May 10, 1915. 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



O 



as aiijilied to vellow pine, it was determined that the inquiry of ten 

 first-class yellow pine mills which was made resulted in the agreement 

 that if they had logs only ten inches and up in size, the f. o. b. mill 

 value of the product would be increased $5 a thousand feet. 



Other investigations that were discussed by Mr. Weiss are the 

 physical utilization of waste, the chemical utilization of waste, both 

 from the woods and from the mill, the manufacture of paper and 



other products from wood refuse, fire hazard involving the securing 

 of data for architects and contractors to show whether or not hard- 

 wood flooring laid on concrete is inflammable, and also the question 

 of fire retardant investigation of shingles. 



After Mr. Weiss' talk the i^arty was split up into small groups, 

 each being under the guidance of some member of the staff, and all 

 of them inspected the various departments. 



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•^ Is/Iichigan Manufacturers^ Quarterly -^ 



The Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association's quarterly 

 meeting was held at the Pontehartrain hotel, Detroit, Mich., on 

 Wednesday, April 28, with a full attendance. As usual the session 

 was opened with the roll call and reading of the minutes by Secretary 

 J. C. Knox. Secretary's Report 



Secretary Kno.x then read his regular report. Mr. Knox said there 

 seems to be evidences of picking up in the general business of the 

 country, although it is still below normal. He maintained that the 

 steel mills in the vicinity of PittsV)urgh are said to be running about 

 sixty-five per cent of their normal capacity and that their Ijusiness 

 is on the upward grade. 



Speaking of lumber there have been good sales in hardwoods and a 

 considerable amount of hemlock is moving, and frequent inquiries 

 for both stocks are being received, the nature of which inquiries 

 indicates that farmers are beginning to think of farm construction. 



The report also said that manufacturers are still holding hemlock 

 and hardwood stocks and that there arc small stocks in the possession 

 of the middlemen and consumers. 



The important point of the report is the statement that the com- 

 parative estimated cut of hardwoods for April 1, 191.5, as compared 

 with January 1, 191.5. shows a net reduction of 31,000,000 feet. Con- 

 sidering that the estimated cut for January 1, 1915, was much less 

 than for the preceding year there is a favorable net reduction of 141,- 

 000,000 feet of hardwoods for 1915 as compared with the actual 

 cut for 1914. 



On hemlock the estimated cut for January 1, 1915, was 60,000,000 

 feet less than the actual cut for 1914. These figures are still further 

 reduced by the differences between the estimated cut April 1 and 

 January 1 of 1,000,000 feet, making a total of 61,000,000 feet less 

 than for a 3'ear ago. 



The secretary's report on finances showed the association in excel- 

 lent financial condition with a good cash balance in the bank. The 

 report said it will be necessary to levy an assessment covering lands 

 patrolled in the forest fire protective department to carry on the 

 work for the present season. It was recommended that an assessment 

 be authorized and levied at once in order to take care of the present 

 season, which opened April 1. 



As to substitutes for lumber, this report referred to the activity 

 of substitute manufacturers in advertising. 



As to the workmen 's compensation law, an attempt has been made 

 to amend the present workmen 's compensation law attaching several 

 unjustifiable features, but no changes will be made in the law at this 

 session of the legislature. 



The report then referred to the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Interinsurance Exchange, the question of Michigan lumber rates and 

 the meeting of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association at 

 San Francisco. 



Following Secretary Knox's report came the report of Chairman 

 Michelson of the forest fire committee, which showed the work has 

 been going along in excellent shape. He suggested there will be a 

 revision of the department in the near future putting it on an even 

 more effective basis. The personnel of this working force is said 

 to be excellent and the members of the association may be assured of 

 conscientious service at all times. The acreage covered by this work 

 now aggregates 241,533. The committee recommended an assessment 

 of 3% cents per acre as against the present assessment of 2 cents. 

 This assessment was authorized Vi^- proper motion. 



R. H. Bayburn, reporting on the question of the employers' lia- 

 bility bill, did not have anything of particular moment to say. 



