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Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



February 10, 1922 



Walnut First to Overcome Depression 



The manufacturers of American walnut lumber and veneers 

 have fared more happily during this period of depression than have 

 perhaps any other group of the lumber industry. The walnut man- 

 ufacturers w^ere the last to feel the slump and the first to recover, 

 George N. Lamb, secretary- manager of the American Walnut 

 Manufacturers Association, reported at the annual meeting of that 

 association at the Chicago headquarters on January 19. Mr. Lamb 

 predicted that demand would be such by February 1 as to permit 

 the mills to reach a production 90 per cent of normal. 



During the year just past the use of walnut expanded in more 

 than one field of demand, Mr. Lamb reported. As backgrounds 

 for their show windows, walnut was used by the leading retail 

 merchants of the country almost to the exclusion of other woods. 

 There was also a big increase in the use of walnut in store fixtures 

 and interior trim. The outstanding development in the office fur- 

 niture industry during the year was the big increase in the use of 

 w^alnut. This increased employment of w^alnut by the office furni- 

 ture people w^as accompanied by a striking improvement in design, 

 Mr. Lamb w^as delighted to report. The manufacturers of higher 

 class office furniture got away from the plain, characterless designs 

 that have heretofore been the rule in office furniture and introduced 

 period motifs. During the year handsome designs were created in 

 Doric, Italian Renaissance, Colonial Georgian. Colonial Sheraton, 

 plain Sheraton and other periods. 



There was also considerable increase in the use of walnut in liv- 

 ing room furniture, Mr. Lamb said, attributing a large part of this 

 increase to walnut's chronological fitness to expression of the most 

 popular period of the year, namely, Italian Renaissance. Mr. Lamb 

 said that there had been a similar increase in walnut in dining room 

 and bedroom furniture, estimating that 75 to 85 per cent of the 

 suites sold on the January market were in walnut. 



Mr. Lamb called attention to the fact that two-tone effects were 

 extensively used in walnut furniture and walnut furniture also ran 



particularly to highly figured w^oods. A great deal of burl was 

 also used in decorative medallions. 



The w^alnut manufacturers decided to continue their extensive 

 publicity work. 



One of the most important accomplishments of the annual meet- 

 ing was the organization of a traffic bureau and the formulation of 

 a program having for its purpose the elimination of rate and other 

 traffic abuses from which the walnut shippers have long suffered. 

 There is no other group of lumber shippers so vulnerable to trans- 

 portation injustices as the walnut manufacturers, as their product, 

 both in the raw material and finished state, must be shipped rela- 

 tively longer hauls than any other wood. The average interior 

 haul of walnut logs is much greater even than mahogany. The 

 mills must gather their logs from many w^idely scattered places 

 and transportation charges are a large item in the business. 



The Traffic Bureau is made up of several of the traffic managers 

 of members of the association. Alfred A. Wild, industrial traffic 

 manager for the Penrod Walnut & Veneer Co. and the Frank 

 Purcell Walnut Lumber Co., was appointed chairman. J. E. Hut- 

 ton, traffic manager for the Pickrel Walnut Co.. was made secre- 

 tary. Other members are O. W. Strandell, traffic manager for the 

 Des Moines Saw^mill Company ; Charles Forster, traffic manager 

 for the Kosse, Shoe & Schleyer Co., and V. A. Pence, traffic man- 

 ager for Geo. W. Hartzell. 



Mr. Lamb reported that the export demand for walnut had im- 

 proved greatly during the last three months of 1921. 



A resolution was adopted commending the American Homes 

 Bureau movement. 



The follow^ing officers were elected for the ensuing year : Max 

 Kosse of the Kosse, Shoe &c Schleyer Co., Cincinnati, president; 

 W. H. Day, the Wood-Mosaic Co., Louisville, vice-president; H. B. 

 •^ale, Hoffman Bros. Co., Fort Wayne, Ind., treasurer. 



Mr. Lamb was re-elected secretary-manager. 



Evansville News Notes 



George O. Worland, manager of the Evansville Veneer Com- 

 pany at Evansville, Ind., has returned from a business trip to 

 Indianapolis and Chicago. Mr. Worland is looking for a big im- 

 provement in the veneer trade in the early spring. 



Benjamin Bosse, mayor of Evansville, Ind., president of the 

 Globe-Bosse-World Furniture Company, also associated with many 

 more of the largest wood consuming plants of that city, has re- 

 turned from a business trip to St. Louis. Mayor Bosse says that 

 in his opinion the furniture manufacturers of the United States 

 will not again enjoy a normal business until there has been a 

 re-adjustment of the freight rates. 



Oscar A. Klamer, head of four of the largest furniture fac- 

 tories in Evansville, Ind., has returned from a business trip to 

 New York and points of interest in the east. 



Charles Frisse. secretary of the Globe-Bosse-World Furniture 

 Company at Evansville, Ind., has recovered from his recent 

 illness. 



George E. Reichmann, manager of the Evansville Furnitur" 

 Company at Evansville, Ind., has been appointed a member of 

 the sinking fund commission in the city of Evansville. 



Wisconsin News Notes 



The J. F. Dietz & Company, desk manufacturers has received 

 an export order, which will keep the company's plant operating 

 full time for at least two months. 



TheJ. Dornette Company, desk manufacturers is remodeling its 

 plant and re-seting the machinery. The improvement, however, 

 is not interfering with the operations of the plant. 



Frank Allen of Embarrass, Wis., has dispossed of his sawmill 

 and box factory to Ewalt Schmidt of Clintonville, Wis., who took 

 possesion January I. The new owner contemplates improvements 

 to the box department to provide larger capacity for making cheese 

 packages, berry crates, etc. 



The Lomira, (Wis.) Furniture Manufacturing Company has in- 

 creased its authorized capitalization from $50,000 to $100,000 to 

 finance the development of its production and business. Albert 

 Steer is president, and Ed. L. Frededich, secretary. 



The Builders Veneer and Woodwork Company of Rio Creek, 

 Wis., has increased its capital stock from $35,000 to $50,000. 



The United Furniture Company is the name of a new Milwaukee 

 corporation organized with 30,000 capital stock by Joseph G. 

 Daveman, Alvin W. Goodman and Rudolph J. Klemperer, 618 

 Grand Avenue, to manufacture, repair and deal in furniture. 



Charles Eiff Is Promoted 



The Milwaukee Chair Company, 3022 Center Street, Milwaukee, 

 has recently announced the promotion of Charles EifT to the posi- 

 tion of vice-president. Mr. Eiff will be directly in charge of pro- 

 duction and purchases. 



The Syracuse (Ind.) Cabinet Company, now has a force of 25 

 men working. The company recently erected an addition to the 

 plant, consisting of a new office, a new factory room and dry kiln. 

 The improvements amounted to about $4,000. 



