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M Implement Dimension Stock 





Next to certain items iu box factory stock, vehicle and implement 

 Uimension stock was the first thing on the lumber list to be enlivened 

 as a direct result of the war in Europe. This was the result of an 

 active demand from abroad for implement stock and also for wagons 

 and trucks in this country. 



Those who were prepared to furnish on short notice specific 

 dimensions in implement stock are benefited most from this call, 

 and the indications are that it will be a good winter in practically 

 the full line of vehicle stock. Perhaps an exception should be made 

 of the dimension stock used by the makers of harvesters and other 

 purely agricultural machinery. This trade is suffering considerably 

 because of the war, especially in the export branch. Some of the 

 makers of plows and planters for the cotton section find business 

 slow, so naturally there will not be very great activity in this divi- 

 sion until the situation has cleared up and trade is resumed again 

 in a normal way. With this exception, however, the wood stock trade 

 has shown signs of considerable revival and part of it has come 

 directly through the placing of extensive orders l>y warring nations. 

 This includes orders for everything from spokes to tongues. 



The demand for specific dimensions in wood stock is suggestive 

 of possibilities in the way of more attention on the part of millmen 

 to the making of dimension stock. It is a reminder that for several 

 years some of the millmen, who in times gone by have made a feature 

 of dimension stock, have been drifting away from it and cutting 

 their logs into planks and flitches and selling it in this form instead 

 of in the form of specific dimensions. 



This cutting planks and flitches simplifies the millwork and also 

 makes it practical to increase the capacity, to put more logs through 

 the mill in a given period of time. This is perhaps one reason 

 why the millmen have followed that course. On the other hand, that 

 is one of the things which helped to accunuilate a surplus in many 

 liardwood lines. If the mills, instead of running full capacity and 

 making planks and flitches, had taken more time and converted their 

 vehicle wood into specific dimensions, tTiere would have been less 

 surplus accumulation and they would have been in better shape to 

 supply the present demand for vehicle stock. 



The present situation in the vehicle wood trade is a strong argu- 

 ment for specific dimensions, for the millman to get busy on the 

 subject of standarilizing and cutting to specific size as much as pos- 

 sible. There has never been a time in the history of the industry 

 when there was more active inquiry for specific dimensions all the 

 way from stock to make small handles and spokes up to the heavier 

 material for wagons and trucks. This call indicates a willingness 

 on the part of the consuming trade to buy in specific dimensions 

 rather than to buy lumber from which to cut the dimension stock. 

 With a fair share of the consuming trade taking this attitude it 

 should be a comparatively easy matter for the manufacturers and 

 consumers to get together and do more standardizing and listing of 

 the various specific sizes. 



There are two splendid arguments in favor of the dimension stock 

 idea. One of these is that it makes for economy in timber, for 

 closer utilization at the mill and for using up the timber to the 

 best advantage in every way. The other argument, and one that 

 should appeal strongly right now, is that it gives the sawmill more 

 work to do in converting the same quantity of timber. That is what 

 sawmills have needed so far this winter more than anything else — 

 more work to do. Many have had to close down and let their em- 

 ployees shift for themselves, and when it comes time to start up 

 again may find it difficult to round up a satisfactory crew. Any- 

 way if the crew is strange and new to the work there will not be 

 the same order of efficiency obtained from an experienced crew at 

 work continuously. 



The cutting of dimension stock, while it calls for additional equip-' 

 ment at times, may be affected in a sort of compromise way. The 

 sawmUl can be used for doing part of the work, and by making some 

 additions in the way of rip saws and cross-cuts it should be practical 



—26— 



to keep mills moving along cutting less timber and yet turning out 

 more value in proportion in the finished stock. 



After reviewing the situation all around one feels like urging upon 

 the hardwood sawmill men earnest consideration of the dimension stock 

 business, not only the vehicle dimension stock, but all the possibilities 

 in the dimension stock line which give promise of more work and 

 better returns from the same amount of timber. 



Lumber Business in Hawaii 



A report on the lumber business of the Hawaiian islands, by 

 Franklin H. Smith, has been imblished by the Bureau of Foreign and 

 Domestic Commerce at Washington. Those islands deal principally 

 with the Pax>ific states and procure most of their lumber and other 

 forest products from California, Oregon and Washington. Sonic trade 

 is carried on with the eastern half of the United States, but hard- 

 woods make a rather poor showing in the export business from this 

 country to those islands. A summary of those portions of the report 

 which are of general interest, particularly to the hardwood trade, 

 indicate that there is room for further development. 



For the year ending June oO. 1914, the value of forest products 

 importeil was .$l.:!8.'i,.S22. This amount is smaller than for any one 

 of the four preceding years. The shipments from the United States 

 reiircscnt almost the total imjiorts of lumber into Hawaii. The excep- 

 tions are the few dollars worth of reeds, rattans and bamboos imported 

 liy the Chinese particularly, and a negligible amount of staves used 

 by the Japanese for containers for salted fish, rice, and native drinks. 



Only One sawmill is in oi)eration in the islands. The mill is that 

 (pf the Hawaii Hardwood Company, at Pahoa, on the island of Hawaii. 

 Here is cut a limited quantity of ohia, a dense hardwood, which is 

 manufactured into railroad ties, vehicle stock, flooring, paving block, 

 and lumber that is princijially used for interior finishing purposes. 

 The anomaly is presented of this mill's product in the shape of ties 

 being shipped to the mainland for the Santa Vc Railway Company, 

 while the Hilo Railroad Company, over which road the ties are hauled 

 from Pahoa to Hilo for shipment, imports redwood ties from Cali- 

 fornia for its own line. Ohia flooring is quoted in Honolulu at $80 per 

 thousand feet board measure for lii-inch by 2 '/4 -inch fa«e, while 

 1" X 4" stock in lumber brings $75 and 1" x 10" and 12" as high as 

 ifS.T per thousand feet. 



One other species which is cut in limited quantities and which in 

 a measure may be said to compete with lumber from the mainland 

 is koa, another dense hardwood, occasionally referred to as Hawaiian 

 mahogany. This is an acacia, found chiefly on Hawaii and Maui. 

 Natives cut the timber and find a market for the logs and gnarled 

 pieces. It is manufactured principally into furniture and takes a 

 beautiful polish. It is also made into many small articles which are 

 sold as souvenirs. 



Wood has been found tlic most desirable building material on the 

 islands, though others are used. Many of the large sugar plantations 

 import lumber direct, without giving the orders to middlemen. 



Hardwoods are used only to a limited extent. Only three species 

 are imported — oak, ash and hickorj-. In lumber the grade bought is 

 No. 1 common. Since the hardwoods are desired almost exclusively 

 for the building of new or repairs to old vehicles, dimension stock 

 is largely specified. Probably not more than fifteen cars a year find 

 a market in the islands. The lumber is sometimes shipped from the 

 assembling points east of the Missouri river to San Francisco, but 

 more often it is V)Ought in the eastern markets and shipped from 

 New York or Philadelphia by steamer in parcel lots. It retails at 

 from .$8.5 to $100 per thousand feet in Honolulu. 



No industries of any size exist in the islands that use lumber 

 exclusively as a raw material. Numerous small furniture-making 

 shops are to be found in the cities and larger towns, most of which 

 are conducted by aliens, for which lumber is bought locally and in 

 decidedly small lots. Into this class of manufacturing goes a quan- 

 tity of ohia, the native wood, as well as some koa. 



