Juno 10. 1015 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



15 



waterproor as possible. Consequently, most plywoods manufiutured in 

 Europe are made waterproof. 



This process is also much cheaper than the animal glues used in 

 America. The cost is about $1.50 to $1.75 per 1,000 square feet of three- 

 ply for the material alone. . 



Another advantage is that the plywoods can be dimensioned and ready 

 for shipment very soon after gluing and are not required lo be kept 

 in retainers tor some time to allow the glue lines to set. 



This process requires a hot plate hydraulic press, which not only sets 

 the glue, hul dries the moisture therefrom at the same time. 



I'or the manufacture of a cheaper line of plywoods for box material, 

 I would heartily recommend the use of a waterproof process and press 

 the thin veueers in large sheets with a hot plate hydraulic press, and 

 dimension this plywood into lio.x shooks on equalizing cut-oH saws. In 

 this way, you can utilize all the product of the log and the process 

 would allow you to dimension the stock immediately after it comes from 

 the press. 



While !he installation of a hot plate press would mean quite an invest- 

 ment, it would mean a saving in material and labor and enable you to 

 use small spindle veneer iathes to cut veneers from smaller logs that 

 can be bought at a lower price than those you are now using. This 

 would also give you quicker returns, as no time would be lost in leaving 

 the glued up material in retainers for a considerable time. 



I have not fully decided whether this process would be really prac- 

 tical for making of all kinds of panels, especially when a fine figured thin 

 veneer is used, l)ut in maldng up the cheaper qualities and laying up 

 thick face veneers, I would say It would be a very cheap and practical 

 method. Some experimenting would have to be done before .this fact 

 «ould be determined definitely. 



H. 1'. King, who is associated in tlie veneer busniess at Melbourne, 

 Australia, ami who was in attendance as a visitor, said tliat contrary 

 to tlie policy in this country, the veneer niaiiufaeturers and manufac- 

 turers of other products in Australia can combine to fix prices, the 

 •nly restriction being that the pi-ices shall not be exorbitant. He 

 said that veneer is a comparatively new thing in Australia and that 

 while it wuU be possible to make certain kinds, particularly in the 

 ordinaiy run of veneers, a good deal will have to be imported very 

 likely from this country, especially in the high-grade products. Aus- 

 tralia now imports a-good quantity of three-ply alder from Russia. 



According to Mr. King, there will shortly be introduced new import 

 duties, whicli will make it impossible to ship anytliing but tlie higlier 

 grades into that country. 



J. L. Maltby, secretary of the National Association of Upholstered 

 Furniture Manufacturers, gave an interesting talk on costs. Mr. 

 Maltby said that uniformity in cost methods and figures is not only 

 desirable but almost essential in all lines, in that it tends to stabilize 

 selling- (iricos. Mr. Maltby said that the question of indirect cost is 

 the stumbling block in investigations on these questions. He main- 

 tained tliat the point will never be reached when absolute cost in the 

 woodworking factory is known. 



B. S. Kellogg, secretary of tlie National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association, Chicago, spoke in the interest of subscription to the 

 trade expansion bureau of that organization, which has for its object 

 the establishment of new markets for lumber and the maintenance of 

 present markets. This work is being supported heartily by lumber- 

 men, and inasmuch as veneer is sold under substantially the same cir- 

 cumstances, Mr. Kellogg felt that the veneer association would be 

 glad to give its moral and financial support to the effort, -which is 

 certainly worthy. He asked for a subscription of $1,000 from the 

 association, and the matter was referred to a committee of three 

 ■which will be appointed later. 



The meeting adjourned for a Dutch luncheon served in the con- 

 vention hall, and reconvened early in the afternoon. 



W. M. Hopkins, traffic expert, Chicago, gave an interesting resume 

 of conditions that have led up to the present regulations of trafiSc. 

 Touching on the question of uniform classification, Mr. Hopkins 

 expressed himself as questioning the possibility of its value being put 

 into a practicable form, he maintaining that while it would be feasible 

 to make a scientific classification in theory, it would be difficult to 

 meet different conditions prevailing surrounding shipments even of 

 the same commodity from different points, in different quantities and 

 under different circumstances. 



