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The Lumhermens Round Table 



Lumber Traffic Kequirements 

 Ibe old adage about the man who is his own lawyer haviug a 

 fool for a client will almost hold good when ' ' traflHc- expert ' ' is 

 substituted for "lawyer." This is particularly true of the lumber 

 business, and it is becoming increasingly evident that the lumberman 

 who IS doing a busines; of any volume must have really expert advii-e 

 constantly regarding traffic matters if he is to avoid serious losses 

 and if he is to be properly posted on developments in this direction. 

 A good many lumbermen try to keep up with the changes in tariffs 

 and rules, and some have been known to handle their own complaints 

 before the Interstate Commerce Commission ; but it is certain that 

 the man who is wise enough to be a good lumberman hardly has the 

 time to master the infinite minutiae of traffic work, and that a much 

 better plan is to employ someone who can give his whole time to it. 

 The concern which is largo enough should have its own traffic 

 department, while smaller concerns should co-operate in the main- 

 tenance of a joint bureau. It is money well spent to keep a man 

 who knows the business engaged in watching for rate changes, work- 

 ing for better rules and regulations, and seeing that the ?narket 

 in which he is interested is not discriminated against. 

 The True Economy 

 In these days when business is coming hard and when the average 

 lumberman, like other business men. is trying to cut off ex|)enditnres 

 wherever possible, there is the danger of lopping off expenses which 

 are contributing much to the peraianent success of the business. 

 This is particularly true of the sales department, where it is so 

 difficult lo get the right men, and where it takes so long to learn 

 the peculiarities of the trade of various customers. Real economy 

 consists in eliminating unnecessary expenditures, but the wise manu- 

 facturer will ponder carefully before he makes a reduction, to be 

 sure that he is not amputating, as well as merely cutting ofT. 



Disraeli's famous quotation is being nnich used these da>s. and it 

 is worth reproducing here: 



"Economy does not consist in the reckless reduction of estimates. 

 On the contrary, such a course almost necessarily leads to increased 

 expenditures. There can be no economy where there is no efficiency. 



These words, directed to national pcdicy. are equally appliialili' to 

 private enterprise. 



Knowledge Is Power 

 A former furniture manufacturer, now specializing in the selling 

 end of this business, said recently that he is finding his knowledge 

 of the manufacturing details of the trade to be a most im|)ortant 

 asset. It enables him to show his customer exactly wherein the value 

 of his goods lies, and to demonstrate to him, by a technical explanation 

 of methods of construction and processes, that his offerings really 

 have quality and class. 



The idea that the salesman ought to know something about the 

 manufacture of his goods is spreading, and is true not only of 

 furniture, but of many other lines. There seems to be no reason 

 Avhy the lumber salesman should not be similarly equipped, and yet 

 there are a good many men out on the road trying to sell hardwoods 

 whose knowledge of the commodity is limited to what they can see 

 on the stock-list. They are not in a position to do much constructive 

 work. All they can hope to do is to make personal friends, and get 

 business through this medium, or to quote low prices, and capture 

 trade on a strictly competitive basis. 



The salesman who knows his proposition thoroughly, who can talk 

 lumber from the stump to the pile, is in a splendid position. Like 

 the others, he may be having his troubles just now, when less 

 lumber than usual is being bought, but he is the kind you can 't keep 

 down, and he is sure to come into his own. 



The Keal Veneer Problem 

 Veneer manufacturers assert that the vast majority of the furni- 

 ture manufacturers of the country use built-up work in their products. 

 Something like ninety per cent of the factories, it is claimed, are 

 ■jsing glued-up tops, panels, drawer-bottoms, backs and other sections 

 of their goods, and are finding this plan satisfactory. 

 —20— 



This being the case, it foUous that the furniture trade favors the 

 use of veneered goods, and believes in it. If this is so, why is it 

 that one never finds a piece of fjirniture with a tag carrying the 

 words, "This Buffet is Veneered.'' or "This Table has a Veneered 

 Top"? Yet, on the other hand, manufacturers who use no veneered 

 work usually make a talking-point of it. They don 't argue the 

 question, but merely announce boldly, "Made of Solid Mahogany — 

 Xo Veneers. ' ' 



The fact that emphasis is laid upon the absence of veneers in 

 furniture, and that their presence is never referred to except when 

 necessary, is the thing which is confirming the public in what 

 amounts to a strong prejudice against veneered goods. Lest the 

 reader assume that this is putting it too strongly, let him go into a 

 furniture store, as an ordinary custo;ner, and see the way the 

 salesmen " i)lay lip" the fact that this, that or the other piece is 

 made of s(did material. Of course, every store has plenty of 

 veneered goods; in the nature of the case it has to; but the salesman, 

 knowing or believing that the ultimate consumer favors solid pieces, 

 uses this as the strongest string in his bow, and because he believes 

 that it is the short-tut to sales. 



A little more aggressive attitude on the ])art of furniture manu- 

 facturers who use built-up stock would help to dissipate this impres- 

 sion on tiie jiart of the public. If furniture of class which has a 

 built-up toj) or i)anels were to be so labeled, and then some sort of 

 adequate and authoritative explanation given of uhy this form of 

 construction was used, it would not take many years to get away 

 from the present condition, when the term "veneered" is looked 

 upon as a word of rejiroach liy the average consumer. 

 More Money in the Bank 



The average lumberman |)robably could not explain with fluency 

 the modus operandi of the Federal reserve system; but there is one 

 feature of the plan which is understandable to everybody, and which 

 is most significant in its promise of better times. 



Without actually creating more currency, the operation of the 

 system has addeil about a quarter of a billion dollars to the available 

 amount f)f money. This paradox is explained by the fact that the 

 reserve limits of national banks were reduced, making it possible for 

 hundreds of millions of dollars that have lain in the vaults of the 

 banks, being held against a possible "run," to be put into active 

 circulation. 



This one factor is sure to be an immense help to business, because 

 it insures easier money conditions and lower interest rates, without 

 reference to the issue of federal reserve notes, which will also add 

 materially to the money supply. The increased amount of currency 

 put into use will help the lumber business most directly, perhaps, 

 in connection with the building trade, for it will enable construction 

 work to be financed more readily, and will assist in ending the 

 stagnation which has been on in this field for some time. 

 Lumber for Export 



Although the direct call for lumber for export purposes is at a 

 low ebb, a good <leal of material is being exported, nevertheless. 

 This is explained by the fact that millions of dollars' worth of war 

 supplies have been contracted for in this country, and all of these 

 goods must be •well and strongly packed for shipment abroad. This, 

 of course, has meant wooden boxes for the saddles, harness, shoes 

 and other leather goods ; clothing, underwear and hosiery ; and in 

 fact practically all of the supplies which have been bought. Hard- 

 wood men have noted an increased demand for low-grade material, a 

 fact which is explained chiefly on the ground that the export move- 

 ment of war supplies is calling for more packing lumber. 



Because of the war, English manufacturers and constmiers of wood 

 pulp have been caused considerable uneasiness. Production is at a 

 standstill in the countries at war, and in Norway and Sweden, princi- 

 pal sources of supply, mUls have been greatly hampered because of a 

 lack of coal and of chemicals. England has practically no domestic 

 sources of pulp. 



