28 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



December 10. 1921 



An Interesting Side-Light on the Dimension 

 Standardization Problem 



Some interesting information on the marketing and the present 

 condition of the market for turning squares is contained in letters 

 which passed between W. A. Babbitt of South Bend, Ind., chairman 

 of the standardization committee of the Association of Woodusing 

 Industries, and a lumber company in Wisconsin, which had ex- 

 perienced considerable disappointment in its recent efforts to 

 market dimension stock. The letters were offered to Habdwood 

 Eecord for publication because of the light they throw on the 

 difficulties of the dimension stock program. The name of the 

 lumber company involved in the correspondence is set down as 

 "Blank" and the location of the company is also fictitious, but 

 otherwise the entire correspondence is authentic. The price of 

 squares discussed is withheld for practical reasons. The letters 

 follow: 



BLANK LUMBER COMPANY 



Wixiiiville. Wis., Nov. 25, 1921. 

 Mr. W. A. Babbitt, Gen'I Secy, 



National Assn. of Wood Turners, Inc. 

 Box 517, South Bend, Indiana. 

 Dear Sir : 



We acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 22ud instant, the contents 

 of which we have carefully noted. 



We are afraid that the members of your Association hardly appreciate 

 what we are offering them when we offer our practically clear Squares at 

 the prices we are making on this stock at the present time. The fact of the 

 matter is that we have not dared to ask anything like a FAS price for our 

 Squares, and with the exception of the 42" & 48" lengths are asking a 

 good deal less for Squares than #1 Common Lumber is bringing at the 

 present time. For instance, we are offering our 1x1-18", 24", 30" & 36" 

 Maple & Birch Squares, made under the National Rules, well manufactured 

 and bundled, @ $00.00 per M ft. board measure on cars Woodville, when 

 we are easily obtaining $40.00 for the same Lumber in the ^1 Common 

 grade. The attitude of the Wood Turning Industry rather discourages the 

 production of this dimension stock, for as far as Turning Squares are 

 concerned, we are getting the cold shoulder in whatever direction we turn, 

 There seems to be practically no demand for them except the 42" & 48" 

 lengths, which are used by the Broom Handle Trade, and we assure you 

 that it will take but very little inducement for us to discontinue the 

 manufacture of Squares entirely. 



Possibly we are lacking in salesmanship, but you know it takes two to 

 make a bargain, and we seem to be unable to find the other fellow. 



We assure you that your interest in the matter is appreciated, and 

 remain. Yours truly. 



Blank Limbei! Comi'-vnv. 



Mr. Babbitt's Answer 

 Blaxk Li mber Company, 



Woodville, Wis. Nov. 29, 1921. 



Gentlemen : Your esteemed favor of November 25 has received special 

 attention on account of the grave issue which it raises. If the writer 

 goes into the matter in some detail. I trust that you will understand I am 

 attempting to serve you what little I may, with no thought of criticism 

 either of your views or policies. 



&. fair and general observation on the problem which lumbermen arc 

 facing in marketing standard dimension is that very few lumbermen recog- 

 nize how large and difficult a task it is. As the futile efforts of the 

 Forestry Service clearly show, there is no organization which can hand 

 dimension stock orders to lumbermen. While the efforts of the various 

 organizations who are freely devoting time and mone}* to the task of 

 securing standardizations of raw material (and nowhere more freely than 

 in the lumber industry) are having wonderful success in selling the idea 

 of standardization In a vhoU-sale way, and' thereby making it easier for 

 the manufacturer to find and sell to his particular customers, the fact 

 remains that nevertheless, vach producer must find and seU hia own con- 

 sumers, along customary lines of sales promotion. 



Referring to the work of the Association of Wood Using Industries, 

 through its Stanardizatiou Committee ; from the outset the policy has 

 prevailed of depending upon the trade papers of the lumber industry to 

 disseminate the data compiled by the committee. No Industry has an abler 

 press, or one more loyal to the industry it serves. The lumber press has 

 not only given freely of its front page columns, but has supporteil the 

 progress of standardization with editorials of exceptional discrimination 

 and force. 



In September the writer published In the trade papers n resume of the 

 conditions of stocks in the hands of niannfacturers of turned and shaped 

 wood products. This resume showed that these stocks varied from eight 

 to twenty-six months' supplies averaged by districts. North New England 

 had the largest supply, the southern or delta district having the smallest. 

