14 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



divisions of the veneer and panel industry, and umiuestiouably 

 has selected the right men for the right places. 



The good work that this association has accomplished is already 

 manifest in the increased prosperity of tho trade. From 

 disorganization and chaos in methods of production, grading and 

 <ales, the members have achieved a knowledge of cost, better 

 jicthods of manufacture, and uniformity of grading and values, 

 that have been deemed impossible by those not familiar with the 

 benefits of association work. Today tho organization includes in 

 its membership practically every loader in the veneer industry. 



Christmas. 



The delightful Holiday period is again upon us. This is the time 

 of year devoted to good will toward all men, and as such is justly 

 celebrated the world over. In spite of the last two months of 

 business depression, the year has been a very good one for the 

 average lumberman and the credit balances on the ledger of most 

 concerns will show that net profits have been excellent. 



The Hakdwood Hecord desires not only to wish its loyal clients 

 the customary "Merrj' Christmas and Happy New Year," but to 

 thank them heartily for their material and moral support during 

 the year 1907. The same general features and the good work that 

 the Eecord is constantly attempting to do for the trade will be 

 continued during the year to come, and while the paper has 

 perhaps been good enough in the past, the editor is far from 

 satisfied with it, feeling that its constantly increasing patronage, 

 and the many evidences of consideration and kindness of which 

 he has been the recipient, are far beyond its deserts, and that they 

 warrant the putting forth of extra effort, which shall be reflected 

 in future numbers. 



A Business Proposition. 



The press of the country concedes that Chief Forester Pinchot 

 has at last struck a lead which may enable him to induce Congress 

 to consider the necessity of preserving the forests and to 

 inaugurate laws to that end. This lies in the fact that the Chief 

 is presenting very able arguments to show that forest preservation 

 will be a good bu-siness venture. 



Heretofore Congress has been deaf to pleas to save the forests, 

 perhaps because the men who made them enlarged principally 

 upon the sentimental side of the question. They talked about the 

 distant future and then ranged into the distant past to show that 

 Mesopotamia, now a desert, was once the garden spot of the East, 

 and that in Babylon where now bats and owls roost, a great 

 population once lived in plenty until the forests were destroyed 

 and the water courses dried up. 



Now Mr. Pinchot is demonstrating to Congress that if the four 

 hundred billion feet of standing hardwoods be rightly managed, 

 instead of cut down at the rate of twenty-five billion feet a year, 

 tho mountain ranges of the East are capable of insuring to the 

 nation its annual hardwood supply without impairing the forests. 

 In other words if Congress takes the project in hand, the country 

 can draw in interest as much every year as it is now taking out 

 of the forest principal, and will grow richer instead of becoming 

 bankrupt within a few years, as it will be if the present course is 

 pursued. 



Mr. Pinchot is getting "down to brass tacks" when he presents 

 his proposition to Congress in commercial terms. A petition 

 prefaced with a dollar sign will carry more weight every time 

 with the lawmakers, than will one introduced by the most accurate 

 deductions from history and the most laudable sentiments in the 

 world. The Chief has worked hard to educate the public and the 

 lawmakers to a common sense view of the nation's forest condition 

 and necessities, and it is to be hoped that this manifestly desirable 

 business venture will be carried out logically by the country's 

 legislators. 



Current Hardwood Record. 



This issue of llio Hkcokd is essentially a number dealing with 

 business information. Within its pages will be found an admirable 

 analysis by the greater number of leading lights in the hardwood 

 imiustry, covering the present and prospective conditions of the 

 business; a complete report of the proceedings of the annual 

 meeting of veneer and panel manufacturers, showing conditions in 

 that industry; statistics and text showing in detail, by states, the 

 hurdv.-ood cut of 1900; an admirable article by an eminent forestry 

 official giving manj' facts pertaining to the drain upon our forests, 

 besides much other information of a kindred nature that will be 

 found well worth the perusal of every reader of the publication. 



Lumber Conditions in British Columbia. 



British Culuiribia hinrljcr ujierators aie nu(, hMving easy sailing 

 at the present time. There is no current demand for logs of any 

 description. Many of the mills operating their own logging camps 

 have laid off part of their crews. However, in spite of the lack 

 of orders tho prices of lumber .-ind logs have been well maintained, 

 and it is thought there will be no slaughter of prices during the 

 winter. The high cost of labor and the small demand for stock 

 are urged as reasons for the general closing down of the industry. 

 It is generally believed that the curtailment of building operations 

 during the winter will result in many men being unemployed. 

 There has been no cut in the wages of laboring men retained in 

 woods and sawnxill work, below the scale that has prevailed for 

 the last twelve to eighteen months. 



Editorial Notes. 



It's been a pretty good year, has 1907, even if there are some 

 unpleasant recollections attached to November and December. 



Don 't forget the association meetings announced at the head of 

 the first editorial page in this issue of the Eecord. These 

 conferences are all important to members of the hardwood 

 fraternity. 



If the hardwood lumbermen of the country will continue to 

 exercise the same good sense in restricting output that they have 

 for the past two months, 1908 will be a business year of which 

 they need not be ashamed. 



The cement show held at the Coliseum last week was a great 

 effort for an initial affair. The cement people have demonstrated 

 that they are a factor in the building world to be considered; they 

 are doing wonderful "stunts." Next year's exposition will be a 

 cracker jack: 



Hardwood lumbermen are anxiously awaiting the outcome of 

 the big furniture expositions to be held at Chicago and Grand 

 Eapids during January. If the furniture manufacturers succeed 

 in corralling even a reasonable amount of trade it will mean a 

 big impetus to hardwood demand. 



The Handle Manufacturers' Association of America is gradually 

 showing progress, and augmenting its membership list. There is 

 lots of piomise in the field which it covers. At the present time 

 all reports indicate that trade is slack, but the manufacturers are 

 following the action of the hardwood operators and restricting 

 output to a marked degree. A good many plants are shut down, 

 and others will follow. 



Price cutting never increased the volume of sales. The average 

 hardwood lumberman has learned this lesson by bitter experience, 

 and that's the reason he is standing pat on tho price proposition. 



The numerous friends of Van B. Perrine will be glad to see that 

 tho Hardwood Record has dragged him out of his poetic seclusion 

 long enough to coax a photograph away from him, which is 

 employed as a supplement in this issue of the Eecord. They 

 will be equally well pleased with his Christmas verses that appear 

 in this number. 



