December 2S, 1918 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



17 



The Following Resolution Provides for New Manufacture-Consumer Rules 



Whereas, The hardwood lumber industry has for many years 

 been confronting serious problems touching the manufacture and 

 distribution of its products, which problems, due to lack of co- 

 operative effort within the industry, remain unsolved today; and 



Whereas, By reason of the revolutionary changes takmg place 

 today in the spiritual and economic life of the world, due to the 

 great war, we find these problems confronting us with more 

 insistent demand for solution, and in addition new and per- 

 plexing problems whose meaning and force we are as yet unable 

 to grasp or measure, although they must be met and solved; and 



Whereas, Our old national isolation is gone and our country 

 is at the beginning of a new economic life in which it must battle 

 with the world for commercial existence, and while we vvill 

 eventually win is not doubted, that we will do so while clinging 

 to the old self-centered chaotic and wasteful industrial spirit is 

 impossible. We cannot blink the facts, we dare not ignore 



them; and • -.i, n 



Whereas, We have come together at this convention with all 

 those who see the need of co-operative effort within our indus- 

 try united in the common cause of our nation, our industry and 

 ourselves, to attack and solve our problems, to define the prin- 

 ciples which shall guide us and to outline policies squaring with 

 these principles, thereby welding our forces into a mighty con- 

 structive power; and . 



Whereas, Our success depends upon a clear and unequivocal 

 adoption of principles and a specific, practical, constructive pro- 

 gram in full accord with these principles as well as the letter 

 and spirit of the law; therefore, , .. , 



Be it Resolved, by the American Hardwood Manufacturers 

 Association in convention assembled this eighteenth day of De- 

 cember, 1918, that this is an organization of manufacturers to 

 deal with problems which are fundamentally manufacturers 

 problems, chief among which are a uniform cost-finding system, 

 scientific grading rules, market stability, advertising of our 

 products, improvement and standardization of our manufacturing 

 processes, the compilation of reliable statistics, the labor prob- 

 lem foreign trade, elimination of unfair practices, and close con- 

 tact' with our government in matters affecting our industry. We 

 propose to meet these problems in a spirit of unity, earnest co- 

 operation and loyal adherence to the will of the majority and by 

 exercising our right to handle our own problems without inter- 

 ference or limitations except that imposed by fundamental eco- 

 nomic principles, the laws of the land, and the highest ideals of 



public policy. ■• , j it 



Resolved, That this association immediately adopt rules tor 

 the grading and measurement of hardwood lumber and that the 

 definition, application and administration of such rules be gov- 

 erned by the following general principles, to-wit : 



In general the purpose of grading lumber is to so classify the 

 product of the log with relation to its dimensions and the nature 

 and location of the defects as to enable the consumer to readily 

 get that portion of what the log produces as is best suited to his 

 needs; and further, that the price may bear a logical relation to 

 the qualitv of the product, recognizing that as values rise and 

 supply diminishes there is greater need of grade refinements. 



That under this broad principle it is clear that the only party 

 interested in the definition of grades besides the manufacturer 

 is the consumer, and his needs must of necessity be scientifically 

 ascertained and accorded full weight. 



That the rules must be applied by a corps of trained inspectors 

 under a competent chief inspector who shall be especially 

 charged with the duty of seeing that his inspectors are compe- 

 tent, honest and impartial and thoroughly grounded in the rules 

 and their intelligent and uniform application. As a further 

 means of securing correctness and uniformity in application the 

 inspectors shall be assembled at least once in sixty days for 

 examination and instruction under the chairman of the rules 

 committee, at which meetings all members are entitled to bo 

 present to observe the work and offer criticism and advice for 

 the consideration of the rules committee. 



That the function of the inspectors be confined to three pui- 

 poses only: 



First: As arbitrators after a difference on grade or measure- 

 ment on a particular shipment has arisen between buyer and 

 seller. 



Second: To instruct inspectors employed by members of the 

 association at their mills upon request of the member for the 

 purpose of securing uniformity in the application of the rules. 



Third: To inspect shipments destined to the Pacific Coast 

 and to foreign countries and issue official association certificates 

 therefor. 



That the inspectors shall not be kept permanently in one place 

 but shall be rotated in their work in order to keep them entirely 

 free from local influences. 



The committee on inspection rules shall formulate inspectioa 

 rules and a sales code, under the above general instructions, 

 and report the same to the board of directors, and the said rules 

 shall be finally approved and become effective on or before 

 February 1, 1919, and shall be under the control of the board 

 of directors. 



The committee on inspection rules shall also carefully con- 

 sider and work out any proposals looking to the establishment 

 of a single standard for the inspection of hardwood lumber 

 under the general principles set forth above, and make recom- 

 mendations to the board of directors. 



Manufacturers Amalgamation Completed 



President R. L. .luia.-n c,f Memplns called together one of the 

 most momentous meetings in the history of the hardwood business 

 at Louisville on Tuesday, December 17. The meeting, which took 

 ,.lace at the Seelbach hotel, lasted for two days and resulted in the 

 adoption of important resolutions, resolving itself in the main 

 around the question of whether the association representing the 

 merger of the American Hardwood Manufacturers' Association and 

 the Hardwood Manufacturers' Association of the United States, 

 should formulate its own rules for the grading of hardwood lumber 

 and administer those rules. It went on record in the affirmative by 

 adopting the resolution presented by E. O. Eobinson, chairman of 

 the resolutions committee, the resolution providing that rules must 

 be completed and be made effective by the rules committee not later 

 than February 1, 1919. 



The association also organized itself for a vigorous and extensive 

 uniform cost investigation, and is committed to a broad trade ex- 

 tension campaign. 



Delegates Welcomed 

 The meeting opened with an address of welcome delivered by 

 Joseph Dawson, assistant district attorney of Louisville, who spoke 

 in behalf of Mayor Smith, who was unable to be present. He ex- 

 tended an invitation to the association to locate its headquarters 

 at Louisville. 



.lames L. Hamill, attorney for the W. M. Bitter Lumber Company, 

 Columbus, O., responded very humorously in behalf of the asso- 

 ciation. 



President's Address 



■ President .Uirdeu then delivered his address as follows: 



This meeting has been called by your executive committee, as a special 

 meeting of vour association, in compliance with an agreement made be- 

 tween the executive committees of this association ana the Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association of the United States, the conditions of which 

 are entirely familiar to you all. It is likewise the arst annual meeting 

 of the association. 



A little less than a ye:ir ago this organization had its l)irth in Memphis, 

 Tenn being, as vou know, the outgrowth or consolidation of the Gum 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association and the American Oak Manufactur- 

 ers' Association. The Gum Lumber Manufacturers' Association was born 

 of desire to improve their conditions as gum lumber producers and It 

 has been and is still spoken of in general lumber circles as one of the 

 conspicuously successful lumber organizations. The American Oak Manu- 

 facturers' Association was only one year old but was a husky infant and 

 was making rapid strides. It was the thought that a consolidation of 

 those two organizations and the enlargement of their work for the pur- 

 pose of administering to the needs of other woods was desirable and 

 would be highly beneficial. 



The association started under many difficulties of operation. Our secre- 

 tary and manager, Mr. Pritchard, being in Washington on government 

 work his services to the association were not available for some time 

 after the organization started. His assistants, however, rendered valu- 