 With this broadcast statement was emphasized the fact that the market 



for dimension stock was fully as stagnant as the market for plank lumber. 

 Lumbermen were roarn-ed that cut-price offerings would mtt only not pro- 

 duce business, but rather would further demoralize the situation. 



You state In your letter, "The attitude of the wood turning industry 

 rather discourages the production of dimension stock * • * we are 

 getting a cold shoulder in whichever way we turn." Have we made it plain 

 to you that you have quite misunderstood the attitude of our industry V 

 We have not bought dimension from sheer inability to buy, just as other 

 lines of wood fabrication have been unable to buy their usual require- 

 ments. Furthermore, we have done everything in our power to prevent 

 your low-priced, less-than-cost offerings. 



May I make the suggestion that during these days of rapid change in 

 the method and viewpoint of buyers of wood products, it is of vital 

 importance that every interested executive shall be instructed and ordered 

 to read, and report to the "Old Man," on every article appearing in the 

 trade press in which these problems of change are discussed. This may 

 require additional copies, but the results obtained will more than Justify 

 the expense. 



We note your reference to a free demand for special lengths. It is not 

 the intention of the Committee of Standardization knowingly to let either 

 producer or consumer be misled as to the facts about dimension stock. On 

 the face of It, the price you quote per M board feet for standard dimen- 

 sion, worked 42" and 48" lengths, would make profiteers of all broom 

 handle manufacturers, and break all dimension stock manufacturers. As 

 a matter of fact, it would utterly demoralize the broom handle market. 

 which already Is sufficiently without bottom. 



The statisticians of the Forest Products Laboratory are working along 

 lines mapped out by the Committee of Standardization to show just what 

 differentials must be charged for special lengths, as against the permissible 

 lengths under the National inspection rule. You may be interested to 

 know that your price figures less than half the cost of production of a 

 42" 1x1 square in the best equipped and the most favorably located broom 

 handle plant in this country. The same rate per M board feet figures out 

 still more ridiculously on the 54" 1x1 square. We are not assuming that 

 .vou were caught in any such trap, but we are grabbing the opportunity 

 to point out dangers along that line of production. 



The length of this letter has no doubt greatly taxed your patience, but 

 you have to listen to one more stubby and obstinate fact. The foiegoing 

 glimpse into the technique of dimension stock ought to convince your com- 

 pany and all lumbermen that the time has come to get together with your 

 customers on a basis worthy of the vast issues involved. This standardiza- 

 tion campaign has been run 'on a shoestring. No lumberman and mighty 

 few wood users have ever given up a plugged nickel to insure its success. 

 It is no "one man " or "one committee" proposition. The campaign has 

 staggered along simply because It has the support of a splendid trade 

 press, the staunch co-operation of the Forestry Service, and a riddled 

 rear guard of nuts who do not know how to quit. 

 Very truly yours, 



(Signed) W. A. Babbitt, 



Chairman of the Standardization Committee Association of Wood Using 

 Industries. 



{Continued from page 25) 

 est in creating a healthful environment for the people of the com- 

 munity, has been evidenced on many occasions during the twenty 

 years of his participation in the direction of the Board of Health of 

 Jamestown. During Mr. Ipson's participation in the management of 

 that board he was instrumental in putting through a garbage disposal 

 law that proved so efficacious in practice in Jamestown that it was 

 adopted by two of the principal cities in the United States. 



Mr. Ipson is a native of Bornholm, Denmark, having been born on 

 that island Aug. 16, 1846, his father being Hendrik Ipson, who is 

 famous in Danish history for the discovery of cement according to 

 the process now called Portland. In 1866 Mr. Ipson left his native 

 Bornholm, where he had learned the cabinetmaker's trade, and 

 came to America. He first settled in Warren, Pa., and followed 

 his trade there for a short time. During this same year he moved to 

 Jamestown, of wliich place he has ever since been a resident. He 

 followed the trade of cabinetmaker in Jamestown for about six 

 years and then became identified with the firm which was one of the 

 predecessors of the H. P. Robertson Company. In the past forty- 

 seven years Mr. Ipson has worked through the entire plant of this 

 company, passing from jobs of the most humble kind to his present 

 position of responsibilitj'. He is still active and vigorous after 

 these forty-seven years of hard and conscientious work, but his 

 H. P. Eobertscin Co., relieves him of much of the detail of the 

 management of the plant. 



