24 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



April 25, 1917 



that he proposed to follow it to the largest possible 

 extent in the future. Mr. Lord asserted that he did not 

 believe that a single manufacturer of veneers realized 

 what his logs were worth or how much waste he v/as 

 encountering in selling wide stock and matching up the 

 other widths. Mr. Tuxford said that he had received a 

 complaint about a price being $2 out of line on stock of 

 a certain width and that he had explained the premium 

 demanded on the basis of the fact that the following of 

 the directions of this particular buyer entailed a heavy 

 percentage of loss in his logs. He said that, after this 

 explanation, the buyer was willing to take stock ten inches 

 and up and that he, in turn, was able to sell it much 

 cheaper and at the same time make a larger profit. Other 

 members joined in the discussion and in the end it was 

 decided that the inspection rules committee should re- 

 vise the inspection rules and submit them to the mem- 

 bers for approval. 



B. W. Lord, chairman of -the committee on "trade 

 ethics," was instructed to formulate a code of ethics and 

 this is likevnse to be submitted to the members by mail 

 for their approval. As soon as these reports, that of the 

 inspection rules committee and that of the trade ethics 

 committee, are approved by the members, they will be 

 gotten out in printed form for distribution. It is antici- 

 pated that both reports will be issued from the press 

 within the next two or three weeks. 



In connection with sales reports, which were the sub- 

 ject of general discussion, members were urged to send 

 in their reports of sales promptly to Mr. Pritchard and 

 they were also urged to be as specific as possible about 

 grades, thickness and other features in order that the 

 reports might have as much value as possible. It was 

 emphasized that at this particular time, when prices are 

 subject to such quick changes, it w^as desirable that all 

 sales reports be both prompt and specific. 



J. M. Pritchard delivered a brief talk on the value of 

 statistics as a guide in establishing prices, while G. W. 

 Sparks of the Des Arc Veneer Company, Des Arc, Ark., 

 spoke briefly on "Differential Values Dimension Orders 

 of Selected Red Gum," saying that experience had proven 

 that values on this class of stock should be from two and 

 one-half to three times as high as on logrun stock. 



E. H. Defebaugh of Hardwood Record spoke earnestly 

 in behalf of affiliation of members of the Commercial 

 Rotary Gum Association with the National Veneer & 

 Panel Association. He said that the local association was 

 doing excellent work and had shown itself capable of 

 handling local problems to the satisfaction of its mem- 

 bers. He pointed out, however, that there were numerous 

 problems of national scope arising in connection with 

 the veneer and panel industry and that these could be 

 handled successfully only through a national organiza- 

 tion. He believed that affiliation of the members of the 

 Commercial Rotary Gum Association with the national 

 association would mean dividends in the hands of the 

 former and material aid to the latter. 



It was decided that the next quarterly meeting would 

 be held June 5 instead of the third Tuesday in July to 

 avoid the heat of the summer and to take care of the 

 pressing problems that are arising in connection with the 

 present abnormal condition and position of the veneer 

 market. 



Six new members were reported as follows: Bailes 

 & Dowdy Veneer Company, Longview, Tex. ; Macon 

 Veneer Company, Macon, Ga. ; Akron Veneer Company, 

 Akron, Ala., McGehee Veneer & Lumber Company, 

 Tuscaloosa, Ala. ; Lumberton Manufacturing Company, 

 Lumberton, Miss., and White Veneer & Manufacturing 

 Company, Moss Point, Miss. In connection with this 

 report. President Jurden suggested that there were a 

 number of other firms eligible to membership and 

 urged that each member constitute himself a committee 

 of one to bring in as many as possible of these com- 

 panies, some of whom were anxious to secure the benefits 

 of the sales reports compiled by the association weekly 

 through the offices of Assistant Secretary Pritchard. 



Those present at this meeting were: 



Sam Thompson and S. B. Anderson, Anderson-Tully Company, 

 Memphis: W. E. Tuxford, Byram Veneer & Lumber Company, 

 Byram, .Miss. ; B. W. Lord, Chicago Veneer Company, Danville, 

 Ky., and Clarendon, Ark.; G. W. Sparks, Des Arc Veneer Com- 

 pany, Des .Arc, Ark.; D. L. Kimberley, Mississippi Veneer & Lum- 

 ber Company, Neenah, Wis.; W. B. Morgan, Morgan Veneer Coni- 

 pany. Pine Bluff, Ark.; R. L. Jurden, Penrod, Jurden & McCowan, 

 Inc., Memphis, Tenn. : R. C. Stimson, Stimson Veneer 6c Lumber 

 Company; H. J. Ingram, Stout Lumber Company, Thornton, Ark.; 

 A. M. McGehee, McGehee Veneer & Lumber Company, S. M. Bush, 

 Southwestern Veneer Company, Cotton Plant, Ark.; Mr. Williams, 

 Lumberton Manufacturing Company, Lumberton, Miss., and H. 

 Vandusen, Van Veneer Company, Helena, Ark. 



When, after a period of time, the face veneer on panels, 

 furniture or other cabinet work comes loose, it is usually a case 

 of starved glue joint. Occasionally there are direct and imme- 

 diate causes, such as too much moisture getting into the work 

 and loosening the joints, and sometimes it may be due to using 

 wood that is not thoroughly dry; but in most cases a careful 

 analysis will show that there is not enough glue in the joint. 



The answer to that ought to be plain and easy. There was 

 not enough glue there in the first place. Maybe there was 

 enough to hold it for awhile, but the holding qualities were weak. 

 The wood body may have been porous, and in course of time took 

 up more glue than it should. Or the glue may not have been 

 thick enough, and after the moisture all dried out it was weak 

 and frail. 



No matter what the cause, starved joints show lack of glue in 

 the first place, and so long as so many failures in veneered work 

 can be traced to starved joints, there is good doctrine in the 

 argument that it is cheaper in the end to use more glue, even 

 if it does make the cost a little higher. 



An inexperienced niillman is usually safe in purchasing his lua- 

 ehinery from the best manufacturers. Sometimes he pays a little 

 more than the purchase price of similar machines of other makes, 

 but there is always a good reason for this. The reason may be ap- 

 parent later on in the capacity of the machine, the quality of the 

 work it does, the cost of maintenance, or in the repair bill. No 

 manufacturer can live on and do a successful business from year 

 to year if he charges an unreasonable iirice for his maehincB. 



