26 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



October 10. 1021 



(Jevolopments, It will take at least a century to bring France's forests 

 back to the state of productiveness In which they were prior to the 

 summer of 1914. 



A survey after the armistice showed that In the territory occupied by the 

 enemy the forests had been ruthlessly destroyed. The war zone spread 

 over 11 forest-bearing departments, Including Aisne, Ardennes, Mame, 

 Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Nord, Olse, Pas-de-Calals, Somme, Vosges and 

 Belfort territory. In these parts 300,000 acres of state forests, 322,500 

 acres of parish forests, and 922,000 acres of privately owned forests were 

 subject to devastation. In over one-third of this territory tbe productive 

 capacity of tbe forests was completely destroyed. Over half a million acres 

 must be refltted and rewooded to make it of any use. Another area of 

 375,000 acres shows the effects of abusive, preraeditativcly destructive, 

 or wasteful fellings, In which reserve plantings have been almost obliter- 

 ated. 



It is calculated that It will require from 60 to 100 years of intensive 

 cultivation to bring these forests back to normal. Their loss involves to 

 France an annual shortage of over 35,000,000 cubic feet of wood. France 

 looks to Germany to assist in meeting its timber necessities as well as to 

 provide some of the funds needed for rebuilding its forests. The peace 

 treaty stipulated that Germany should deliver to France all the timber 

 necessary for reconstructing the devastated regions, and this work is now 

 going on. Deliveries, however, have been hampered by tbe lack of 

 adequate transportation facilities. 



The water and forest board has established a special forest reconstitu- 

 tion service. In each department which suffered from the invasion there 

 has been set up, independent of the water and forest board, a so-called 

 "forest reconstitution inspection," with definite duties relating to the 

 restoration of the state, parish and privately owned forests. 



Among the measures put Into effect by the forest board, besides the 

 clearing of land, reforestation, etc., are those of permitting a more liberal 

 degree of cutting to supply immediate requirements. This involves an 

 abandonment of the policy of reserving certain stock of exceptional sizes 

 for a future date. The board has undertaken to increase the number of 

 young and medium trees whose annual growth is important and to sacrifice 

 the older parks of slow-growing possibilities ; to utilize all non-permanent 

 resources; to reduce railway transportation rates on timber in order to 

 facilitate its movement : to utilize more of the home-grown resinous species, 

 which in the past have been disregarded in favor of those of tbe northern 

 European countries on account of their assumed inferior quality, and to 

 work France's colonial forests, especially those of French West Africa, 

 where investigation has shown that there- stre vast forest resources suit- 

 able for French requirements. Reforestation on an extensive scale is held 

 to be essentially work for the state, as it is considered more or less econom- 

 ically" unsound for private capital to engage in this work. 



French forestry lost heavily In personnel during the war, but it is being 

 rapidly rebuilt, the authorities recognizing that no department is more 

 necessary to the present and future national welfare than that of tree 

 culture. — U. S. Commerce Reports. 



Demand for Buggies Down to Quarter Million a Year 



In addressing the forty-ninth annual convention of the National Carriage 

 Builders' Association, which was held at the Hotel Gibson in Cincinnati, 

 O.. on September 19, 20 and 21, H. A. White of High Point, N. C, presi- 

 dent, said that 250,000 buggies are now the annual output of carriage 

 builders of the United States, as compared with 1,250,000 a year before the 

 unusual use of motor vehicles, Mr. White expressed the belief that the 

 public has settled down to the number now produced as the yearly demand. 



"There is no better way of bringing about a revival of the buggy busi- 

 ness, both domestic and foreign, than by the practice of team work in the 

 matter of joint advertising," Mr. White continued. "Through advertising 

 we can strengthen the backbone of our dealer friend and show the world 

 that the horse is not to be discarded and his wheeled equipment converted 

 into junk. We've got the argument on our side, and it is up to us to use 

 it effectively In advertising. We can blame no one If we refuse to chal- 

 lenge the enemy at the gates and tight for our right of way." 



Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows : President, P. E. 

 Ebrenz, St. Louis ; vice-presidents, W. L. Delker, Henderson, Ky. ; W. C. 

 Heitzman, Union City, Ind. ; W. G. Norman, Griffin, Ga. ; J. H. Birch, Jr., 

 Burlington, N. J. ; B. F. Taylor, Oxford, N. C. ; T. M. Robinson, Nashville, 

 Tenn., and L. R. Jones, Franklin, Va. Executive committee, P. H. Delker, 

 Henderson, Ky. ; C. R. Crawford, St. Louis ; T. M. Sechler, Moline, 111. ; 

 H. A. White, High Point, N. C, and R. J. Jones, Henderson, N. C. 



The next convention, which will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the 

 organization, will be held in St. Louis. 



Fire Destroys Vehicle Plant 

 Fire destroyed the manufacturing idant of the \'ebicle Supply Company 

 at Cairo, 111., on September 24, with a loss of from $25,000 to $30,000 

 partially covered by insurance. The warehouses and sheds were saved. 

