HARDWOOD RECORD 



71/j 



Winter Meeting Michigan HardWood 

 Manufacturers' Association 



The mid-winter meeting of the Michigan 

 Hardwood Manufacturers' Association was 

 held at the Pontchartrain hotel, Detroit, on 

 Thursday, January 26. The meeting brought 

 out a large portion of the members of the 

 organization. 



The minutes of the October, 1910, meeting 

 were read and approved. 



After roll call the president announced the 

 addition of several new members. 



The report of the treasurer showed a work- 

 ing balance on hand of $5,052.11. 



President Bigelow made a brief address on 

 the present lumber situation in Michigan and 

 described it as being in better condition than 

 ever before in its history; stocks are light and 

 demand good, with prices satisfactory. 



Secretary Knox tlien read his report, which 

 follows : 



to replace the ones who tave cut out or discon- 

 tinued. 



There are still a number of manufacturers of 

 both hardwoods and hemlock who should be in- 

 cluded In the membership of this association, 

 and a little personal work from you will aid us 

 in securing such membership, and we believe It 

 is to your advantage to make the effort to keep 

 the association up to its present high grade. 



Our treasurer's report will make a good show- 

 ing at this time. The assessment authorized at 

 the last meeting has been levied and for the 

 most part collected. 



Our Forestry Committee was represented at 

 the Forest Fire Conference in St. Paul December 

 6 and 7. The owners of stumnage in Michigan 

 should look into this question thoroughly and be 

 prepared for action, as the time has come when 

 drastic legislation in regard to forest fires is to 

 be enacted, and we should have something to say 

 as to how our timber lands are to be patroled 

 and protected and also something to say in re- 

 gard to the expense of such work. 



In regard to proposed advance in freight rates, 

 would state that our latest information is that 

 until the Interstate Commerce Commission ren- 

 ders its decision as to whether the railroads are 

 entitled to any advance at all the figures will 

 remain as at present. It is, however, the inten- 

 tion of carriers to advance the rates if it is a 

 possible thing, and I have heard it intimated 



C. A. BIGELOW, BAY CITY, PRESIDENT 



Secretary's Keport 



We have a brief report to render at this our 

 fifth midwinter meeting, and do not Intend to 

 burden you with a lengthy report today, but will 

 simply touch on a few important points. 



Notwithstanding the loss of eight members 

 during the year, account having Snlshed their 

 cut or moved elsewhere, we come before you 

 with one more report than a year ago. 



We consider our midwinter meeting to be one 

 of importance, for most of us are in the midst 

 of logging operations and know pretty well what 

 the result of the cut will be. 



Our stock report is the most complete we 

 have yet put out and is more valuable because 

 it Includes the figures of practically every mem- 

 ber operating. We have added two pages to this 

 report, giving comparison of figures of hardwood 

 stocks by grades, placing No. 2 common and bet- 

 ter on one sheet, and No. .3 common on another. 

 These reports are In your hands today and 

 should be scrutinized closely. 



On account of being unsuccessful in getting 

 the reports of stocks sold ahead of the saw at 

 our last meeting, we did not ask the members 

 for this information for this meeting. 



Since January 1 we have received applications 

 from P. C. Fuller Company, with office at Grand 

 Rapids, mill at Strongs, Mich., and from M. A. 

 Culver & Son, successors to Jerry Sullivan of 

 Cedar, Mich. 



We wish to urge upon the membership their 

 aid to the secretary in procuring new members 



J. C. KNOX, CADILLAC, SECRETARY 



that there is likely to be some advance in both 

 class and commodity rates allowed by the com- 

 mission. 



Regarding reduced rates to Pacific coast ter- 

 minals, that question is held In abeyance until 

 the entire subiect can he considered by the com- 

 mission. This on account of other territories 

 coming in on the same basis as lower Michigan. 



D. H. Day, chairman of the Grading Com- 

 mittee, stated that it had no recommendations 

 to make. 



Bruce Odell, chairman of the Market Condi- 

 tions Committee, then read the report of his 

 committee, which follows: 



Report of Market Conditions Committee 



Careful examination and analysis of the stock 

 list compiled bv your secretary reveals many 

 pleasant surprises as regards stock and market 

 conditions of practically all items in northern 

 hardwoods. At the close of a year so replete 

 with circumstances that tend to disturb market 

 conditions, unusual strength is shown by the 

 fact that no surplus is shown in any of the 

 many items comprising the stocks of manufac- 

 turers of northern hardwood lumber, and some 

 items, notably maple, show a decided shortage 

 as compared with the supply and demand of 

 former vears. 



Even No. 3 common hardwood, which has been 



"put down for the count" so many times during 

 the past two years, shows indications of "coming 

 l)ack through smaller total stocks and a less 

 amount unsold than a year ago. This condition 

 is confirmed by our sister state, Wisconsin, as 

 manufacturers there also show much lighter 

 stocks of No. 3 common and stocks well sold up. 



It is reported that box factories and other 

 consumers of No. ,3 common are buying more 

 freelv and with only a normal stock at the be- 

 ginning of mil this should prove a year of 

 rising values for No. 3 common. 



This item of No. 3 common is considered by 

 many manufacturers the most important one in 

 the northern hardwood list and when we take 

 into consideration the tact that fully one-third 

 of the northern hardwood lumber produced is 

 No. 3 common and the further fact that during 

 the past two years every thousand feet of this 

 grade produced and marketed has been at a loss 

 of from $2 to $4 per thousand feet to the manu- 

 facturer, an actual loss in cost of production 

 without any compensation tor stumpage, it Is 

 apparent that this particular item should receive 

 more of our attention. 



Manufacturers should stud.v their method of 

 manufacture more closely so as to produce less 

 No. 3 common, if possible, and should endeavor 

 to find other and better use than the ones to- 

 which it is now put. 



It is a well-known fact that a sufficient supply 



BRUCE ODELL, CADILLAC, CHAIRMAN MAR- 

 KET CONDITIONS COMMITTEE 



of cross ties is one of the very serious prob- 

 lems to the railroads now. especially so to the 

 railroads of the North. Their principal source 

 of supply heretofore has been oak ties from the 

 states south of us. but this source of supply Is 

 growing alarmingly small and many of the 

 southern railroads are putting a prohibitive rate 

 on ties to prevent their own source of supply 

 moving away to their detriment. It has been 

 demonstrated that a beech, birch or maple tie 

 when creosoted or treated b,v some other pre- 

 serving process is superior to an oak tie and will 

 last longer. 



Probably as much as 25 per cent of our No. 3 

 common could be consumed in cross ties and 

 then not supply the railroads tributary to Michi- 

 gan and Wisconsin, and with this proportion of 

 No. 3 common diverted to some other use It 

 would not long be necessary for us to market 

 our product of this grade at a loss. Maple, 

 beech and birch cross ties can be produced, 

 treated and delivered to the nearby railroads at 

 prices to compete with oak ties and yield $3 per 

 thousand more for No. 3 common than the price 

 at which it is now being sold. 



This is only one of the many other uses to 

 which No. 3 common may be put. and it Is 

 evident that some expense and effort to further 

 develop this grade of northern hardwood lumber 

 it warranted. If half the effort was expended to 

 develop a use for No. 3 common that has been 

 used to develop the higher grades. No. 3 commoa 

 would not have held the weak position it has 

 during 1!)0!) and 1910. The higher grades, firsts 

 and seconds and No. 1 common, have demon- 