He maintained that for the Interstate Commerce Commission to 

 endeavor to upset the present freight rate structure for the sake of 

 putting- into effect a sweeping regulation, based purely on classifica- 



tion, would be demoralizing. Mr. Hopkins said that ordinarily law- 

 yers are rather 'leery of cases heard before the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission as no rules of evidence apply. He expressed himself as 

 believing that as near as it is possible for any body of men to 

 administer the interstate commerce laws, the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission is doing so and that inasmuch as the all-important thing 

 is efficient transportation and fair terms, the general shipping pubUc 

 and the government will slio-sv a willingness to co-operate in any 

 efforts along this line. 



According to Mr. Hopkins, the question of transportation is the 

 only point of business in which the modern business man is not 

 efficient. The business man should make a study of this important 

 department just as he does of any other. It also follows that in 

 order to reap the greatest efficienc}', organizations in any line must 

 give the same co-operative efforts to the problems of transportation as 

 to other questions. 



H. B. Sale of Fort Wayne, lud., in commenting on Mr. Hopkins' 

 remarks, said that in his business, the manufacturing of veneers, the 

 item of freight cost is exceeded only by that of timber. Formerly 

 it was fourth. He said that inasmuch as it takes three cars of logs 

 to make one car of lumber, the recent raise of five per cent in his 

 territory really constitutes a raise of fifteen per cent inasmuch as 

 the raise has to be paid on the raw material. 



The question of some solution of transportation problems facing 

 the association members came in for a good ileal of discussion, which 

 eventually narrowed down to the point that some definite steps be 

 taken to affiliate some expert advice wiyi the association. However, 

 pending the re-vision of the constitution, it was decided to hold this 

 over until the other matter was settled. 



In talking again, Mr. Hopkins said that lumbermen have been 

 made the goats in traffic matters because they liave been too big- 

 minded and easy-going to bicker on these (juestions, and also because 

 they have always sold a good deal of raw material to the railroads. 

 He said that if they want to establish the justice of their claims they 

 must show evactly wherein they are entitled to a readjustment on 

 certain rates. 



D. E. Kline read a paper outlining the history of the association 

 in which he traced it through the days of the get-rich-quick manu- 

 facturers -who believed they could make twenty times as much out 

 of an inch board if it were manufactured into twentieth inch veneer 

 than they could if they were merely selling the lumber. 



In speaking of figures prevailing in the past he instanced that of 

 Indiana quarter-sawed oak veneer that brought a minimum of $20 a 

 thousand feet in the beginning, this price having gone down to $14 

 or $15; timber 100 per cent in higher cost of labor and all other 

 items of manufacturing vastly increased. The same condition applied 

 to other woods. 



Mr. Kline instanced specific cases in which ignorance of the essen- 

 tials of veneer manufacture led to disastrous conclusions, maintain- 

 ing that the one and only argument for cheaper prices that has been 

 sustained is cheaper and quicker manufacturing methods. 



Getting down to the organization of the association, this project 

 was suggested to Mr. Kline by E. H. Defebaugh who has been its 

 secretary until very recently. The first meeting was called at the 

 Grand hotel, Cincinnati, O., November, 1905. A temporary organiza- 

 tion was effected, Mr. Kline being temporary chairman and Mr. 

 Defebaugh, secretary. The second meeting was held a month later 

 with a good attendance, when a permanent organization was effected, 

 constitution adopted and Mr. Kline elected president, which office he 

 held for two years. Mr. Defebaugh was duly elected secretary and 

 treasurer. 



In the beginning the members were veneer makers, panel manufac- 

 turers, or those who manufactured both veneers and panels. It was 

 early discovered because of the diversity of interests, subordinate 

 organization within the association was necessary. Hence the veneer 

 manufacturers' association was formed which consisted originally of 

 manufacturers of poplar. As its field was enlarged other woods were 

 added such as oak, gum and birch in the order named. From this 

 was formed the birch club, the first gum club and the southeastern 

 association, the necessity of which sub-divisions was apparent. There 



