December 10, 1917 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



23 



Veneer and Panel Manufacturers Meet 



Enthusiastic Gathering That Laid Stress on Organization and Co-operation 



I HE ANNUAL MEETING of the National Veneer 

 and Panel Manufacturers' Association at the Audi- 

 torium hotel, Chicago, December 1 I , sounded 

 the keynote of better organization and more com- 

 plete co-operation in order to meet the crisis brought on 

 the country by the war. It was a war meeting. Other 

 matters came up for consideration and other ideas found 

 expression, but the major note that ran through the whole 

 proceedings was war and what the veneer and panel peo- 

 ple can do to help win it. The day's discussion cul- 

 minated in the appointment of a war committee on which 

 will devolve the duty of pointing out what the associa- 

 tion can do in the factories to help the soldiers in the 

 field, the sailors on the seas, and the aviators in the air. 

 This committee was appointed with the idea that it 

 should be representative not only of the veneer manu- 

 facturers and the maker of panels, but that it should 

 represent regions also. The names on the war committee 

 follow: B. W. Lord, chairman; A. E. Gorham, M. W. 

 Perry, E. R. Morrison, D. E. Kline and R. L. Jurden. 



The committee is not drawn wholly from the veneer 

 and panel association, because it is the plan that the work 

 of organizing for the war shall not be confined to the 

 veneer people in this association, but shall extend to the 

 whole industry. It was the idea of those who discussed 

 the appointment of the war committee that the members 

 ought to give their whole time and energy from the pres- 

 ent time until the end of the war, and should serve with- 

 out pay. 



This does not mean that the work will involve no out- 

 lay of money, for there must be headquarters and a 

 working force and adequate equipment and these will in- 

 volve considerable outlay in money. The location of 



headquarters was discussed, but has not yet been decided. 

 The impression prevailed that Washington was not the 

 most advantageous place for headquarters, because that 

 city is so congested with war business that office room 

 and facilities are diffcult to obtain. It was thought that 

 some central location, with regard to the veneer-produc- 

 ing territory would be better. 



THE W.AR COM.MITTEE-S DUTIES 



The work which the war committee will do has not 

 been fully laid out. In fact, the committee itself is ex- 

 pected to arrange most of the details of its owti activities; 

 but the general work will consist in co-operating with the 

 government in all possible ways in putting veneers and 

 panels into service wherever they are needed. The plan, 

 as outlined, does not consist so much in going after orders 

 as in ascertaining how the veneer industry cam help carry 

 on the war and then organize to do that sers'ice; and that 

 organization will include a mobilization of the resources 

 and energies of all the men. machines, and other re- 

 sources that the government may need. Through the 

 whole proceeding, and in all the speeches there was the 

 clear ring of patriotism above all consideration of 

 pecuniary profits. Not a discordant note was sounded, 

 but it was a meeting where harmony and singleness of 

 purpose was pre-eminent all the time. 

 ROUTINE MATTERS 



Most through trains entering Chicago on Tuesday 

 were from t^vo to six hours late on account of the cold 

 and other unusual winter conditions, so that the meeting 

 that was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a. m., did not get 

 down to business until afternoon, because of the absence 

 of officers and members. Routine preliminaries were 



^'ji^ 



A. K. 0I1KHAM. NF.W I'KKSIDKNT .\Nl) 

 ilEiIl!KK W.VK SKKVICK COilMirTKE 



B. W. LORD, CIIAIKM.V.V \V.iR SERVICE 



CO.M.yirTEE 



D. K. 



KLINE. I.OIISVILI.K. KY.. ME.MT.ER 

 WAR SERVICE COMMITTEE 



