November 25, 1017 



ISfew Southwestern Association 



At Hotel Bentlcy, Alexandria, La., November 17, the South- 

 western Hardwood Manufacturers' Club was organized with twenty 

 nieinbcrs, principally from Texas and Louisiana. Albert Deutsch, 

 jiresident of the Sabine Kiver Lumber & Logging Company, Oak- 

 dale, La., was temporary cliairman. The officers and board of 

 directors were chosen as follows: 



Prksioknt, .-Vlbert Deutsch, Oakdale, I^a. 



KiKST ViOK-PRESinF.NT, Gcorgc W. Cleveland, Jr., South Texas Lumber 

 I'onipaiiv. Houston. Te.\. 



Skcono ViCK-riiESiDENT, Ferd Brenner, Ferd Brenner Lumber Company, 

 .Mexandrln, La. 



Tuiiti" Vice-President, A. L. Boynton, Bo.vnton Luiiilier Company, 

 White City, Tex. 



BoAUD OF DIRECTORS : To scrvc one year — A. O. Davis. Beaumont, Tex. ; 

 J. B. Robinson, Pelican Lumber Company, Mounds, La. ; G. V. Patterson, 

 .\lexaEdria. 



For two years — IL 0. Bohlssen, New Caney. Tex.; J. T. riollowa.\'. 

 lIule-HodRe Lumber Company, Ilodge, La.; Dr. "W. T. Smith, Smith Lum- 

 ber Company, Wildville. La. 



For three years — Philip .\. Kyan. P. .\. Uyan Lumber Ciunpany, Lufliin, 

 Tex. ; W. D. Brewer, Brewer-Nlenstedt Lumtier Cumpauy, .Miltonberg, La.; 

 Hex H. Browne, Beaumont Lumber Company, Beaumont, Tex. 



A. O. Davis of the Sabine Tram Company, Beaumont, Tex., was 

 elected secretary. 



The next meeting will be licld at Boauniont, Tex., February 23. 

 A small assessment, 

 based on thousands 

 of feet of lumber, 

 will be assessed. It 

 was the expressed be- 

 lief that after the 

 club's machinery has 

 been set going, the 

 assessment will not 

 exceed two cents per 

 thousand feet a year. 

 The purpose of the 

 club is "to promote 

 the welfare of the 

 hardwood and cypress 

 manufacturers and to 

 improve the methods 

 of manufacturing, 

 handling and market- 

 ing lumber." Xa- 

 tional rules of grad- 

 ing and inspecting 

 will continue in use 

 as heretofore. Meet- 

 ings will be held 

 (piarterly. Members arc expected to report stocks and sales. 



A number of persons joined in discussions of live topics which 

 came properly before the club. Among such speakers were W. M. 

 Stark of the American Column & Lumber Company, St. Albans, 

 W. Va.j F. B. Larson of the Southern Hardwood Traffic Associa- 

 tion, and President Deutsch. 



The report of the committee on by laws was read l)y G. V. Patter- 

 son. The committee on mem>)ership consists of Messrs. Patterson, 

 Cleveland, and Davis. 



It was decided to give close attention to traffic work. 



A committee composed of R. C. Witbock of the Ferd Urennor 

 Lumber Companj', Alexandria, La.; A. O. Davis of the Sabine Tram 

 Company, Beaumont, Tex., and C. A. Weis of the Alexandria Coop- 

 erage & Lumber Company, Alexandria, La., was appointed to can- 

 vass the hardwood mills in this territory to determine what stocks 

 are availal)le for immediate shipment to the government. 



