42 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



January 2 5, 1922 



UNDERWOOD QUALITY 



PROMPT DELIVERIES 

 ATTRACTIVE PRICES 



PANELS 



We Manufacture 



BIRCH, ASH, ELM, BASSWOOD and OAK 



VENEERS 



also 



THREE AND FIVE PLY BIRCH, ASH, PLAIN OAK, 

 BASSWOOD, QUARTERED SAWED OAK, WALNUT, 

 QUARTERED FIGURED GUM AND MAHOGANY 



We carry a large stock of THREE AND EIVE PLY 

 PANELS on hand at all times— Write for list of sizes. 



Underwood Veneer Company 



WAUSAU, WISCONSIN 



Agreement on Furniture Terms Predicted 



By Our Special Correspondent 



The annual convention of the National Retail Furniture 

 Dealers' Association in Grand Rapids, January 12, was a success 

 beyond anyone's anticipation and the open meeting of the con- 

 vention, held in the Hotel Pantlind ball room in the evening 

 brought in a large number of furniture manufacturers and rep- 

 resentatives of the hardwood interests who were eager to hear 

 Richard R. Lee, chairman of the Vigilance Committee of the Asso- 

 ciated Advertising Clubs of the World, upon the classification of 

 furniture or standardization of trade designations. 



In his president's address, John L. Young sketched briefly the 

 history of the agitation in regard to the designation of woods in 



furniture, 



"Much has been said and written regarding misrepresentation 

 by retail furniture dealers in their transactions with the buying 

 public. Many campaigns to force the retail dealer to honesty in 

 his dealings with the public have been organized in the past; in 

 some instances by press organizations, advertising associations, 

 legislatures and some individuals. These activities culminated in 

 a campaign started last spring by one George S. Hawke of Cin- 

 cinnati, who girded on his armor and, in true Don Quixote style, 

 started out single handed to force truth into the souls of the 

 furniture dealers and manufacturers. He endeavored to enlist 

 all retailers as spies against their fellow merchants, even going 

 so far as to threaten us with the grim hand of the law, in case 

 we sold for mahogany or walnut other woods, which he claimed to 

 be inferior; he attempted to establish for the entire furniture 

 industry a set of standards to which we should conform; he inti- 

 mated that he was acting for and employed by others, but would 

 not divulge who, and attempted to secure the co-operation and 

 assistance of the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World and 

 the Vigilance Committees of the Better Business Bureaus through- 

 out the United States. While his anonymous and threatening 



methods were condemned by all and little weight was given to 

 the "tempest in a tea pot" that he developed, he nevertheless was 

 instrumental in awakening us to a realization of the fact that the 

 terms used within the industry itself were misleading, and m 

 September the National Council of Furniture Manufacturers, in 

 conference at Hot Springs, Va., formulated a new set of trade 

 terms. These terms were later presented to the various manu- 

 facturers' associations and to ourselves, with a recommendation 

 that they be adopted. 



"This brought forth an avalanche of suggestive changes which 

 resulted in a conference being held in the City of Cleveland on 

 November 8 and 9. at which time there were in attendance rep- 

 resentatives from your association, representatives from manu- 

 facturers' associations, advertising clubs, better business com- 

 missions and trade papers. The conference lasted two days and 

 resulted in some changes in the terms adopted by the National 

 Council. 



Agreement on Terms Is Expected 



"At a meetini? held in New York on December 5. between the 

 National Council of Furniture Associations, representatives from 

 your association and members of the Vigilance Committee of the 

 Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, these terms were again 

 modified and a set of trade terms proposed, which are now being 

 presented to the various associations within the trade for adoption, 

 and it is to be expected that within a very short time all factions 

 interested will have agreed. When that time comes, all retailers 

 and manufacturers of furniture will be advised as to the trade 

 terms agreed upon, and it is the recommendation of your officers 

 that the retailers of furniture not only adhere to the use of these 

 terms in their transactions with the public, but insist that the 

 transactions between themselves and the manufacturers be in con- 

 formity with the terms decided upon. If this will be followed out, 

 many of the complaints that come to us regarding misrepresenta- 

 tion of merchandise by manufacturers, will be obliterated. 

 it'nntiniitil im inmr 47) 



