16 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



mean? It means that we are awakening to the fact that our 

 forests — our mighty oaks antl firs — are one of the nation's 

 greatest assets. ' Kxpert ' and ' cllirionpy ' are two words that 

 have found their way into tlu' l:iii};u;ii,'(' of trees as well as into 

 that of business. ' ' 



It is true that this awakening has at least started. It is as 

 yet really a mere something in the air and its actual close appli- 

 cation in practical operation is so far but just begun. It is 

 indeed gratifying to review the work done aiming at scientific 

 utilization of our forest products and the scientific preservation 

 of our forest supply inasmuch as the really marvelous progress 

 which has been made in the last decade is a fitting evidence of 

 the vigor and intelligence with which the American business man 

 attacks a subject when it is definitely brought to his attention. 

 This work is not being carried on purely by theorists, as it has 

 the moral support, at least, of tlie practii-al ;ind fiirsighted lumbei- 

 men. 



Various influences peculiar to the lumber business have re- 

 sulted in a great many of the more conservative members of 

 the trade withholding any visible support to this movement look- 

 ing toward a more scientific administration, but these conditions 

 have changed and now even while the actual visible support 

 in this country does not cover the entire industry, it is certainly 

 a fact that the lumbermen as a class realize the importance 

 of fostering these efforts. With the trade beliind tHls) research 

 work, the result cannot be in doubt. 



If This Is True, Why Mahogany? 



INSTANCES ABE NUMEROUS illustrating the lack of any 

 definite knowledge pertaining to the lumber business on the 

 part of those interested in issuing the daily press of the country. 

 This is true not only of the staffs of the city dailies, but more 

 surprisingly it is true of the editors of such small country publica- 

 tions as are published in towns essentially interested in the lumber 

 business. A dispatch came recently from such a publication located 

 in a town in Michigan that is in the center of a vast lumber 

 producing region. The dispatch tells of the value of forest growth 

 in that particular section of Michigan and then says "We don't 

 know what is to be done with it, but birch as a finish commands 

 as high a price as mahogany." 



It does not constitute a disparagement of birch nor offer any 

 information that is not already well known when it is stated that 

 this sentence is of course utterly ridiculous. The point is that it 

 is to be deplored that the daily press of the country is not able to 

 secuire more accurate information regarding the products of such 

 a vast business as that of manufacturing lumber. 



A Wrong PoHcy 



IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED in the past by men prominently con- 

 ;■ nected with the manufacture and marketing of red gum that that 

 worthy wood would make much better progress in its development as 

 an important American hardwood if the name of ' ' red gum ' ' were 

 relegated to the scrap heap and some more fancy appellation supplied. 

 Hardwood Record has contended that such a policy would be a 

 serious mistake and as the wood becomes better known this mistake 

 would, in the opinion of Hardwood Record, be increasingly serious. 



The question has recently corlie up again, however, on the suggestion 

 of a certain group of southern manufacturers who have listened to 

 the idea of a prominent advertising man. In the first place to con- 

 nect red gum at this stage of its development with an entirely new 

 name would mean that all the efforts so far used in introducing this 

 wood would be wasted and would have to be repeated in order that 

 its present position might again be reached. 



In the second place the discontinuance of the real and commonly 

 accepted name "red gum" would constitute an admission that the 

 grave charges against this wood which have existed in the past were 

 charges of an entirely substantial nature which could not be remedied. 

 Such a policy would have the effect of creating the impression that 

 another wood was about to be foisted upon the public, and then if, 

 due to mistreatment of any kind, the old objectionable characteristics 



rTopped out on occasion, the new wood would get the full benefits of 

 these characteristics and the good qualities would not be considered. 



On the other hand, great strides have been made in effecting meth- 

 ods of manufacture and handling gum, and as a result this wood is 

 today put on the market in most acceptable form. These changes, 

 however, have been made in the handling of red gum and are gen- 

 erally recognized as having been effected with that wood. Therefor© 

 to arbitrarily change the name of the wood would mean that the 

 confidence so far instilled would be rendered null. 



Red gum should not be a substitute nor should any other name than 

 its own be substituted for it. It is fundamentally able to stand on 

 its own legs if properly treated, and to attempt to rob it of the in- 

 creasing favor with which it is being considered at this stage of its 

 development would be injustice, to say the least. 



What a Lumber Club Should Be 



DKI-'IMTIOX.S OF WHAT A MODERN LUMBER CLUB is and 

 what it should be, are, it must be confessed, very frequently 

 very divergent. While the national and state associations are ac- 

 complishing a vast amount of good and are really effecting measures 

 and conditions which mean monetary gain to their members, the 

 local clubs, which actually have a better opportunity for accomplish- 

 ing things that touch the lumberman closely personally, have in many 

 cases overlooked their opportunities. The old idea of club meetings 

 is still very much in evidence in a great many large sections, and 

 this idea seems to have been that the sole purpose of these meetings 

 was to get together and have a good "feed,'' a few drinks, swap a 

 few stories and then go home — or elsewhere. 



However, encouragement for the future is seen in the really live 

 activities of some of the municipal organizations now in existence 

 in various parts of the country. In most cases this change in effort 

 has been the result of the ideas and efforts of some one man or some 

 group of men, but nevertheless it is working out and is continuing to 

 develop. It is hoped that the city organizations, the clubs and as- 

 sociations will all come to realize eventually the wisdom of following 

 a course of this sort, the result of which will be a very material 

 benefit in many ways to the individual members, and these benefits 

 will be of such a nature that they can be actually seen and appreci- 

 ated, simply because the questions will be so closely associated with 

 the members themselves that when the results are accomplished they 

 will be altogether obvious. 



A Complaint Against Tupelo 



A BRASS MANUFACTURING COMPANY in Connecticut re- 

 cently complained because a trial shipment of tupelo or bay 

 poplar was proving unsatisfactory for boxes and crates. Inves- 

 tigation showed that a very poor grade of material was being 

 used, lower than the ordinary boxing. The manager of the wood 

 department of this company is very anxious to conduct his branch 

 of the work as economically as possible and is constantly experi- 

 menting with new materials in order to effect a saving. The 

 price quoted for the tupelo f. o. b. his station was about one-third 

 lower than that of the wood he had been using. The material 

 received is, however, of such poor quality, being warped, rotten 

 and otherwise defective, that it is giving Tx<f end of trouble and 

 the operators are looking forward to the time when the shipment 

 will be exhausted. 



This is unfortunate, as it gives tupelo a bad reputation which 

 it does not deserve. The regular boxing grades would doubtless 

 have given good satisfaction, and trial shipment of such lumber 

 at a higher price should have been iiiade. Then if the buyer 

 felt that this wood was not as economical for his use as some 

 other wood, his refusal to buy more would not have been because 

 he considered tupelo worthless. If the salesman who was anxious 

 to establish a market for tupelo had been more familiar with 

 the requirements of the brass company he would not have shipped 

 him the stuff he did. The associations which are making efforts 

 to boost the consumption of their products will make a serious 

 mistake if they do not recognize the limitations as well as the 

 merits of their product. A dissatisfied customer will neutralize 

 a whole pot of printer's ink. i i, , 