Following are the charter members: 



Boynton Lumlier Company, White City, Tex. ; Smith Lumber Company, 

 Wlldvilh', La.; IL (j. Bohlssen Lumber Company. New Caney, Tex.; Siiuth 

 Tfxas T.,umti<>i- Company. Ilnustcin. Tex.; Beaumont Liiniber Company, 

 Beaumont. Tex.; P. A. Uyan Lumber Cfimpany, LufUin. Tex.; I-'erd Brenner 

 Lumber Company, Alexandria, La.; Huie-IIodKe Lumliei- Company, Ilod^e, 

 La.; B(jyei" Lumber & Healty Company, Boyee. Ln. ; Pelican Liinibir Com- 

 pany, .Mounds, I^a. ; -Aleianclria Coopcrace & liUmber Company, .MexMnilrIa, 



ALBERT DEUTSCIL PRKSIDENT, 



La. ; Purdy-IIess Lumber Company, Belledeau, La. ; Crandall & Brown 

 Cypress Company, I'earl lUver, La. ; Baldwin Lumber Company, Baldwin, 

 La. ; .Teffrls Lumber Company, JelTrls, La. ; Scotland Lumber Company, 

 Itavenswooil, La.; Brewer-Nlensledt Lumber Company, Mlltonbert;, La.; 

 latt Lumlier Company, Colfax, Ln. ; Sabine Tram Company, Bcannuuit, 

 Tex. ; Snbinc Itiver Lumber & I.ogging Company, Oakdale, La. 



Valuable Data on Oak's Future 



Illustrating what lumber or veneer merchandising really means, 

 H.\ni)WOOD Recoud is privileged to publish a letter and data from 

 the offices of the Evansville Veneer Company of Evansville, Ind. 

 George 0. Worland, secretary-treasurer, addressed 700 copies of the 

 following letter to representative woodworking factories, he being 

 anxious to make plans for the future of his business: 



Tiler*; luis been a general decreased demand for quartered oak veneer, 

 until some plants have decreased their production, or quit its manufacture 

 altogether. 



We are extensive producers, and, in fact, specialize in this particular 

 line, and it is now necessary that we get facts as to conditions and causes 

 that we may adjust our organization as to its future conduct. We have 

 been In the trade for thirty years, and have seen quartered oak come and 

 go several times, but it always comes back, and we have a great deal of 

 faith in its future. Quartered oak lias fluctuated in price less than any 



of the finer cabinet 

 woods, and. in fact, 

 quartered oak veneer is 

 selling for less money 

 than it did twenty 

 years ago and has not 

 varied more than three 

 dollars per M. in ten 

 rears past. 



We are anxious to 

 have your views as to 

 the prospects of the fu- 

 tui"e of this wood in 

 your business. and 

 would appreciate your 

 expression in tlie form 

 of a letter, accompanieil 

 with the return of the 

 attached sheet with 

 questions answered. 



It will help us a great 

 deal to determine our 

 future policy, and we 

 will be pleased to give 

 you the final analysis 

 determined from the re- 

 plies to seven hundred 

 of these letters which 

 we are sending out. 



The following is a 

 digest of the infor- 

 mation revealed by reidies to this letter. Of the total number re- 

 porting, 43% reported a decrease in the use of quartered oak 

 veneers; 53% reported no decrease; 4% reported an increase; 38% 

 anticipated an increase; 50% do not anticipate an increase; 12% 

 expressed no opinion on this question; 61% desired an increase; 18% 

 do not desire an increase; 21% are neutral on the subject. From 

 tliis it would not seem that quartered oak is hopeless. 



The main reasons why those desiring an increase in the use of 

 quartered oak feel tliat way is because of the assured supply and 

 staple prices and substantial goods offered in quartered oak. Quar- 

 tered oak has not felt abnormal inflation due to any great use in 

 war work. In other words, it has maintained itself strictly on 

 the basis of a normal demand. In addition the supply of quartered 

 oak is more easily controlled than is the supply of its competing 

 woods, and there is no fear of exhaustion of production or fluctua- 

 tion of prices. 



Mr. Worland says about the styles of oak furniture: 



The public buys what is offered it and Is now buying mahogany and 

 waiiiul becausi- it was offered to it in new and attractive designs. There- 

 fore II is the opinion e.\pressed bv a material number of our correspondents 

 that if (inartered oak were olTi^ri'd to tin' tradi' with (he same attention 

 to arlistle design, the same care In Inspection ami the same skill in finish, 

 the public W(nild welcome it for they know and appn;i:iate oak and are lis 

 real friends, 



-42a— 



O. D.WIS, SECRET.ART. 



