March 10, 1921 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



31 



1 



Dining Table Business Is Picking Up 



Slight improvement in demand, forecasts of further improve- 

 ments during the spring months, wage cuts averaging about 20 

 per cent, continued heavy curtailment of production and cheap 

 lumber, formed the consensus of information filed at the forty- 

 first mass conference of the Central Bureau of Dining Table Manu- 

 facturers, as reported by M. Wulpi of Chicago, commissioner of 

 the organization. The meeting was held in Chicago at the Audi- 

 torium Hotel, Feb. 25. It was presided over by F. D. Sebaugh, 

 president, and thirty-eight members, representing tw^enty-nine 

 plants, answered the roll call. 



A discussion of present lumber and labor costs led by W. H- 

 Coye, cost expert of the bureau, resulted in the general opinion 

 that it was not safe to figure costs on any reduced labor base, and 

 it w^as not thought that lumber would go any lower in price, but 

 that any change in its value would be upward. Mr. Coye declared 

 that lumber today is below what it should be, though lumber 

 freight rates are 80 per cent higher than before the general in- 

 crease granted the carriers. He said that he found No. I common 

 red and white oak running about $55 based on the southern mar- 

 ket, in the Chicago district about $60, a little less in the Ohio 

 district and higher in the East and West. It was the general opin- 

 ion that it is safe to consider No. I common red and w^hite oak at 

 $60 in estimating costs. One manufacturer reported that lumber 

 is 50 per cent low^er. 



Reporting on wages, Mr. Coye said that in the south the aver- 

 age w^age cut is 25 per cent and some dining table manufacturers 

 may cut more. The manufacturers at Chicago were unable to de- 

 cide w^hat is a safe estimate at w^hich to place their labor reductions. 



The dining table manufacturing situation w^as finally considered 

 to be in a process of change, the full results of w^hich cannot be 

 noted for about sixty days. 



Thirty-eight reports on conditions, which will give a pretty clear 

 idea of the present situation in the dining table industry, were read. 

 They are given below, with the names of the reporting firms 

 omitted: 



1. Operating 36-hour week, w^ith 145 men out of 225 normal. 

 Had cut w^age I5';'f. 15-day business on hand. Had good supply 

 of materials. Their costs were high. Improvement with spring. 



2. Operating 50 hours since Feb. 1. Closed from Oct. 1. 36 

 men out of 50 normal. 20% wage cut. No business on hand. 

 50% of normal material. 



3. Forty hours. 623 men about normal. No w^age cuts. Our 

 scale not as high as others. Some business. Materials below- 

 normal. Our short hours raise our costs. 



4. Closed tw^o months. Opened Monday one-third crew^. 1 to 

 20% wage cut. Average stock. Business low. Market down- 

 ward. Lots of jobs offered. February some better than January 

 and December. 



5. Closed Nov. 24. Open next w^eek on forty hours. No 

 wage cuts. Our help low. Under $1,000 orders. Material nor- 

 mal. Look for pick up. 



6. Forty men. 40 hours. No wage cuts. $5,000 orders. 

 Large supply of materials. Cost increased through reduction of 

 hours and production. Look for slow spring and good fall. 



7. Forty hours, two-third crew. No wage cuts. Normal stock. 

 3 w^eeks of good business. 



8. Forty-four hours on contract work. No table business. I 75 

 men. 10% average wage cut. 2 weeks' business. Materials 125% 

 normal. Look for 50% business this spring. Buying lumber. Feel 

 it w^ill increase. Plenty of labor. 



9. Forty-four hours, two-third crew. Wage cut 10% Jan. 1 

 and 10% Feb. I. Plenty material. Costs down some. Making no 

 effort for business. West salesman in 61 calls sold $75. Standing 

 pat on regular line. Making some few new to meet demands. Not 

 after price business. Talking quality. Industry should take a high 

 stand. No good to force goods. Dealers not buying. Orders fair 

 without any cuts. 



10. Forty hours. 15 men 120 normal. No wage cuts. One 



week's business. Clean up daily. Heavy stock. Costs about 5% 

 under last Bulletin. Picking up some. Orders not 10% normal. 



1 1. Forty hours, two-third crew. No wage cut. Stock normal. 

 Slowly improving. 



12. Closed since Dec. 15. 14 hands. 20% wage cut. No busi- 



Costs 50% over 1917. Some 



Expect wage cut ^vhen start, 

 stock. Buying lumber last two 



ness. Good stock. Clean daily 

 provement. 



