April 10. 1919 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



21 



the association which they represented, and any statements which 

 they might make would merely concern their own particular com- 

 panies. They pointed out that the price of lumber had never gone 

 beyond what would produce a small margin of profit, let alone an 

 inflated margin, and that under existing conditions, and condi- 

 tions which so far as they could see would maintain for some time 

 to come, the selling costs being almost identical with producing 

 costs, they could not reduce their selling prices without disaster 

 to themselves and the industry as a whole. 



The Industrial Board was unable to make any suggestions, but 

 was loath to stamp with approval the present prices which were 

 being promulgated by the lumber manufacturers, although it was 

 clearly pointed out that if the manufacturers could not lower prices 

 without disaster to the industry, the Industrial Board should com- 

 njend present prices in order to satisfy the public that present 

 prices of lumber were so low that they could go no lower. The 

 Industrial Board finally agreed to look over cost data offered, which 

 had been prepared by the Southern Pine Association and checked 

 with ajjproval by the Federal Trade Commission, and compared it 

 with prices which the lumbermen were now asking in order to 

 confirm the claims of the manufacturers' committee, all agreeing 

 that this would be typical of all lumber manufacturers, and with a 

 view of issuing a statement later on. No statements have been 

 issued, however, from the Industrial Board since that date, and 

 the negotiations have been practically broken off. 



W. M. Ritter, a wholesale lumber dealer of Columbus, Ohio, who 

 was connected with the War Industries Board during the war, and 

 who is now a member of this Industrial Board, is generally given 

 credit for having suggested this plan of the Industrial Board as 

 carried out by Secretary Eedfield, and he has been quite anxious 

 that the lumber prices should be lowered in order to stimulate build- 

 ing. It is generally thought that this would be a mistake and that 

 what the public wants is not so much a lowering of prices, having 

 now all practically been convinced that pre-war prices will not 

 appertain, but to know that there is some authority and basis of 

 fact for the statement being issued that there will be no lower 

 prices than what are in effect today. Certain representatives of 

 those on the board endeavored to have a meeting following the 

 conference above referred to, and proposed that all lumber manu- 

 facturing concerns simply agree to a flat reduction of $2 per thou- 

 sand feet from their present prices, but important lumber repre- 

 sentatives refused to consider this, taking the ground that such, 

 or any other price concessions, would be suicidal to the industry in 

 view of the fact that many of the larger producers have for some 

 time past been losing money steadily even at present prices, and 

 that owing to labor and wage conditions and other things con- 



fronting the industry many mills had shut down and many others 

 would probably do so. 



Memorial Trees 

 ' The American Forestry Association announces that it will register 

 all trees planted as memorials of American soldier dead and will 

 present a certificate of registration to the individual or organization 

 that plants the trees. The association further offers advice as to 

 the best kinds of trees to plant, how and when and where to plant, 

 together with information about care of trees, etc. According to 

 reports received by the association there will be memorial trees 

 planted in every American country this spring. 



The impression was gained in Washington the other day that the 

 Railroad Administration will not abolish the transit ear, despite the 

 fight of the retail lumbermen against it. 



President Wilson has signed an executive order recently made 

 public by the War Department which formally abolishes the air- 

 craft board that was created early in the war. 



(Jeneral Menaher, head of the air service, says his department 

 will not sell its high grade hardwood surplus at present, but will 

 keep it for possible future use. He denies it has sold high grade 

 spruce at low prices. Sales have been of side cuts. It has 15,000,000 

 feet fine spruce in stock drying, some of which may be sold later to 

 commercial airplane manufacturers. 



The Postoifice Department has issued specifications for multi- 

 motored airplanes of commercial type to be used for mail carrying. 

 Bids will be opened June 2, deliveries being wanted in six months 

 after contracts are awarded. The machines must have a minimum 

 capacity of 1.500 pounds of mail and speed of 90 to 115 miles per 

 hour. 



J. L. Philips is saying nothing and "sawing wood" in connection 

 with his .job of disposing of 30,000,000 feet of surplus government 

 lumber. E. B. Baldinger is here to collect bills for lumber furnished 

 to the government by members of the southern pine bureau. 



W. H. Sowers is in the East in connection with the activities of 

 the pitch pine export corporation, which is said to include represen- 

 tative yellow pine mills east of the Mississippi river. 



Twenty cities are now engaged in the ' ' own your own home ' ' 

 campaign inaugurated by the Department of Labor. 



Wilson favors forestry and minerals as well as agricultural devel- 

 opment. An ofScial outline of the Wilson plan has been made public 

 by Benton Mackaye of the Department of Labor. This outline says 

 that land not meeting the test of suitability for farming can gen- 

 erally be used for growing forests; that these should be handled 

 through methods of "timber culture," not "timber ruining," and 

 ' ' permanent forest communities of workers should replace tem- 

 porary logging camps of hoboes." 



Letters from a Gadder 



Editor's Note 



This is not an imaginary letter but was written by a man familiar with lumber and the lumber buying trade 

 and who is in position to get an accurate view ot conditions as they are in the factories. He has just finished the 

 trip referred to. As it is said that the situation in the East is much more sluggish than in the middle West, his 

 optimistic account of a trip through eastern territory mean:i eren more. 



April 2, 1919. 

 Dear Editor: 



If I read right, in my sometimes hasty perusal of your publica- 

 tion, you have a few friends among the producers of hardwood lum- 

 ber who are still standing around with tear-dewed faces asking 

 you to look at the corpse. Far be it from me to disturb their 

 meditations, but my experiences recently lead me to suggest that 

 you tell them to get their hearts out of their boots and quit scaring 

 themselves to death. If they do less worrying and more working, 

 the chances are that they will find that the door of prosperity is 

 somewhat ajar, and if they drop a little faith oil on the hinges it 

 is likely to swing wide open. 



Of course, I am not qualified to speak of the whole country. 

 These observations are made at the end of a trip among some users 

 of hardwood lumber in Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. 

 Still I recall once having read government statistics showing that 

 the furniture manufacturers of North Carolina us6d more lumber 

 than similar manufacturers in any other state. So perhaps these 

 observations may be of slight interest. A trip covering the same 

 field was taken in January, and the March trip showed such a 

 different state of mind among the manufacturers visited that a few 

 lines may put a little hope in the hearts of some mourners that are 

 still lamenting about poor business. 



In January most furniture manufacturers were in the dumps. 



