16 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



August 



lyiii 



'■ A Deplorable Propaganda 



WITHIN TIIK IjAST J'KW JiAi'S Hakdwood Kecohd lias come 

 into possossion of snniplc litcriiture apparently part of a gen- 

 eral plan of projiajianda which, while resting on a good i)rinciple, 

 is ill-conceived, and because its source is anonymous and its spirit 

 steeped in misrepresentation, its reaction must eventually be 

 harmful. 



The propagaiul.i in i|Ues1ioii juirports to conic from a salesman 

 traveling for a walinit-mahogany house who represents that as 

 his house is adverse to adopting any new ideas, he is addressing a 

 general appeal to manufacturers to enlist their co-operation, lie 

 addresses a general letter to such manufacturers, prcsuiiiably of 

 walnut and mahogany, saying that through his plan the substitu- 

 tion of birch and gum could be stopped within thirty days' time. 

 The idea is that the company's appealed to should supply their 

 salesmen with warning slips reading as follows: 

 Fkiendly Wabnixo 



Furniture made of gum or birch sjiotted in your show window 

 today. 



Am sending this word in, and possibly a test purchase will be 

 made to see if your salesmen will represent the furniture as walnut 

 or mahogany, instead of imit.-ition. 



This notice is sent to give dealers lalioriug under a wrong impres- 

 sion time to consult their attorneys and correct any misrepresenta- 

 tion if they be guilty. ADVANCE AGENT. 



Notice A No. 906 



These slips are to be handed to salesmen for the lumber com- 

 panies, and they in turn are to watch for show window displays of 

 furniture containing gum, birch and other substitutes, here and 

 there making a test purchase, to determine whether or not the goods 

 are represented as walnut or mahogany, the implication being that 

 such misrepresentation may be followed by court action. 



The principle of substitution and misrepresentation for the pur- 

 pose of selling an inferior article deserves the eondenm.ation of any 

 man. The public has been sold a vast amount of furniture mar- 

 keted as walnut or as mahogany when such articles contained a 

 very small quantity of the genuine wood. Indeed, the manufac- 

 turers of certain of these substitute woods have made strenuous 

 eflforts in their own behalf to build up a prestige based on the 

 excellent qualities of their products which it is their hope will be 

 ultimately marketed on their own merits. For instance, the term 

 •'birch-mahogany" is today fairly ac-eepted in the trade as birch 

 finished with a mahogany st.-iiii and a great deal of furniture is 

 so sold. 



But regardless of the correetness of the principle, the methods 

 employed for attaining the eliinination of substitutes are deplorable 

 and can not go far. It is especially unfortunate that they come 

 now at a time when even the retail furniture dealers, who have 

 been most at fault in marketing the false for the genuine, have 

 ofiicially gone on record in a resolution adopted at the Chicago meet- 

 ing e.-irly in July, as against the use of substitutes for walnut and 

 mahogany in furniture represented as made of those woods. 



The anonymous character of the propaganda stamps it as of a 



nature not usually emanating from the lumber industry. This 



literature was brought to the attention of Hardwood Ef.cord just 



. two days before press day. obviating the possibility of a full inves- 



tigation, but inasmuch as the anonymous writer suggested that 

 salesmen should send the names of erring retailers to the walnut 

 association. Hardwood Record had the opportunity of investigat- 

 ing any such implied connection. The walnut association gave 

 very positive proof that it has no connection, official or unofficial, 

 with any such propaganda and, in fact, had not heard of it until a 

 <lay or two before it came to the attention of Hardwood Record. 

 Ill fact, it is issuing a general letter to this effect. 



Hardwood Rkcord believes that both the furniture manufactur- 

 ing and retail trades are willing to sell their goods on their merits, 

 and can speedily be shown through education and proper publicity 

 that misrepresentation is directly against their best interests. Such 

 a campaign as this, though, w-ill be resented both by manufacturers 

 and retailers. It is ill-conceived and badly e.vecuted and dis- 

 tinctly unfair in that its literature implies connections which do 

 not .exist with certain associations. If this is as it is represented, 

 the work of an individu.-il salesman, the associations with which 

 he links his propaganda should take steps to stop it. If it is 

 officially or unofficially connected with any himber association,- that 

 body would do well to cease such activity and divert its funds into 

 more legitimate channels of education and publicity. 



A Cause Deserving of Support 



AT A TIME when the tlieory of forest conservation is occupying 

 the attention of business leaders outside of the lumber indus- 

 try, the impracticability of applying the more advanced practice 

 is brought home with almost tragic force to the lumber operator. 

 Today the very existence of some of the largest units in the lumber 

 manufacturing business is threatened through inaijility to reach 

 markets with the major portion of their cut. The prices for the 

 lower grades of hardwoods have reached the point where excessive 

 freight rates make their shipment impossible. Many mills, more 

 especially those in the South, are facing disaster because with the 

 thirty-three and a third per cent increase in rates effective August, 

 1920, their shipping district was so restricted as to virtually annihi- 

 late the market. 



The Southern Hardwood Traffic. Association of Memphis has 

 coneentrated on this serious problem, and recently filed a strong 

 complaint before the Interstate Commerce Commission for the 

 re-establishment of old rates. It is believed that favorable decision 

 on the plea will not only greatly assist the operators who are today 

 carrying a staggering burden of low grade stock, but through mak- 

 ing it economically possible to market low grade will effect con- 

 servation. 



The Southern Hardwood Traffic Association is anxious for every 

 last ounce of support it can get from the industry and can be 

 depended upon to turn such support in the direction where it will 

 count most. It is the solemn duty of every hardwood manufacturer 

 to communicate with the association, authorizing the use of his 

 company name as a party to the complaint. Obviously the more 

 representative is the backing for the action on the part of the 

 association, the more probable w-ill be favorable decision by the 

 commission. The action of the association is to be strongly com- 

 mended from every standpoint, and any hardwood man who is not 

 willing to dictate a letter supporting this action is beyond the 

 power of assistance. 



Table of Contents 



REVIEW AND OUTLOOK: 



General Market Conditions . . IS 



A Deplorable Propaganda -• 16 



A Cause Deserving of Support 16 



SPECIAL ARTICLES: 



Manufacturers Push Snell-McCormick Bill 17 & 20 



The Manufactvire and Seasoning of Oak 18-20 



Manufacturers Fight Rates to Save Mills 22-23 



When After Efficiency Don't Forget Economy 35-36 



A Brief for Sound Wormy Chestnut ,,36 



NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL: 



Miscellaneous 21 



CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS: 



Miscellaneous - 24-25 



HARDWOOD NEWS 26 & 28-34 



HARDWOOD MARKET 34 & 51-54 



CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS 56-58 



ADVERTISERS- DIRECTORY 5S 



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