22 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



March 25. 191 S 



into effect on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, both as to Ferris ships 

 now building, and those to be built in future along the Gulf. 

 Original specifications will be adhered to in building Ferris ships 

 on the Pacific coast, where large size timbers are easily available. 

 Architects of the Shipping Board are now engaged in designing 

 a modified form of Ferris ship, contracts for 150 of which will be 

 awarded Gulf coast shipbuilders as soon as ways for them are 

 empty or new ways constructed. These ships will be built of 

 southern pine. 



Southern pine manufacturers who have been attending the meet- 

 ings pledged the industry to produce timbers suflicient to construct 

 300 modified Ferris ships a year, in addition to schedules on which 

 the mills are now working. 



A timber survey of the South will at once be undertaken by the 

 new lumber administrator, to ascertain definitely the forest re- 



sources of the section as tliey may be applied to ship construction. 

 Mr. Kirby will establish headquarters in Kew Orleans, and will 

 have complete authority to take all necessary steps to get out tim- 

 bers needed for the Emergency Fleet. Plans are now being con- 

 sidered for the holding of a mass meeting of lumbermen to con- 

 sider means by which the closest co-operation with Mr. Kirby will 

 be assured. 



Mr. Kirby has gone South to take up his new duties, armed with 

 a letter from General Manager Piez of the fleet corporation giving 

 liim plenary power in matters of making placements, getting the 

 lumber, keeping tab on mills and shipyards, etc. W. J. Haynen, 

 chief of the board's lumber department at New Orleans, will be 

 under Kirby. The modification of the ship schedule is a big victory 

 for the lumbermen. It means adoption of a modified Hough or 

 Donnelly type of boat using built-up timbers, similar to the big 

 wooden ship recently launched at Orange, Tex. 



^ tyjjMaibMJCTii^^^itmm^.^^ 



The Sawdust Trail 



Big Things in View for National Meeting 



The largest and most active operators in lumber in the United 

 States will follow the trail to Chicago next month, where the annual 

 meeting of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association will 

 be held at the Congress Hotel April 8-9. This will be perhaps the 

 most important meeting ever held in the lumber trade. The National 

 association is composed of the principal manufacturers' associations 

 of the United States and is a delegate body. As indicated by its 

 program there are many big subjects which it looks after. The 

 directors made a step forward at the last meeting in Chicago by 

 employing General L. C. Boyle of Kansas City and making him 

 general counsel of the association, and the general is now living 

 in Washington to fulfill that commission. A little visit with him 

 the other day at Washington convinced me that the things in hand 

 which the southern pine men are interested in extensively would 

 give a great business lawyer like the general a chance to do some 

 great work, and he is doing it. He has opened an oflce in the 

 Southern building, and is a busy man. 



There will be a new set of officers selected, and probably an 

 association, "Ty Cobb" selected for secretary. The activities of 

 this association should be the most aggressive in the industry, for 

 the problems that they must solve are very great. As an instance, 

 the tax proposition today means much to the lumber trade. Is it 

 being handled in a consistent way? Are the legislatures being 

 canvassed, and government policies brought thoroughly to the 

 attention of all the big timber owners? If not they should be. And 

 the machinery should be provided by the National to put the lumber 

 trade before the tax commissioners and legislators, as to whether 

 it will be war taxes or local taxes, in a way that is consistent and 

 fair to both the government and state, and the industry itself. 



One trouble in the past has been that the lumber trade has never 

 been a unit on any one question. There is too likely to be a lot of 

 strong-heads that cannot agree among themselves, and the result 

 is that the whole industry suffers because of the lack of co-operation. 



The timber holdings of a company should be separated from the 

 manufacturing end of the game, and should be on an investment 

 basis, the same as any piece of real estate or other permanent invest- 

 ment. Too many manufacturers of lumber have figured that if 

 they made money just because they had been forehanded and bought 

 the timber in advance, they would be satisfied. How can you 

 operate two or three kinds of business, and rob one to pay the other 

 and successfully get the proper dividends? The trouble with the 

 American people is that they never were willing to permit lumber 

 manufacturers who own timber to run their own business. 



The talk on building and loan associations is a step in the right 

 direction, and we hope that the subject wall be handled -by Mr. 

 Haj'maker and Mr. Moorehead in a way that it will assist the cam- 



paign to build now. Why put it off, notwithstanding the word 

 that came from Washington that this is no time for a man to build 

 a home? If an industry is put out of business, how is the Secretary 

 of the Treasury to get sixteen or more billions of dollars every 

 year for carrying on the war? 



A speaker at a recent convention in the East suggested a thought 

 that might be considered at Washington, that while every man in 

 America is for winning the war, if business is pulled up tight in the 

 meantime, commercial progress in America will certainly go back- 

 ward. Of course, if the time comes when it is necessary for all to 

 turn in and join the army or other organizations backing the army, 

 there is no one that I know of that would not be glad to do it, but 

 we trust that government ofiicials will utilize the means they have 

 in hand rather than anticipating this condition and forcing a cessa- 

 tion of general business activities unless it is absolutely necessary. 



The big labor problem is one that should be handled with the 

 closest co-operation by all manufacturers, no matter in what section 

 they are located, so as to make sure that the lumber trade goes on 

 record unanimously against the eight-hour day, although it is, of 

 course, essential at this time to meet any conditions necessary to 

 assure the government getting everything it wants in wood, and get- 

 ting it now. But, provision should be made so that as soon as the 

 war is over, this matter will be straightened out on a basis that 

 is fair to employe and employer. Certainly an eight-hour day is not 

 the kind of a day needed in the lumber business. If the lumber- 

 men are not paying wages enough they should correct any evils in 

 the trade at this time and not wait until labo/ gets a hold and then 

 have to meet with their requests or get into a several years' fight. 



The program for this annual meeting, however, will be best car- 

 ried out if a stronger organization is effected and more people come 

 forward to do their part in working out the policy of oui industry. 

 It does look like there are a lot of folks manufacturing lumber 

 and retailing it that cannot see over their back fences; they are 

 not willing to learn co-operation, and always let a few leaders carry 

 the load. This means that success cannot attend the leaders' efforts, 

 no matter how good the plans are, or how much benefit would come 

 from the better organization. 



The big National ought to be capitalized. It has been in a way, 

 but it has been paradoxical for several years that the most impor- 

 tant association in the trade has had practically no capital and its 

 officers had to finance it from time to time in order to keep it afloat. 

 Of course this is largely due to the fact that it is a delegate body, 

 and the individual associations are not so prosperous themselves 

 that they can keep a good balance in the National's treasury. Of 

 course, nobody is fearful about selling the National his services, or 

 anything else it wants to buy, because any one of the delegates in 

 this association could pay the annual cost and not feel it seriously. 