13. Closed since Christmas. 

 Clean up one week. Fair materia 

 w^eeks. 



14. Closed since Dec. 1. Start w^ith 20% w^age cut. 10 men. 

 4 — 8-hour days. Satisfied with wage. No business. Material 

 normal. Look for 60 days' slack. Costs might get by on present 

 price. Cannot cut. 



I 5. Two -third force half time. Prospects poor. Costs about 

 as before. Reduction in productions absorbs w^age 15% cut. 



16. Twenty-five percent force 3 — 9-hour day. 20% w^age cut. 

 1 days' business. Orders slow. 



17. Closed Dec. 1. One-third, force 40 hours, 15% w^age cut. 

 Heavy material stock. Material costs down, but overhead up. 



18. Fifty hours, 40% crew. 20% wage cut. Stock lov^r. 



19. Fifty hours, one-fifth crew. 10 to 20% wage cut. 1 week's 

 business. Material cost lower. 



20. Closed Nov. I. 20 men of 140 normal. 10 to 207c wage 

 cut. Last 2 weeks improved. Clean up daily. No lumber. Good 

 stock. Must figure cost on full production. 



21. Closed December 20. 10 men. Stock above normal. Ex- 

 pect 10% wage cut when start. 



22. Closed Dec. 15. No stock. 7 men of 172 normal. Expect 

 open in 60 days. 20% wage cut. Good material stock. Back in 

 line by July I. A year's strike demoralized. No money in 1921 

 business. 



23. Closed 7 weeks. One-third force 40 hours. No w^age cuts. 



1 days' business. Ordinary supply. Looks some better. 



24. Closed two weeks in December. 40 men. No wage cut. 



2 weeks' business. Materials normal. Costs still up. No price cut 

 justified. Dealers will not buy on cuts. ,A 1 0% reduction w^ould 

 lose us money. 



25. Closed Oct. 10. Started two vt^^eks ago. 30% crew^. 55 

 hours. 20% w^age cut, general in South Bend. 10 days' business. 

 Materials a little over normal. 



26. Thirty-six hours. 75% crew. No w^age cuts. Clean up 

 daily. $6,000 orders held up. Materials normal. Stock abnormal. 

 Costs 25% below peak. Outside plants cutting. 



27. Opened Jan. 15. Closed now. One-third crew. No wage 

 cuts. Good stock and materials. 3 days' business. Salesman hope- 

 ful, but few orders. 



28. Forty hours. 60^ t crew. 10c per hour wage cut. No 

 business. 1 week's orders. Materials good. Overhead high. 



29. Closed Dec. 24. One-fourth crew. No wage cut. Must 

 hold fair wage. No business. Materials for 6 months normal. 

 Costs warrant no cuts. Improving slow^ly. Business 25% normal. 

 Taking no business on special price. 



30. One- half time. 200 men. No wage cuts, 

 received. 6 months' materials. Costs 18 to 20% 

 Look for improvement in April. 



31. Four 9-hour days. 60 men. No wage cuts. 



Supplies good. Prospects improving. 



32. Thirty-hour week. Half force. 15% wage cut. I week's 

 business. Material normal. Lumber 50% off. Improving. Will ship 

 50% of last year. 



33. Since Feb. 2! 3-day week. Half force. 15% wage cut. 



No business. Three months' supply of materials. Little improve- 

 ment now. Better by April 1 . 



34. Closed 10 weeks. Orders improving but not warrant 

 operation. 



35. No room for radical change. Present prices too low on 

 replacement. Cut prices not move stuff. No buying at any price. 

 Some better feeling now. 



36. Forty hands. No wage cut. 2 weeks' business. 3 to 6 

 months' material. Some items due for reduction. 



37. Limited force. 7 men. No wage cut. No business. Some 

 improvement. Some time before in swing. 



38. Three-day week. Two-third crew. 5 to 20% wage cut. 

 No business. Full stock. Lumber cheap. Labor high. Opening 

 up slowly. Prices are under production cost. 



Shipping as 

 below^ peak. 



No business. 



Living Room Table Operations Below 40 Per- 

 cent of Normal 



Living room table manufacturers are operating only 30 to 40 

 per cent of normal, with I 5 to 40 per cent crew^s and very little 

 business on hand, according to the roll call of members made at 

 the first annual meeting of the Association of Living Room Table 



