February 10. 1918 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



29 



The Mahogany Operators Get Together 



Close Co-Operation Will Follow Years of Friction 



HAPPY occurrence in the past month was the or- 

 ganization of mahogany importers, manufacturers 

 ^if^ ^ and dealers in the United States, at Washington. 

 Under the stress of the need for airplane work and other 

 uses, the government called the mahogany people to- 

 gether and told them to organize and get busy to furnish 

 the government with over one hundred million feet of ma- 

 hogany annually. Most everybody familiar with the ma- 

 hogany business will recall the inability to get that wood 

 from Africa, Central Mexico and Cuba ov/ing to lack of 

 steamer room and the high freight rates, which have 

 created a hardship in the business for a year or more. In- 

 asmuch as last year's importation was about fifty-six mil- 

 lion feet, and the largest importation ever made for one 

 year was seventy-six million, you can understand Uncle 

 Sam's need for mahogany. The fact that the government 

 insists on Central American mahogany, not African, is 

 another proposition that makes it a government necessity 

 where whole-hearted co-operation of all operators is nec- 

 essary, and they are anxious at this time to co-operate. The 

 bringing together of these men in this association will be 

 beneficial to the industry as well as to the country. The 

 mills are located from New Orleans to New York, and as 

 far West as Chicago. It is believed that before the month 

 of February is over a close working arrangement will be 

 made for turning in to Uncle Sam all stocks, including 

 logs, logging contracts, and so forth, to insure the prompt- 

 est delivery possible of mahogany for airplane work as 

 well as for ship interiors, etc. 



The officers of the association are: Thomas Williams, 

 Ichibod T. Williams & Sons Company, president; R. S. 

 Huddleston, Huddleston-Marsh Mahogany Company, 

 treasurer; Charles H. Thompson, Lewis Thompson & Co., 



Inc., secretary; Alex Williams, Astoria Veneer Mills & 

 Dock Company, Long Island City, chairman, Frank Otis, 

 The Otis Manufacturing Company, New Orleans, J. C. 

 Wickliff, C. C. Mengel & Bro. Company, Louisville, Ky., 

 F. C. Leary, I. T. Williams Company, New York, and 

 Charles H. Thompson, Philadelphia, form a committee to 

 co-operate with the government in working out the propo- 

 sition. It is believed, however, that before this paper 

 goes to press, this will be consummated, or at least well 

 on its way. 



It is very pleasing to note the good fellowship existing 

 between these men who never wrorked together before, 

 but seemed to think the other fellow wore horns. How- 

 ever, novkf there is a happy feeling and the best kind of co- 

 operation can be anticipated not only in government 

 needs, but with the consuming trade in mahogany. 



HARDWOOD RECORD wishes to extend its best 

 wishes for the greatest prosperity for this organization. 



Because it is practically impossible to obtain supplies of veneers 

 from the usual sources in Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri, due 

 to the demoralization of freight traffic, the Blum Bros. Company, 

 Marshfield, Wis., maker of cheese boxes, is adding a complete 

 veneer cutting outfit to its factory at a cost of about $10,000. 

 It is to be ready by April I , at which time the company hopes 

 to have accumulated sufficient logs from the northern hardwood 

 district to keep it in continuous operation throughout the year. 

 The daily consumption of the plant is about one carload of veneer 

 and the capacity of the new mill will be about 500.000 feet of 

 logs per annum. About 300 cheese factories depend upon the 

 Blum plant for their supplies of boxes. 



Nearly all imported woods may be occasionally made into ve- 

 neer, but those of real importance are mahogany, Spanish cedar, 

 Circassian walnut, satinwood, rosewood and ebony. 



AI.KX. \VII,I,I.\M.^. NKW YKItK. N. V. 

 CII.VIU.M.VX \V()UK1.N(; CD.M.MITTKI-; 



III 



Dlil.KSTo.N, .NKW YOKK. N. Y., 

 TKK.VSUKKK 



ciiAKi.Ks II. riiojtrsox. riiiL.\i)Ki,i'm.\. 



r.\.. SKi'KKTAKV 



