the principal markets for American lumber has shown visible signs 

 of improvement. 



Increased building activities are reported in the United Kingdom, 

 Belgium, France, Spain, Cliina, and Australia, and in certain sections 

 of South America. The competition from the lumber producing 

 regions in Central Europe threatened for a time to encroach on the 

 American trade in both hardwoods and .softwoods, but this danger 

 is now over to a great extent, as the inflated values in the Central 

 European countries have offset the advantage which they had in the 

 low rate of exchange. 



No boom is anticipated in the lumber export business in this country 

 for the next six months, but perhaps, after all, the gradual improve- 

 ment in conditions during the past few months is the thing most to be 

 desired; otherwise the experience of the last two years might be 

 repeated. 



