November 23, 1921 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



News from the National Capital 



Oxholm Describes Service Offered by U. S. Lumber Division 



A comprehensive report on the work that is being done by the 

 Lumber Division of the Department of Commerce, showing its 

 contact with the industry, its sources of information, dissemina- 

 tion of data, foreign trade list and exporters' index service, has 

 just been made public by Axel H. Oxholm, chief of the Division. 



The lumber industry of the United States in the past has been 

 characterized by instability, because the output largely has been 

 based on the domestic demand, which has greatly varied from one 

 year to the other, Mr. Oxholm states. On this account it has fre- 

 quently happened that the mills have been found with large sur- 

 plus stocks on hand, often of a quality for which there has been 

 no immediate demand in the domestic markets. 



Some of the more farsighted lumber manufacturers have not 

 depended entirely upon the domestic market, but have in past 

 years built up a stable market abroad, thereby making it possible 

 for them to maintain a more even production. Thousands of other 

 lumber manufacturers have been desirous of following this pro- 

 cedure, but have lacked the necessarj' equipment and knowledge 

 to handle an export business, because foreign requirements and 

 methods of doing business vary in many ways from those prevail- 

 ing in the domestic markets. 



When the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce was re- 

 organized on a commodity basis during the summer of 1921 a lum- 

 ber division was established. In organizing the staff of this di- 

 vision the Department of Commerce stressed the importance of 

 obtaining the services of men with practical lumber experience, 

 both in regard to manufacturing and selling of lumber at home 

 and abroad. In this way every question that comes up relating to 

 the lumber export trade will be considered from a practical stand- 

 point, having in mind the interests of manufacturers and ex- 

 porters and requirements of importers. In order to define the 

 specific services which this lumber division is in position to ren- 

 der the lumber industry, a short outline of its organization and 

 principal functions is presented by Mr. Oxholm, as follows: 



Before aoy definite plans were made for the operation of the lum- 

 ber division a close contact was established with lumber men, lumber 

 exporters, and lumber associations in every section of the United States. 

 Specially valuable connection has been established with the National 

 Lumber Manufacturers* Association, comprising the leading local asso- 

 ciations in the country. 



The Lumber Division perhaps offers its greatest assistance to the in- 

 dustry in its information service. Lumber reports are received at reg- 

 ular intervals from all of the Department of Commerce representatives 

 abroad, namely, commercial attaches, trade commissioners, and special 

 agents, stationed in the principal capitals and trade centers of the world, 

 and also from several hundred United States consular officials in every 

 foreign countrj-. In addition to the regular reports that come in from 

 these sources the Department of Commerce receives weekly cable re- 

 ports from its foreign representatives regarding trade conditions and 

 trade opportunities in the various countries. Furthermore, the Lumber 

 Division receives every important lumber publication and has on file 

 a mass of material relating to lumber conditions abroad. Through the 

 Department's own clipping service is received articles of interest to the 

 lumber trade in general, collected from every part of the world. More- 

 over, it is co-operating with other Government organizations, such as 

 the Forest Service and the many geographical and technical branches of 

 the various government departments. In this way the Lumber Division 

 Is kept posted in regard to every matter of interest in its work. The 

 Lumber Division will also in the near future send out Its own repre- 

 sentatives to foreign countries to make a thorough study of lumber con- 

 ditions of special interest to our lumber exporters. 



All reports and information coming In to the Lumber Division arc 

 carefully scrutinized and digested by its different experts so as to make 

 sure that the matter given out to the public Is as reliable as possible. 



Much of the information obtained by the Lumber Division is prepared 

 for special articles in the lumber section of Commerce Reports. In ad- 

 dition to reports bearing directly on the foreign lumber trade and op- 

 portunities for the sale of .\merican lumber, valuable and reliable in- 



formation is given by the Government representatives regarding gen- 

 eral conditions of indirect interest to our lumber exporters. The re- 

 ports also contain information on construction projects, building activi- 

 ties, irrigation schemes, railroa'd construction, shipbuilding, etc., in short, 

 any activity in which the lumber manufacturers may be interested and 

 which eventually may afford an outlet for their products. 



