i8 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



February 2S, 191S 



venienceS ami tliiiius wliicli he iiiislit jxjssilily cUi witlunit. He is 

 not only goiufj to buy those luxuries but he is going to U3e them. 



Along these lines eonsiiler the statement occurring elsewhere in 

 this issue showing the tenilency of denijiuil for pianos in Canada. 

 The large part of this demand is from farming communities. The 

 Canadian analysis shows that the oak case has been the thing dur- 

 ing the past year aud will so continue during the present year, the 

 reason being that oak can be finished so that under the more 

 rigorous uses to which it will be subjected in the farmer's home 

 and in the home of labor it will not mar so readily as would th<' 

 darker woods finished witli higher ]joIish. 



Then consider that the walnut and mahogany ]iei>ple arc actively 

 engaged in co-operation with the government to tlie end that all 

 government needs may be adequately taken care of. The biggest 

 obstacle in the way of this patriotic accomplishment has been the 

 necessary production of great quantities of commercial stuff as a 

 necessary incident to the production of stock in these woods suit- 

 able for government needs. With government co-operation, the 

 mahogany and walnut manufacturers can go ahead on government 

 requirements without facing the necessity of piling up a large 

 amount of other stock that manufacturing necessities would result 

 in ami having to dispose of this stock regardless of markets or 

 demand. In other words, with government protection in this direc- 

 tion, the mahogany and walnut people can meet government needs 

 and at the same time avoid disaster in handling commercial stock 

 incidentally manufactured. Thus there will be no tendency to force 

 the market on these goods. The result is that the markets will con- 

 tinue strong and there will not be a tendency to press the farming 

 and laboring trade with goods which they might not otherwise buy. 

 These markets will be allowed to shape their own natural courses, 

 and as the tendency in rural and laboring circles points toward 

 oak and other domestic woods, the opportunities for oak, particu- 

 larly in these directions, seem rather assured. 



A Boost for Oak 



THERE HAS NEVER BEEX a truer or more striking indication 

 of the carrying power involved in the basic merits of oak than 

 found in the editorial in the Canadian Music Trades Journal, a 

 leading musical publication of Canada. As showing the strong posi- 

 tion of oak and its favorable prospect, the editorial is distinctly 

 encouraging. 



It refers first to the tremendous increase in oak eases for pianos 

 in the Canadian trade last year, emphasizing that very few houses 

 were prepared for the demand, and the call for this class of goods 

 «ould not be met. The suggestion is that with the prosperity in 

 farming and laboring circles, the piano is becoming more and more 

 a necessary part of the home equipment in families within that 

 sphere. Under such circumstances the piano becomes a component 

 part of the living room furnishings, and so must be finished to 

 ■withstand more wear and tear than it would be subjected to as a 

 drawing-room or music room accessory. Hence oak cases, which 

 obviously would mar less easily than the more highly polished 

 cases in darker woods seemed to be the logical thing and the de- 

 mand naturally centered around oak. 



The point of tlie editorial is that the piano trade should mould 

 public opinion or at least be in position to meet public demand. 

 It suggests that as the indication is for continued call for oak 

 cases, the piano manufacturers feature oak cases in their exhibits 

 at the national exhibition to be held in Toronto shortly. This 

 ■would set the stamp of public approval ujjon oak cases for the 

 guidance of the public. 



The editorial says: "If it is desirable for the trade that oak 

 cases be in demand, then it is up to the trade to exploit them in 

 every legitimate way and not wait for the ]iiiblic to develop its own 

 taste unaided." 



Aside from the fact that this editorial indicates a definite 

 popular symjiathy for oak in an important market, it suggests that 

 the oak people may themselves have overlooked a bet in not going 

 after this trade more strongly themselves. It would seem that it is 



iKit yi't too late to follow up ilio advantage of initial symp.-ahy 

 for oak, thus making more heailway in further increasing the de- 

 mand for oak piano cases in the Canadian territories. As the family 

 circle in this country is essentially the same as in Canada, the oak 

 people would have the same oi)iiortunity for stimulating the sale 

 of oak in piano cases here as in the Canadian markets. 



Have they overlooked something in not following ujj the appeal 

 of serviceability where service counts most, or is such a campaign 

 already a part of the exploitation program? 



Building Propaganda Should Be Co-Ordinated 



TlIK LUMBER TRADE has a splendi<l oii|iortnnity to profit by 

 its mistakes of the past. The principal reason wliy substitutes 

 gained such inroads on lumber is that while there is tremendous 

 potential influence within the lumber trade, this influence was 

 scattered through numerous organizations and was not brought to 

 bear at one point of contact. 



Obviously resumption of buihling is vitally necessary in this 

 country. It is equally apparent that no general resumption of 

 building construction can come without sympathy at Washington 

 with such activity. It is necessary to show Washington that re- 

 sumption of building is desirable in order to enlist such sympathy, 

 and Washington cannot be shown unless the facts in the case are 

 presented without confusing or comjilicating circumstances. 



Present efforts to revive building are rather scattered. The lum- 

 ber trade, being most vitally interested, should take upon itself 

 the coordination of efforts toward resumption of building and 

 shoubl make a united appeal to the government to show that re- 

 newal of building is desirable from the standpoint not merely of 

 the people having building materials to sell but of the country as 

 a whole. 



The National Association of Builders' Exchanges is making an 

 effort in that direction which should be sympathetically received 

 by the lumber and building trades in all other sections having the 

 advancement of the industrv at heart. 



Talking Instead of Sawing Wood 



THE RUSSIANS ARE TOO BUSY talking politics and robbing 

 one another to do much else. Work has practically ceased from 

 center to circumference of that dominion of anarchy. Ordinarily 

 that would not much concern the American lumberman. Little he 

 cares how much the Russians talk or how little they work; but 

 under present peculiar circumstances the situation possesses some 

 interest to American lumber exporters. 



Heretofore, northern Russia has carried on a large business in 

 lumber which found a market in Englanrl and in most countries of 

 western Europe. That business is now stone dead. The mills are 

 iille, and doubtless many of them have been burned by the very 

 men who formerly made their living by working there. Since 

 they have found "liberty," they never intend to work any more, 

 and they never expect to need the mills. 



The people of western Europe who were supplied from that 

 source must hereafter look elsewhere. The war will end soon, and 

 end right, and there will be a call for lumber. We ought to get 

 most of that business. When the submarines shall be piled in 

 Neptune 's scrap heap, as they soon will be, and when no more 

 soldiers are to be transported over seas, there will be plenty of 

 ships to carry our trade wherever the market calls, and we will 

 have the lumb-er ready to ship. 



Of course, the Russians will not go on talking, burning property, 

 and jumping one another's land forever. Ultimately, they will 

 return to work, and the lumbermen will get back to the woods; 

 but our lumbermen's opportunity will come between now and that 

 future time. In the meantime we may not only take for ourselves 

 the lumber business which the Russian anarchists threw away, but 

 we can help people in western Europe who will be in urgent need 

 of lumber to meet their needs. 



