24 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



DccemlHT 10. 1921 



Lumber Division Will Back Up Exporters 



The United States government, through the nieiliuni of the lumber 

 ilivision of the Department of Commeree, will back up Anieriean 

 exporters of hardwood lumber and forest products as Germany backed 

 up her exporters before the world war, with the exception that, as the 

 division expands, the former will exceed the accomplishments of the 

 latter. 



The foregoing is the cheering message which Axel H. Oxholm, chief 

 of the lumber division, brought to the members of the American Hard- 

 wood Manufacturers Association on December 7 at the luncheon ten- 

 ilered him at the Hotel Gayoso in Memphis. 



The attendance was quite large and all present listened with the 

 closest attention as Mr. Oxliolm outlined the activities of the lumber 

 division in the direction of assisting exporters of lumlxr in this coun- 

 try to buUd up their foreign business on a more stable and more 

 profitable basis. 



James E. Staxk, chairman of the executive committee of the associa- 

 tion, presided, on account of the indisposition of R. M. Carrier, the 

 ])resident, as a result of a slight injury receiverl nt his sawmill a few 

 days ago. 



Mr. Oxholm outlined tlie equipment and resources of the lumber 

 division of the Department of C'onunerce. He said that the division 

 is interested, to the extent of 90 per cent, in fostering foreign business 

 in lumber and that it has a call on the services of more than 1,000 

 agents in foreign countries, including special representatives in all the 

 larger principal cities, trade commissioners and consuls. 



' ' We are addressing our inquiries to trade commissioners, consuls 

 and special representatives who are familiar with the information 

 desired and who interpret our requests properly. We put the ques- 

 tions in 'lumber language' and the replies, are likewise treated. 

 Therefore, if any of you gentlemen want information regardini;' 

 conditions abroad, you should get it from the lumber division. 

 We will always give you what we have without delay an<l, if we do 

 not have on file what you want, we will get it for you as (|uiikly as 

 possible,' ' he said. 



After he concluded his address, Mr. .Oxholm stated that he would 

 be glad to have any questions asked in which members of the associa- 

 tion were interested. 



Stocks Are Very Low 



The liardwood manufacturers indicated that ]possibl.v the best and 

 most immediate service the lumber division might do the hardwood 

 lumber industry would be to furnish advance infornuition should there 

 be a heavy redevelopment of foreign demand. It was stated that 

 there is a radical shortage of hardwood lumber throughout the country. 

 Stocks in the hands of consumers are low and stocks at the mills are 

 just as low. There is very little first and seconds and only a slightly 

 ' better supply of No. 1 common stocks in the South. Production is 

 alarmingly low, comparatively few logs are being gotten out and 

 few mills are running. It is too late in the season to organize logging 

 crews and practically no increase can be made in jiroduction between 

 now aud the spring season. Thus, if a heavy foreign demand should 

 develop without sufficient warning the market nught be greatly demol- 

 alized. The southern producers would be in a position to do little 

 more than take care of the domestic trade. The foreign demand 

 might then drive prices up undesirably high and besides it would not 

 1» taken care of as it should be and an important group of American 

 exporters would lose much valuable business. Only a close and broa<l 

 study of economic conditions abroad, such as the lumber division 

 might make, and which might result in valuable advance information, 

 would enable the manufacturer to meet the emergency. 



At the present the southern manufacturers of hardwood lumber are 

 compelled to operate along the most conservative lines, as they are 

 restrained'from exchanging information on conditions. Therefore, they 

 dare not anticipate the matter of a heavy foreign demand and manu- 

 facture to meet it. 



John W. MeClure stressed the desirability of getting the advance 

 information regarding foreign conditions as promptly as possible. He 

 jiointed out that lumber production has been extremely light during 

 the past year, owing to the depressed condition of the industry in 

 this country and abroad. He suggested, in this connection that, with 

 liadly broken stocks of hardwood lumber, a big foreign demand, devel- 

 opiiig in conjunction with the heavy buying of American consumers, 

 Mught result in a very sharp advance in prices and a somewhat 

 • • unstable ' ' market if producers were not advised in advance that 

 large requirements would he wanted abroad and if they did not govern 

 their ]>roihiction so as tu take care of this. 



Recommends Trade-Marking 



Mr. Oxholm stated, in connection with the discussion of more gen- 

 eral trade-marking of lumber, in response to a question from Ralph 

 May, of May Brothers, that he believed that trade-marking and the 

 gathering of advance information regarding probable demand and 

 supply — some of it by cable and the remainder through the ordinary 

 channels — would effectually put a stop to the policy of indiscriminate 

 consigning of lumber. He pointed out in this connection that these 

 consignments tend to depress' the market and to hurt the legitimate 

 cxjiorter and that they, at the same time, are disastrous, in their effect, 

 on foreign buyers, the majority of whom are interested in seeing a 

 stable market which is impossible where consignments are sent in 

 without rhyme or reason. He also stated that foreign financial institu- 

 tions regard the consignment e\'il as an evidence of financial weakness 

 on the part of the firm engaged therein, and emphasized, in this con- 

 nection, that some foreign associations assess heavy penalty against 

 their members who consign more than ten ]ier cent of their ]>roduct. 



Dooley and Thompson Opponents in Annual 

 Memphis Election 



.loe Thompson and Frank T, Dooley are the ojiposing candidates 

 for president in the grand annual election sweepstakes of the Lumber- 

 men "s Club of Memphis. This was the anno\incement made at the 

 meeting of the club Saturday afternoon, Deceml>er 10, at a luncheon 

 at the Gayoso Hotel. The members of the club anticipate one of the 

 hottest fights of years, as both are good men, hard battlers and are 

 backed by fighting comnuttees. Some warm work is looked for between 

 this date and December 17, when the election will be held. The two 

 tickets. Blue and Red, with their committees, are as follows : 



Blue Ticket 



President — Joe Thompson, ThoiSpson-Katz lA>r. Co. 



First Vice-President — J. Clayton .lohnson, .1. Clayton Johnson 

 Lbr. Co. 



Swond Vice-President— J. E. Walsh, Jas. E. Stark & Co. 



Secretary and Treasurer — J. T. Kendall, Richards Hdwd. Co. 



Directors: W. V. Fant, Delta & Pine Land Co. of Mississippi; E. 

 A. Xeely, Frank A. Conkling Co.; M. H. Welsh, Memphir* Hdwd. 

 Lbr. Co. 



Nominating Committee 



J. F. McSwcyn. .1. H. M;iiissrn, J. II. ^it:nniard, t'hnirnian. 



Red Ticket 

 T'resident — Frank T. Dooley, F. T. Dooley Lbr. Co. 

 First Vice-President — T. E. Sledge, May Brothers. 

 Second Vice-President — L. H. Pope, L. D. Murrelle Lbr. Co. 

 Secietary and Treasurer — J. T. Kendall, Richards Hdwd. Co. 

 Directors: M. B. Eutsler, Tallahatchie Lbr. Co.; J. F. Mingea, 

 Stillions-Mingca Lbr. Co.; J. A. .Tohnson, Grismore-Hyman Co. 



Nominating Committee 

 J. C. Bonner, H. J. Richards, Frank E. Bruce, Chairman. 

 This year there will be no letter or telephone solicitation in Shelby 

 Count V. 



