December 10, 1921 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



35 



Furniture Council Conservatively Optimistic 



Accurate Costs and Price Stability at Markets Will Largely Influence 



1922 Business 



The annual meeting of The National Council of Furniture Asso- 

 ciations was well attended at its sessions on December 6th and 7th 

 at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. 



The National Council is an advisory board consisting of six 

 furniture trade associations. Its meetings have been held quarterly 

 and its recommendations are referred to the member organizations 

 covering policies pertinent to the furniture industry after an ex- 

 haustive analysis has been made concerning the conditions af- 



*ed. Through its conferences the 

 broadest possible picture is made available 

 covering situations governing the manu- 

 facturing and merchandising of furniture. 

 Never before has there been such a broad 

 vision obtained regarding the supplies of 

 raw materials entering into the production 

 of furniture. Policies advocated by the 

 National Council w^hich have been en- 

 dorsed by its member associations have 

 evolved a stability during the trying period 

 of the past year to the advantage of every 

 furniture manufacturer. 



Through cooperation established with 

 retailers of furniture the National Council 

 has served as a medium to elevate the 

 conditions throughout the furniture in- 

 dustry as a whole. 



Chairman Ashton P. Derby presided at 

 the annual meeting. Following a report 

 from Secretary J. T. Ryan, the delegates 

 present in responding to the roll call stated 

 conditions existing in their respective lines. 

 The reports indicate that after a very un- ^^'^*°" ^- ^^''*'>'' 



profitable experience the major portion of this year, the furniture 

 producing centers are now well supplied with orders. The fact 

 that retailers are carrying light stocks is taken by the factories as 

 basis for the belief that furniture will be in demand in increasing 

 volume as the year 1 922 advances. 



Skilled labor w^ith furniture plants is becoming scarce; factories 

 are operating 50 hours on the average. Many special jobs have 

 been manufactured at no profit whatever, such work being taken 

 on in order to reduce the overhead burden. Prices for furniture 

 have held steady with the manufacturers since July 1st, though 

 many patterns are now being sold at less than cost of production. 



The representative of the retailers stated that conditions as re- 

 ported by the manufacturers are largely reflected in the retail 

 trade. One thing which is worthy of note is the statement that 

 the retailer is finding credit conditions now showing a marked im- 

 provement. Two factors affecting the purchase of furniture by 

 the public are worthy of mention, one is the increase in the number 

 of marriages, the other being the steady expansion of the build- 

 ing of dwellings. Ever since the war ended there has been a ten- 

 dency on the part of the public to live in a cramped condition. 

 Families have doubled up, storing furniture if necessary. Thai 

 situation is showing a slight reaction. Furniture is being with- 

 drawn from storage and invariably that calls for the purchase of 

 additional equipment. 



The situation regarding lumber stocks in the hands of furniture 

 manufacturers is quite spotty; some factories are well supplied 

 whereas others w^ill of necessity have to cover their requirements 

 for 1922 in the near future. The furniture manufacturer requires 

 No. 1 common and better grades. The discussion concerning the 

 outlook of the lumber supply indicated that there is a very great 

 difference in the opinions of furniture manufacturers as to the 



availability of the stocks which they will require in 1922. There 

 seems to be a question in the minds of many furniture people con- 

 cerning the statements made by lumber interests that stocks of 

 the better grades are short in the hands of the sawmill interests and 

 that logging conditions are not favorable at this season, hence that 

 there will be a curtailment of production of lumber throughout the 

 hardwood section. 



The furniture manufacturer has a vital interest in the production 

 of hardwood lumber and it is a pity that 

 there are lacking in the lumber market 

 today proper stability of values and 

 definite information regarding the lumber 

 producing conditions and available stocks. 

 A report was made of the survey now 

 being conducted among the furniture man- 

 ufacturers to establish the volume and 

 sizes and dimension stock annually re- 

 quired out of w^hich a most interesting 

 picture w^ill evolve of interest alike to both 

 lumber and furniture interests. 



The Committee emanating from the 

 conference in Cleveland on Nov. 8th ^vith 

 the suggested schedule of terms published 

 in a previous issue of Hardwood Record, 

 presented that schedule to the Council and 

 an extended discussion ensued. This new 

 schedule while essentially the same as the 

 standard terms recommended by the 

 Council at its previous meeting in Septem- 

 ber, was enough different to necessitate 

 in the opinion of the Council further con- 

 Re-elected Chairman sideration through a committee appointed 

 to confer with retail interests, the better business bureaus and 

 others with instructions to report conclusions at the next meeting. 

 The secretaries of the associations comprising the National Council 

 were appointed as a special committee for that purpose. 



The Council considered a communication from a committee on 

 design registration which seeks to have an act in law which will 

 permit designs as evolved to be copyrighted and protection afforded 

 which is not available under existing statutes. The Council felt 

 that this subject held particular interest for manufacturers of 

 furniture and desiring more light on the subject referred the mat- 

 ter to a committee of one to report at the next meeting. 



A motion prevailed that a communication be sent to the De- 

 partment of Commerce extending the full cooperation of the Na- 

 tional Council of Furniture Associations with that Department in 

 the latter's efforts to compile data affecting industrial conditions. 

 The report of special committee recommending the establish- 

 ment by the National Council of a traffic department was adopted 

 by the meeting. The purpose of the traffic department is to en- 

 courage the development of local and association traffic bureaus 

 to handle the specific matters pertaining to those interests. A com- 

 mittee of the Council aided by an advisory board composed of 

 representatives of the various association and local traffic activities 

 will consider and act upon only such matters as are of general in- 

 terest to all phases of furniture production. 



In considering the financial status of the furniture industry the 

 National Council felt that while severe losses have been sustained 

 by factories generally, due to increased overhead on account of 

 reduced production, the concensus of opinion was that w^ith an in- 

 creased demand for the products of the factory the net results for 

 1922 will very largely depend upon the stability of prices 519 they 



