OHAS. H. BARXABY, GREENCASTLE, IM)., A. E. <;uRHAM. MT. PLEASANT. MICH., 

 11. W. LORD. DANVILLE, KY.. I'RESIDENT SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT 



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Veneer and Panel Annual 



The National Veneer & Panel Manufacturers' Association convened 

 for its annual meeting at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning, December 

 8, at the Auditorium hotel, Chicago, with a full attendance at the 

 opening session. President B. W. Lord was in the chair and opened 

 the official business with a short discussion of the program offered, 

 with an appeal that aU members give their attention through the 

 entire sessions in order that as much might be accomplished as 

 possible. 



The roll call was followed by the president's address. Mr. Lord 

 did not have a formal address prepared, but spoke earnestly in be- 

 half of the need of co-operation under present conditions, suggesting 

 that the greatest good to business as a whole could be accomplished 

 by united efforts through the association as a medium. He suggested 

 the advisability and fairness of association members trading among 

 themselves as much as possible, and then suggested that owing to 

 the fact that the scope of the association 's work has been changed 

 and enlarged very materially since the organization was first formed, 

 it would probably be necessary to reorganize in the near future. He 

 then suggested the attention of the members to that probable neces- 

 sity'. 



The report of Secretary E. H. Defebaugh was road by the assist- 

 ant secretary, Howard S. Young, in the absence of Mr. Defebaugh. 

 He raised the question as to whether or not veueer men are endeav- 

 oring as generally and as effectively as possible to educate their con- 

 suming customers to the best adaptability of certain kinds and grades 

 of veneer of which they are specific users. He maintained that 

 through a close study of consumer 's requirements great good can be 

 accomplished to both parties in any transaction. 



The report of the trea.surer showed a comfortable balance in the 

 treasury. 



J. W. Koche, traveling representative of the association, then read 

 a paper on the ' ' Utilization of Waste, ' ' whieli is summarized in the 

 following paragraphs. 



We, as a nation and as a business people, are woft'uU.v deflcient iu 

 handling waste, and theoretically the prohlem seems solvable. For in 

 stance, chemically considered, I find there is only a slight difference be- 

 tween a pile of sawdust and commercial alcohol. The only difference Is the 

 rearrangement of the atoms ; both are iiuicle of the same ingredients, 

 carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and the difference between the alcohol and 

 the commercial acid is very slight. Fuel oil. I find, is a carbo-hydrate. 

 Now. if some of you people want to make a fortune, find the process of 

 changing your waste into a fuel oil. Theoretically, it ought to be easy. 



as you have exactly tb<' s;iine ingredients. Theoretically. 1 havi' presented 

 some of the problems that have confronted business men iu general. 



The question as it relates to the veneer man iu the handling of waste, 

 as it is being done, is first: can it be construed to mean nmch or little. 

 For example, what constitutes waste? Is it the material disposed of by 

 burning or by any other method — ^material that is regardedvas useless? 

 Or, does It merely apply to the method, manner, or mode of conveying the 

 same to the boiler room? If it refers to what constitutes waste, the 

 different mills have different views regarding it. For instance, some 

 mills burn material as wide as five or six inches. Other mills utilize that 

 by cutting it to small dimension sizes for boxes. Some send this small 

 stock, cut in sizes, to cotton or woolen mills. Again, others work their 

 waste into covers for grape baskets, four and eight pounds. Also, mills 

 that work up into baskets and berry baskets the material called waste, 

 claim that a large share of their profit comes from what a great many 

 mills burn. On the other hand there are mills which contend that it 

 doesn't pay to handle it. Now. the different mills have different plans 

 for conveying their waste to the furnace. Some use the most crude way 

 imaginable. Men pick it up from the floor, place it in a wheelbarrow or 

 a factory truck with a large box built on it. and wheel or push it to the 

 fire room. Jt usually takes two men to do the work, and for a radius 

 of at least ten feet from the machine there is a continual litter, others 

 have large Ixixes, oblong in shape, with long strips bolted to the side, 

 and projecting perhaps two feet from each end for handles. One box 

 placed at the front of the machine in which the bark and peelings are 

 placed, and one on the other side of the machine for the log trimmings 

 and scraps as they come from the knife, and one at the clipper for the 

 trimmings. As these are filled, two men carry them into the boiler room, 

 empty them and return them to their places. No extra help is engaged 

 for this work. The reg\dar machine crew does it. and it doesn't seem 

 to delay the work any. Some mills have a very elaborate plan, a system 

 oC carriers or conveyors, that traverse the building, one depositing into 

 the other, until it lands in the boiler room where it is up to the fireman 

 to take care of it. Others have this waste by a system of conveyors 

 deposited at what is known as the "hog." which everyone is familiar 

 with. This waste is fed into this hog which cuts it fine enough for a 

 fan to blow it into the boiler room and fed into the arches as well. I 

 have seen some mills that were absolutely clean, neat and orderly, and 

 others which were not. not only in appearance, but c.uldnt help but i.re 

 vent the null running to its capacity. There is no question in my mind, 

 after si'eing the diff.rent methods used, but that thi' eonveyor system is 

 the most econondcal and most .-omplete. I mean the conveyors that arc 



placed below the fioor because all wMst.. , an I.,. dro| d into them as 



fast as made. 



The subject was then presented to the convention by the presi- 

 dent for discussion. D. E. Kline suggested that it was easy enougli 

 to provide mechanical means for economically handling waste, but 

 what all are after is some logical means by which it can be disposed 

 of elsewhere with profit. President Lord said that up to a few months 

 ago when the decreasing price of cordwood made it impossible to buy 



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