October 10. 1922 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



17 



Standardization Committee Formulates 



Creed 



Three-Day Session in Capital with Hoover and Others Results in Plan for Speed- 

 ing Lumber Standardization, Simplification and Guarantees Program 



to Successful Conclusion 



The Central Committee on Lumber Standards, which has for 

 three days been in session with Secretary' of Commerce Hoover, 

 other officials of the Department of Commerce and of the Forest 

 Service at Washington, D. C, for the purpose of preparing the 

 basis of final action for simplification and standardization of the 

 entire lumber industry, issued the following statement upon ad- 

 journment October 5: 



"In view of the demands upon all industry for the adoption of 

 business practices which will bring about more economical methods 

 of production, distribution and utilization, in the interests of sound 

 public policy, the lumbermen of America have taken upon them- 

 selves the responsibilities on their own behalf, and such activities 

 were ordered established through what was termed the Central 

 Committee on Lumber Standards, which was 

 created by a conference of representatives of 

 manufacturers, distributors and consumers 

 of lumber in July, 1922. 



"This Committee on Lumber Standards, 

 after a three-day session in Washington, 

 D. C, in order to carry out the above 

 enumerated principles, has decided upon the 

 following program: 



"To collect and analyze all information 

 concerning standardization and simplifica- 

 tion of sizes, grades and names of lumber 

 products. 



"To submit its findings to the producers, 

 distributors and consumers of lumber 

 through their various associations. 



"To secure thorough discussion of the 

 questions involved and to compare any dif- 

 ferences developed between various asso- 

 ciations or interests in the trade. 



"To establish by grade-marking and in- 

 spection service a guarantee to the lumber- 

 using pub\ic the delivery of the exact qual- 

 ities and quantities of lumber purchased. 



Finally, to arrange a national conference 

 of accredited representatives of all lumber 

 interests at Washington to take final action 



and adopt specific practices in all these fields, which may have the 

 support of the Department of Agriculture through the Forest 

 Service, and of the Department of Commerce." 



Invite Others to Participate 



Exercising its authority to add members, the committee voted to 

 ask the wood-using industries to designate someone to represent 

 them on the committee. The mechanical and other interested 

 departments of the railways were also invited to confer with the 

 committee regarding the standardization of car, bridge and track 

 material. 



In the final hours of its session the committee considered all of 

 the many phases of the three major divisions of the subject before 

 it, namely: 



Simplification of lumber grades. 



Standardization of lumber sizes. 



Authoritative certification of quality and quantity. 



In a number of respects the committee defined the limitations 



within which it, as well as the consulting staff to be established, 

 will proceed with the work. The committee will meet again as soon 

 as its conclusions have been communicated to the interested asso- 

 ciations and allied industries, and the consulting committee or 

 staff has been appointed. This meeting will be a joint one of the 

 committee and the technicians, and will have before it reports and 

 critiques from all the associations of manufacturers, distributors 

 and consumers of lumber on its tentative proposals. The final 

 action referred to in the last paragraph of the committee's declara- 

 tion above quoted will not take place until some time after the 

 next meeting or, perhaps, several meetings of the committee. The 

 idea is to have all of the interested industries so thoroughly con- 

 versant with the subject and so settled in their views that when 

 the proposed national conference is held it 

 will be able to introduce the decisions ar- 

 rived at. 



Chairman John W. Blodgett, who is presi- 

 dent of the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association, will review the results of the 

 committee's work at a conference with Sec- 

 retary Hoover on October 6. 



HERBERT C 

 Secretary of 



, HOOVER 

 Commerce 



Committee Meets with Secretary Hoover 



Secretary of Commerce Hoover told the 

 Central Committee on Lumber Standards, 

 representing all branches of the American 

 lumber manufacturing, distributing and 

 using industries, the afternoon of October 3, 

 that there should be set up a staff with a 

 directing mind of the first order behind 

 which the Central Committee should stand 

 in the tedious and comprehensive task of 

 effecting grade simplification, size stand- 

 ardization and certification of quality and 

 quantity, or inspection of lumber through- 

 out the country. 



The Central Committee on Lumber Stand- 

 ards was set up at a conference of the lum- 

 be» industry in all its phases, held at Chi- 

 cago last July, following a similar conference at Washington in 

 May and a series of conferences, national, state and local, during 

 the last three years. Before going into conference with Mr. Hoover 

 the committee canvassed its authority, credentials, program and 

 the means of effectuating its conclusions. All members of the 

 committee were present in person excepting E. S. Hall of Chicago, 

 representative of the architects, who was represented by a proxy, 

 and C. A. Goodman of Marinette, Wis., a member of the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association. Mr. Goodman's absence was 

 attributed to the fact that the National Hardwood Lumber Asso- 

 ciation has not seen its way clear to unite with other bodies in 

 realizing a general national system of standardization, simplifica- 

 tion and inspection. The Hardwood Manufacturers' Institute was 

 represented through John H. Kirby, president of the Southern Pine 

 Association, who is on the committee as the general representative 

 of the lumber manufacturing interests. 



It was the consensus of opinion that the committee's function 

 was to act as a steering organization to draft and submit to the 



