April 25, 1921 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



35 



Plywood Makers Show Progress 



Annual Meeting Is Characterized by Indorsement of National Advertising 

 Campaign and Attention to Improvement of Production and Distribution 



A spirit of progress, evidenced in a de- 

 termination to improve the efficiency ot 

 their producing and distributing methods 

 and to intensively cultivate all old and new 

 fields of demand for their product, charac- 

 terized the second annual meeting of the 

 Plyvirood Manufacturers' Association, held 

 in Chicago at the Drake Hotel on Tues- 

 day and Wednesday, April 12 and 13. 



At this meeting the questions of traffic 

 classifications and rates, tariff for the pro- 

 tection of the industry from European 

 dumping, national publicity, standard 

 grading rules, standardization of glue, pro- 

 gress of the cost instruction book, general 

 association activities and the current econ- 

 omic status of the industry were handled. 



This program was laid down by the 

 executive committee in its report, delivered 

 by Thomas D. Perry of the Grand Rapids 

 Veneer Works, of Grand Rapids, Mich., 

 president of the association, at the opening 

 session of the convention. 



M. Wulpi, commissioner, made an ex- 

 hibit of 1920 trade barometer reports and gave a comprehensive 

 view of conditions, demonstrating that there is a slow trend toward 

 improvement in the demand for and sales of plywood. 



Mr. Perry was, for the second time, re-elected president, starting 

 on his third term. C. B. Allen of the Allen-Eaton Panel Company 

 of Memphis, was elected first vice-president; F. B. Ward of the 

 Hanson-Ward Veneer Company, Bay City, Mich., was elected 

 second vice-president; L. H. Sergent of Marshfield, Wis., was 

 elected third vice-president and E. W. Benjamin of Cadillac, Mich., 

 was re-elected treasurer. E. V. Knight of New Albany, Ind., and 

 O. G. Steiner of St. Louis, Mo., were added to the Executive Com- 

 mittee, which comprises the officers of the association. 



The association endorsed with marked enthusiasm the report of 

 G. O. Worland of the Evansville Veneer Company, Evansville, Ind., 

 chairman of the National Veneer Association, on the progress of 

 the national publicity program. This will involve the expenditure 

 by the association of a fund of about $50,000, and there was no 

 dissent to a full support of the movement. 



Mr. Perry's recommendation that five standing committees were 

 authorized and appointed also received the indorsement of the 

 association. TTiese committees are as follows: Valuation Com- 

 mission, supervising costing work: Transportation Committee, 

 supervising traffic problems; Advertising Committee, in charge of 

 advertising campaign: Glue Committee, developing glue program; 

 Grades Committee, applying and revising grade rules. 

 Executive Committee Report 



The following are the essential features of the Executive Com- 

 mittee report, which formed the basis for the deliberations of the 

 meeting: 



"TARIFF: The report of Mr. Z. C. Thwing's hearing before 

 the Ways and Means Committee of the 66th Congress at Washing- 

 ton will be presented to you later in this meeting. We have brought 

 the matter to the attention of the Committee and have filed our 

 brief for the records. This will insure further consideration when 

 the nev^ tariff bill comes up for action. It is by no means certain 

 that a radical increase in import tariff at the present time will 

 benefit domestic business, and many doubts are expressed as to the 



Thos. D. Perry, re-elected President 



wisdom of pushing this matter at the pres- 

 ent time. If a tariff is imposed, the ply- 

 wood trade wants to be represented in the 

 dutiable articles. If it is decided that a 

 tariff for revenue is not wise, we should 

 be ready to drop our project. No further 

 action seems necessary at the present time. 

 "FINANCES: The Commissioner's re- 

 port includes a warning with regard to the 

 decreased income of our Association, and 

 the need of conserving the funds on hand 

 for necessary ' work, until our revenue 

 comes back to normal proportions. The 

 reduction of appropriations below the 

 point of effective work is, of course, not to 

 be considered, but to trim every unneces- 

 sary expense is absolutely essential. The 

 members of the Association ought to give 

 this matter careful thought during this ses- 

 sion and instruct the officers as to their 

 desires. 



"ADVERTISING: The matter of co- 

 operative effort with the National Veener 

 and Panel Association is very timely. The 

 woodworking industry and particularly the veneer and plywood 

 producers have been very backward in keeping their product 

 before the eyes of the buying public and in developing suitable 

 propaganda for the training of salesmen in the merits of plywood 

 products. While definite steps toward a $50,000 fund for adver- 

 tising seems difficult at the present time, it would be most unfortu- 

 nate if the campaign is delayed or its progress thwarted by either 

 a vacillating policy or a lack of financial nerve. The plan has 

 been started and it must be carried forward wisely, carefully and 

 vigorously. 



"GRADE RULES: The schedule of grade rules adopted at Cin- 

 cinnati, on February 9, has received wide publicity through a num- 

 ber of trade journals which have published it in whole or in part. 

 While considerable comment has developed, it has been a period 

 of relatively limited buying and the problems of adjusting details 

 in the grade rules have not developed as might be normally ex- 

 pected. The publishing of these grade rules in booklet form has 

 been delayed, partly because of the need of developing a little more 

 comprehensive description in a booklet and partly because of the 

 desire to have the various difficulties rectified before so publishing 

 it. It would seem as though a standing committee should be 

 appointed which will have charge of developing these grade rules 

 /■ind report progress at every meeting. 



"SELLING PRICES: Whether or not wood products have reached 

 'he bottom of the market is perhaps debatable, but it^s certam that 

 when the market prices come to a stable point they will bear a very 

 definite relation to manufacturing costs. Probably all members 

 have made quotations that are considerably beneath existing cost 

 records, either hoping to keep their plants running or to convert 

 certain material into cash. While such transactions are more or 

 less demoralizing they are a necessary part of the deflation process, 

 and must be endured with the best possible grace. 



"It is certain, however, that the man who knows his costs well 

 and is able to figure closely on the new material and labor basis 

 will have the best opportunity to obtain the desirable business. 

 Labor, as a whole, is showing a reasonable attitude toward this 

 process, both in accepting reduced wages and in increasing efflci- 



