24 HARDWOODRECORD June 2D. 1917 



C. F. Thompson, Flossmoor 105 100 205 cups and other trophies were presented at this session. As usual the 



Fred Burnaby. WestmoreLind 98 108 206 winners were called upon to fill the eups for the benefit of themselves 



F. Burns. Westmoreland 110 99 200 ^j ^ijg Q^her guests. At the election the following officers were chosen 



R. A. Bond, Exmoor 107 104 211 .e. 



V. F. Mashek, Exmoor 105 110 215 for the coming year : 



J. W. Embree, Flossmoor 109 106 215 President— J. W. Embree. 



C. A. Flanagan. Beverly 106 110 216 Vice-President — C. M. Smalley. 



a', si. Richardson. Kidge 104 112 216 Secretary and Treasurer — ^Frank Burnaby. 



e! a.' Lang Westmoreland 113 107 220 Directors — Addison Stillwell, E. V. Mashek, E. A. Lang, Ralph Bond, 



F.' R.' Gadd,' Cincinnati 108 112 220 and F. C. GifEord. 



W. Powell. South Shore 115 107 222 Everyone participating and enjoying the hospitality of the asso- 



B. F. Masters, Westward-Ho 109 113 222 ciation is still appreciative of the very pleasant arrangements and 



After the play was over the members and guests sat down at an excellent service provided by the Flossmoor Club. President C. C. Pad- 



enioyable dinner in the club house, following which came the regular dleford going around the course, personally saw to it that the visitors' 



annual meeting, President Herman H. Hettler being in the chair. The needs were met on every occasion. 



Michigan Hardwood Annual 



The Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association held its annual 

 meeting June 14, at Hotel Sherman, Chicago. The meeting came a 

 month earlier than the time originally set, the change being to conform 

 to the date of the meeting of the National Hardwood Lumber Associa- 

 tion in Chicago. Many members of the Michigan association wished to 

 attend both meetings, particularly for the purpose of acting upon 

 proposed changes in grading rules which would come before the 

 national body. 



The Michigan meeting was presided over by W. C. Hull, chairman, 

 with J. C. Knox, secretary. Although important business was before 

 the meeting, it was speedily transacted. This was the association's 

 elev^enth annual meeting. 



Because of the early date of the meeting, some of the reports could 

 not be made because the statistics had not been fully collected and 

 tabulated. Among the reports omitted are those of the treasurer and 

 of the quarterly stock. The latter is in a measure furnished in the 

 market conditions report, quoted in full below. 



In speaking of the fifteen per cent advance in freight as proposed 

 by the railroads. Secretary Knox said: 



All the railroads in the Unitiul States have filed with the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission supijlements to their tariffs making a uniform advance 

 of 15 per cent in class and commodity rates, and hearings as to the rcnsnn- 

 ableness of such rates is now being held before the commission in Wash- 

 ington. D. C. It is significant that the southeasttrn lines in this hearing 

 have given up any idea of undertaking a 15 per cent advance <m lumber, but 

 instead these roads have anuouneed that they were preparing for an ad- 

 vance of one cent per hundred pounds in order to avoid change in relation- 

 ships. 



In order to protect the Michigan shippers from any greater advance on 

 lumber and forest products moved within the state of Michigan than those 

 outside of Michigan, we have tiled a formal protest with the Michigan 

 Railroad Commission at Lansing, asking that the commission fully ijrotect 

 the lumbermen of Michigan, and we have reason to expect that this will 

 be done. 



Maple as Finish 



The secretary gave the result of a canvass of the members of the 

 association to ascertain how they stand on the proposition of adver- 

 tising maple as finish lumber. There seems to be sentiment in favor 

 of it, and it has been proposed that a special committee be appointed 

 to handle the matter. 



A number of manufacturers bought Liberty bonds and are selling 

 them on the installment plan to employes. 



A number of former members who have cut out their holdings on the 

 lower peninsula but are interested otherwise in lumber, wish to retain 

 their membership in the association. The secretary asked for authority 

 to enroll them as honorary members. The authority was granted, and 

 Case & Croster of Kingsley, Mich., and J. S. Weidman, Mt. Pleasant, 

 Mich., came in under the provision, while the F. W. French Lumber 

 Company, Battle Creek, Mich., was admitted to active membership. 



Forest Fire Eeport 

 J. L. Morford, forest fire warden, submitted a report covering work 

 from May 1 to June 11. Patrol ser\'ice begins May 1, but weather 

 conditions were favorable, and only a portion of the force was needed 

 at the beginning. From May 11 to 21 seven fires burned and heavy 

 losses resulted, principally of cordwood in slash. Since that time rain 



has been abundant and the rank growth of vegetation now lessens 

 danger from fire. Sixty fires in aU were reported, running over 13,998 

 acres. The causes follow: Cigarettes 1, fishermen 2, raOroads 8, set- 

 tlers 22, unknown 27. The loss in forest products is placed at $13,208. 



The number of fires caused by settlers seems unusually large, this 

 can be attributed to a great amount of acreage cleared for crop pur- 

 poses. Each settler seems anxious to crop every available acre. The 

 settlers have used every care that circumstances would permit and 

 given their co-operation when needed to suppress fires. 



Unknown causes seem responsible for the greatest percentage of 

 rires. In many cases where chemical wood burned, circumstances point 

 towards incendiarism but no positive proof available at this time. All 

 of our large los^s have occurred in localities having an unusual quan- 

 tity of cordage piled in slash, and aside from one or two exceptions 

 no real cause is traceable. 



Market Condition Report 



The market condition report, presented by Charles R. Abbott, chair- 

 man of the committee having that work in charge, submitted the fol- 

 lowing report: 



Our meeting was held this day at the Hotel Sherman, Chicago, where we 

 were In conference with the bureau of statistics and educational informa- 

 tion of the Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Association. 



The calling of our midsummer meeting one month in advance made it 

 necessary to forego the collection of stock statistics at this time, hence 

 your committee is not in position to render a very detailed report along 

 that line. However, the report of shipments and production for the months 

 of April and May reveal the fact that both hardwood and softwood stacks 

 are steadily being decreased as follows : 



Hardwoods 5.27.^ M ft. 



Hemlock 2,937 -M ft. 



Other Softwoods 1,247 M ft. 



9,457 M ft. 



To put It In another way, shipments during the past two months have 

 been y-,<, greater than production. The general condition of the market is 

 very strong, both as to hardwoods and hemlock. The attached list of 

 values, as near as we are able to Judge, represent what the various items 

 are worth today. 



The demand for all thick and high grade hardwood stocks will without 

 doubt exceed the production available for consumption during the balance 

 of the year. Those stocks arc all taking care of themselves and no further 

 comment is necessary. 



It has been called to your committee's attention that there is a con- 

 certed action on the part of the Chicago and other box manufacturers to 

 hammer down the price of low-grade or No. 3 common hardwoods. We are 

 also advised it is a question whether or not the box men will be able to 

 secure enough lumber at any price with which to fill their orders. Are the 

 manufacturers who go to make up this association willing to sit still and 

 allow their customers to pay them a price for ,'!5 to 40 per cent of their 

 production which is less than the cost of producing same? We hope not. 

 Consider the Increased cost to the producer of labor and the scarcity of 

 same, as well as all other costs, and compare it with the price of No. 3 

 common hardwood of today. Are we getting enough for It? No. 



We know of a contract for a large number of cars of boxes which was 

 made today on the basis of $20.00 per thousand for the No. 3 common at 

 point of shipment. 