M. L. Saunders of Cadillac, Mich., secretary of the grading com- 

 mittee, was absent and in his jjlace D. H. Day told of the co-operative 

 work being done between the National association and the consuming 

 interests on grades and changes in grades. This was followed by a 

 detailed discussion of the question, the gist of which showed a rapidly 

 increasing tendency to consider the wellbeing of consuming interests. 



Market Conditions Report 



W. C. Hull reported as follows for the market conditions committee: 



Fitty-sovon members on January 1, 1915 estimated they would pro- 

 duce this year ;!e0,427 M feet ot hardwood, and 229,710 M feet of hemlock. 

 A revised estimate was asked for on April 1 and flfty-three members 

 responded, noconciling the reports of the flfty-three members with those 

 of the fifty-seven members shows a decrease of 31,086 M feet of hardwood 

 and SSO M feet ot hemlock, leaving a probable production for 1915 of 

 ;!29,341 M feet of hardwood as against 470,000,000 feet in 1914 and 328,830 

 M feet of hemlock as against 280,000,000 feet in 1914, or a curtailment 

 of 141,000,000 feet of hardwood and 51,000,000 feet of hemlock, or 

 202,000,000 feet altogether, amounting to thirty per cent on the hard- 

 wood and twenty-one per cent on the hemlock. 



The members of this association generally have reason to be thankful 

 that they recognized the importance of curtailment early In the game. 

 Nothing else has produced the little demand which exists for our goods. 

 If there had not been curtailment the market would be so hopelessly 

 loaded with stuff at this time that the lumberman would be everybody's 

 mark, and could count his losses Instead of his lumber. There is no 

 doubt that material on hand is a better asset than a sale at a sacrifice 

 price. 



Your committee is more or less hampered in getting a true line on the 

 situation by the lack of statistics on stocks which have never been 

 gathered for our spring meeting. We recommend that hereafter these 

 statistics be gathered for the spring meeting. For a year or two they 

 would not be much of a guide on account of having no statistics to 

 compare them with, but they would soon become very valuable. At our 

 last two spring meetings the situation has been very trying, and had 

 these statistics been available we believe they would have shown many 

 encouraging signs. Unquestionably stocks are lighter than a year ago, 

 but It would be much more satisfactory if we were able to back this 

 assertion up by the actual figures. 



Vour committee has been greatly aided at this meeting by the most 

 complete report of sales it has ever had the opportunity to study. Not 

 only the high priced sales, but all sales have been reported and not only 

 the price but the quantity'. This gives us a very good line on the 

 market and has caused us to make a few changes from our last report. 

 It was particularly noticeable that prices received for some ot the grades 

 and varieties by the rail shippers were higher than those received for 

 the same kind of lumber by the water shippers. The reason is apparent. 

 The water shipper ipust sell a cargo and usually on a No. 2 common and 

 better basis, while the rail shipper can sell a carload and give his cus- 

 tomer exactly the kind and grade he desires. Often the rail sale is to 

 a consumer and usually the cargo sale is to a wholesaler. Much ot the 

 criticism as to values that has been ofltered In the past was due to some 

 water shipper doubting the reported sale of a rail shipper. We have 

 therefore thought best to submit two reports as to market conditions, one 

 of which will be headed "Rail Shipments" and the other "Cargo Ship- 

 ments." This, we believe, will do away with many of the misunder- 

 standings of the past and enable your committee to submit prices much 

 closer to actual conditions ; prices that all members will have more con- 

 fidence in than heretofore. On the present reports we have not taken 

 the high sales, nor the low. Rather the average, and based not only 

 on the price, but on the quantity, and there is no good reason why each 

 and every member should not realize very close to these prices for all 

 the stock he has for sale. If any material cuts in prices are made (and 

 there are always a few and most likely always will be), the committee 

 at least will know they were unnecessary and unwarranted for tbe evi- 

 dence as to the values named In present report was before them. Possibly 

 we shall have to carry over some lumber. We can hardly hope to sell 

 all we make under present market conditions, but there Is no good 