 Plans are now being made for rel>uilding. 



Look Out for This Imposter 

 Hardwood Recokd has received a letter from A. G. Rutbmann of the 

 St. Louis Lumber Company of St. Louis, Mo., advising that there is an 

 Imposter traveling through the country under the name of J. C. Snider 

 and J. C. Sanders, who represents himself as a hu.ver of hardwoods for 

 this company, a subterfuge by which he has managed to cash several bogus 



checks, one of which amounted to $45. The man is described as about 

 50 years of age, weighing 135 pounds, swarthy complexion, smooth face, 

 dark hair, about 5 feet 6 inches tall. One of his victims advised Mr. 

 Rutbmann that he appears to be well posted in the lumber business, except 

 as to prices, his quotations being $10 to $15 above the market. The 

 St. Louis Lumber Company handles no hardwoods and has no buyer on 

 the road for any purpose. 



Rebuilding M. & R. Office 

 Workmen have started rebuilding the office of the Mowbray & Robinson 

 Lumber Company at Eighth & Home streets, Cincinnati, O., which was 

 recently destroyed by fire. .T. J. Linehan, general manager, said the 

 company expects to be back at its old location by October 20. 



Mr. Shoe Finds Business Better 



P. V. Shoe of the lumber firm of Kosse, Shoe i.t Scbleyer Company, 

 C'ineiunati, O., has just completed a tour of Ohio and certain sections of 

 adjoining states, and .says that there has been a noticeable improvement 

 in the lumber business. "Hardwoods are bringing better prices and this 

 has helped considerable to stabilize the market," Mr. Shoo said. "Orders 

 and inquiries from abroad are increasing in volume weekly." 



Heim Swings Arovmd the Circle 

 Prank Helm, representing the hardwood firm of Richard P. Baer & Co., 

 the tower of the Maryland Casualty liuilding, Baltimore, Md., returned re- 

 cently from a three weeks' trip, which took in Boston, Rochester, Cleveland, 

 Detroit, tJrand Rapids, Chicago, and even included a dip into Iowa, at 

 Dubuque. Mr. lleim's main object was to get in touch with the representa- 

 tives of his firm and obtain from them their impressions of the state of 

 business. Incidentally, he also called on a number of the big consumers of 

 hardwoods, among them furniture manufacturers, the cabinet makers, the 

 automobile builders. He found, he says, that feeling generally as to the 

 state of the trade was more hopeful, though no heavy buying was as yet 

 being done. What was very gratifying and promised well for the future 

 was the fact that all of the furniture factories without a single exception 

 seemed to be running at capacity. Up to the present time, however, 

 these establishments had not found it necessary to draw to any extent 

 upon tbe stocks of the producers of hardwoods or the dealers, having 

 bought very heavily last year under the influence of the big spurt then 

 on and having carried extensive quantities of lumber over from that 

 time. Now they were approaching a stage, however, when it will be 

 necessary for them to enter the market once more, as their assortments 

 no longer suffice for their needs. 



Clubs and Associations 



Michigan Operators Called 



The regular Fall Meeting of tbe Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association will be held at the Pantlind Hotel, Grand Rapids, Mich., 

 Thursday, October 20, 10 A. M. 



J. C. Knox, secretary, urges that this is an opportune time for the 

 members to get in touch with conditions all over Michigan and there is a 

 store of information to be obtained by coming in contact with the various 

 members of tbe association "which cannot be gotten in any other way. 

 Freight rates, tax questions, general market conditions, etc., will be fully 

 discussed. 



The market conditions committee meeting will be held Wednesday 

 afternoon, October 19 at 2 :15 in order to give full time to this important 

 work. All members are invited. 



The luncheon Thursday will be at 12 :30 in order that members can 

 catch afternoon trains. 



Americans at London Hardwood Club Annual 

 The second annual meeting of the London Hardwood Club in the great 



British metropolis on September 2 resulted in the election of Norman A. 



Wright president to succeed H. G. Sharp of Churchill & Sim. 



Among the Americans in attendance at the meeting and luncheon were 



G. H. Evans of the G. H. Evans Lumber Company, Chattanooga, Tenn. ; 



Ben May of New York and R. P. Baer of Philadelphia. 



Buffalo Lumbermen Hunt Chestnuts 



The annual chestnut outiug of the Buffalo Lumber Exchange was 

 held on October 4 at the Boston Hills, south of Buffalo. This outing is 

 a popular Institution of some years' standing, and as the weather was 

 pleasant, though cool, the attendance was large on this occasion. It was 

 cool and bracing enougli to make outdoor diversion, including baseball, 

 attractive, and this sport, as well as quoit-pitching, had Its usual devotees. 

 Two generous meals were served by the culinary committee, consisting 

 of the following : Elmer J. Sturm, chairman ; Charles N. Perrin, Fleming 

 Sullivan, Eugene Carson, Ashton McNeil and Eugene Nostrand. They 

 showed their customary skill and hospitality, and the menu was so 

 appetizing that little room was left for chestnuts, the hunt for which, 

 however was continued with fair success. 