The Division will also endeavor to keep the lumber industry posted 

 in regard to improved methods of manufacturing abroad, disposal of 

 waste material, elimination of waste, etc. Special attention will be paid 

 in the near future to the question of foreign experience in regard to 

 trade marking of lumber for export, as it is realized by the majority 

 of our lumber exporters that such practice would be of gi'eat assistance 

 in maintaining a stable market in foreign countries and in securing bet- 

 ter market conditions. Many articles are prepared for the press in order 

 to give certain topics the quickest and widest publicity. 



Referring to the special information service of the lumber Di- 

 vision, Mr. Oxholm says: 



Any American concern may call upon the Lumber Division for special 

 lumber investigations in foreign fields. Reasonable requests for in- 

 formation not on hand will be placed before the Government representa- 

 tive abroad in the form of a questionnaire carefully prepared by the 

 lumber division. In special cases matters of importance will be han- 

 dled by cable if the expense is justified. 



A comprehensive file of information regarding conditions in foreign 

 countries is on hand in the lumber division and many questions may be 

 answered at once by the Division without having to refer to Govern- 

 ment agents abroad, thereby saving considerable time. 



The Lumber Division has on file hundreds of names of foreign concerns 

 interested in -American lumber and lumber products. These lists are 

 now being revised so as to enable the division to go more into detail as 

 to the character of the business of each firm listed thereon. It is the 

 aim in the future to difl'erentiate clearly between agents, importers and 

 wholesalers to give information concerning the species of woods and 

 wood products handled by each firm, and also to give advice regarding 

 concerns specially well qualified to handle American Lumber. 



The Lumber Division maintains a classified index of American lum- 

 ber manufacturers and merchants interested in foreign trade, and sup- 

 plies them with reserved and confidential information on foreign trade 

 opportunities and trade lists and with other helpful data received from 

 commercial attaches, trade commissioners, consular officers, and other 

 official representatives abroad. 



The distribution of the confidential information reserved from the 

 '"Foreign Trade Opportunities" announcements, the lists of agents and 

 importers in foreign countries submitted by various trade representa- 

 tives, the confidential circulars released from time to time, and other 

 confidential and semi-confidential material received and prepared by 

 this division is confined in general to American firms recorded in this 

 special index. Information regarding the steps necessary to be placed 

 on the exporters' index may be obtained from the lumber division upon 

 application. 



A comprehensive work has been started in collecting statistical in- 

 formation from all principal lumber exporting and importing countries 

 in the world, so that our exporters in time will have a statement 

 brought up to date from year to year, or in some cases, from month to 

 month, regarding lumber production, export and import. In various 

 countries and expressed in terms in current use in the United States. 

 This division will also be able to furnish information regarding current 

 prices for lumber abroad. Every month a statement showing our own 

 lumber exports, covering the figures for the preceding month, will be pub- 

 lished in the lumber section of Commerce Reports. 



The lumber Division will also publish books regarding special foreign 

 investigations, an exporters and importers' manual, an American lum- 

 ber exporters' directory, showing the number of saw mills, giving de- 

 tailed information concerning the output, species, etc. 



In an endeavor to broaden the foreign market for American lumber 

 the lumber division will in certain cases assist the .\merican exporter in 

 having special tests made in foreign countries regarding the qualities of 

 American lumber. Work along this line has already been started in co- 

 operation with other Government departments. In the case of exhibi- 

 tions abroad, the lumber division is ready to co-operate with private en- 

 terprise in preparing the necessary data and material for such ex- 

 hibits. 



The Lumber Division, it was stated, will in many cases be able to 

 assist American lumlier exporters in the settlement of claims raised by 

 foreign Importers against American lumber. 



