IO 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



thesi grades. Jb should make grades thai the furniture man, the 

 wagon maker, the agricultural implement producer and the coffin 

 manufacturer can employ with a minimum of waste combined with 

 a minimum of cost. It therefore i- to his interest to place lumber 

 oi the same kind in the same grsCde, and thus establish a base not 

 only of grade, but of value as compared t.> the total of his lumber 

 output. This method, by the application of very simple arithmetical 

 rule- will enable him t.> accurately estimate the relative cost of each 

 required grade. By this means and this means only can he establish 

 a just and equitable selling value for the several grades into which 

 he divides his lumber. It i- to the interest of every buyer of hard- 

 H'cods, as well as every manufacturer, that this universal system 

 and uniform method so far as the individual stock goes, should 

 l»- maintained and continued year after year, thus establishing per- 

 manency of grade and relative value with the upward and downward 

 trend of lumber values. 



The Manufacturer vs. The Merchant. 



The manufacture of lumber is one distinct feature of the lumber 

 business. The manipulation of lumber into grades is another feature 

 of the business. An intelligent marketing of lumber is still a third 

 feature of it. The majority of large hardwood manufacturers in the 

 United States deem it expedient not only to be manufacturers, but 

 assorters and salesmen of their product themselves. On the contrary 

 there are many small manufacturer is of hardwoods who figure that 

 they can effect a saving by sidling their lumber in bulk, or even by 

 grade, to lumber merchants who will regrade the stock and can market 

 it at a profit. Practically, they are willing to pay jobbers a generous 

 price to take their lumber in part ot in wh.de. and market it fur them. 

 Th- average small manufacturer lias grown to realiz that it costs 

 miiiH \ to establish an intelligent sales organization. It custs just 

 as much to maintain a credit bureau, a -ale- manager, i Let in-; i 

 office expenses and numerous ether items whsther a concern i 



keting .".nun. feet of lumber a yea] or 50, I, feet. T 



plains why a hardwood merchant can by reaa £ 'lie iu\ istment of 



his money in the output of a half dozen or i « stocks of luml i 



tin organization of a system of manipulation and sale on a wholesale 

 plan, actually be able in pay the small producer more net menu * foi 

 his lumlici than he would receive did he attempt to do the wmk mi 

 11 account, and reach tin- final consumer of hanlu I products. 



No jobber can find tmy fault with the manufacturer who ehoosi - 

 to learn the trade and pay the cost of the final manipulation of lum- 

 ber te suit the consuming demands of a dozen different trades, and 

 neither caii the large manufacturer by any chance have anj quarrel 

 with the merchant who buys the stocks of sundry minor manufacturers 

 and manipulates the lumber into grades ami sells it to tic same or 

 rival consuming concerns. Both line- of trade are just, honorable and 

 ordinarily profitable. These two distinct elements of tin- trade, how 

 ever, have but one eommunitj of interest, ami that is the istablishment 

 of a just, satisfactory and universal grade that -hall eventually be 

 placed upon lumber reaching the consuming trad. . 



New York State Forests. 



Gov. Higgins of New York has issue, | n message recommending 

 to the legislature a more stringent policy for the protection of the 



-tit.- forest laud-. II. concludes that tin- enforcement of the law 

 in respect fci the cutting of state timber has been lax, and he 

 advocates more drastic laws against tres] 



The state now owns nearly 1,500,000 acres of forest lands in 



forest preserves, which nave cost 'he state a]. proximately .*•_', sou, - 

 000. The state is still purchasing additional timber areas to add 

 to the Adirondack and ' atskill parks at an average price of less 

 than +4 an acre. 



Silver Gray Maple. 



\t he St. Louis exposition and tit the recent furniture exhibits in 

 various parts ol the country a very prominent feature of the dis- 

 plays ha- been furniture manufactured from the much heralded 

 gray maple. A critical examination has pronounced the new wood 

 and color combination a success. The maple wood is impregnated 

 in the rough by a in ows under finish a peculiar 



and most brilliant bluish gray tint in every fiber. When the wood 

 is manufactured into furniture, particularly in the mission style, it 

 is very attractive. However, ethical taste has developed the fact 

 that furniture made from this gray tinted wood does not harmonize 

 with furniture of other shades. Therefore, if the "lovely gray tint" 

 is desirable, people who contemplate a purchase of the new fad ic 

 furniture will be obliged to purchase complete sets. 



Hardwood Flooring. 



An industry that has struggled for a profitable existence during the 

 last ten or fifteen years is apparently coming into its just reward at 

 the present time. Hardwood flooring, which consists essentially of 

 maple and oak. is in strong demand at very fair values, with every 

 prospect that the year's business will be the best in the history of the 

 industry. It is fully time that a fair recompense should accrue to 

 people who have invested the brains and money they have in the 

 development of hardwood flooring to a point where its production 

 is almost a Hue art. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been 

 expended in the production of systems of properly manufacturing 

 these refractory woods into high-class flooring, and most splendid suc- 

 cess has crowned the efforts of these enterprising manufacturer-. 



Reformation in Handling Tax Lands. 



Elsewhere in this issue of the Hardwood Record is an article 

 covering an abstract ot a proposed law iu.vv before the legis- 

 tiiro of Michigan, providing for the handling of the vast area of 

 denuded or semi-denuded timber land- that have reverted to the 

 -late for (axes. These land- aggregate -i\ million acres, or about 

 one-sixth of the total area of tin- -talc 'the bill would -inn to lie 

 an eminent!] just and business-like mca-uic. and it i- to be Imped 

 that the solotis of the Wolverine state will have the interest of the 

 commonwealth enough at heart t.. emu t this bill, at least in it- 

 salient features. 



Woods Imported by France. 



Prance is giving great attention to reforestation, but it prob- 

 ably never will be able to meet the domestic demand for wood. 

 Pine is imported from Scandinavia, and for hardwoods it depends 

 largely upon tin- United States. Oak is in especial demand in 

 almost every variety. France imports spokes, turned and unturned, 

 felloes adapted for heavy wagons and carts, and hubs, the latter 

 generally of elm. There is also a continual demand for staves of 

 all kinds, large and unfinished sizes being preferred, as these give 

 the French cooper tin opportunity to economize wood and make 

 small casks of what is unsuitable for the larger ones. Uncut staves 

 pass the customs at a lower duty than those cut and finished, and 

 it is said that the sale .,i" the debris for kindling wood almost pays 

 for the preparation of the staves. 



Candidates Already Named. 



In the principle thai anything that is worth having is worth asking 



fin. and asking for quick, the Memphis and C innati members of 



tin National Ilardw 1 Lumber Association are true believers. As 



will be seen by the news letters from the cities named, in this issue of 



the Hardwood Record, Memphis ha- already selected candidates for 

 president and inspector general for the coming year, while Cincin- 

 nati wants the secretaryship at 'he hands of the Buffalo convention 

 on May 18 and 19. 



i In. ago. with its usual modesty, isn't asking for a thing save a 

 square deal when the offices are passed around, and all Michigan and 

 Wisconsin want is competent representation on the board of man 

 agement. 



.May the best nun win. and all elements he satisfied, and made 

 happy. 



The Distinction. 



Uniform hardwood inspection and a universal base of hardw I 



inspection tire two essentially different propositions. The firs) i- .hi 



meii.nl: th. -con. I is practical, l-n'l it time that liardvv oo.l inspec- 

 tion was ic bleed to a pract i.:i I ba-i- .' 



