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The mid-winter meeting of the Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association was held at the Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit, on Thurs- 

 day, January 28. Unsettled conditions of tlie hardwood trade result- 

 ing in the desire among all manufacturers for opinions of their 

 fellow lumbermen brought out an unusually large number of prominent 

 manufacturers from all over the state. 



President Charles T. Mitchell of Cadillac was in the chair. 

 Report of Secretary 



The first regular business was the report of Secretary J. C. Knox 

 as follows: 



Conditions arising from ev(Mils both iu tlie United States and in foreign 

 countries have had a large influence on business in all lines of industry 

 in tlii.s country and have knocked out all previous calculations and figures 

 for the last year and for the present. Notwithstanding this, general 

 business here seems to be improvinir, but no one can predict at this time 

 just how soon all business will assume its normal basis. 



Our stock reports will show an increase of production over the estimate 

 given a year ago of 11,000,000 feet, with two more members reporting for 

 the actual output tlian reported for the estimate. The difference in hard- 

 wood production can be traced to one or two manufacturers who cut more 

 than they anticipated they would at the beginning of tlic year. The 

 difference in hemlock is about 15,000,000 feet more, with one less member 

 reporting than a year ago. However, the estimate for the coming j'ear 

 is over 100.000,000 feet less than the 101 t cut in hardwoods, and 0,000,000 

 feet less in hemlock. Several mills have closed down. 



Assessments levied on shipments of hardwoods from October 1, lOl,"!, 

 to October 1, 1914, have netted us $2,924.08, with several members yet to 

 hear from. 



In discussing the treasurer's report, Secretary Kno.\ said there was 

 a nice balance in the general fund and also in the forest fire fund. 

 He stated that the balance of the general assessment of one cent 

 per 1,000 feet will be called for on May 1. He asked for better' 

 co-operation among the members in preparing reports of recent 

 sales in order that all members may benefit by this authoritative 

 information. 



On the question of luiuber freight rates Mr. Knox said that the 

 Michigan rates were advanced October 26, 1914, to points in Michig;in 

 at too great a projiortion in comparison with rates in Wisconsin 

 and the upper i)eninsula of Michigan where an advance of five per 

 cent was made. The Michigan advances were based on a permit 

 from the Michigan Railroad Commission and were made to within 

 ninety-five per cent of the new sixth class. This basis is not satis- 

 factory to lumbermen of Michigan and the rates have been protested 

 in an effort to place shipments on an equal basis with other com- 

 peting territory. According to Mr. Knox, the working of the com- 

 bination of general advance of five per cent and the allowed advance 

 in Michigan territory will mean a total advance of at least seven ami 

 one-half cents. 



There was no regular report of the grading committee, but there 

 was a general discussion on grading problems, the general theme being 

 a plea for the maintenance of jiresent* rules in effect. 



Market Conditions Report 



The market conditions report has always been a feature of these 

 meetings, W. C. Hull of Traverse City being chairman of this com- 

 mittee. The report, while not mincing matters nor endeavoring to 

 gloss over the tone of the situation, was in the main satisfactorily 

 optimistic. A lessened production but sliglitly increased stock in 

 1915 resulting in a smaller quantity of lumber for sale at this date 

 than a year ago, were the contentions of the report. The market 

 conditions committee came out emphatically in favor of the adherence 

 to a reasonable amount of conservatism in manufacturing lumber dur 

 ing the coming year, or at least for a ftv.- months of the manufac- 

 turing season. If all the members would adhere to this policy, in the 

 opinion of the market conditions committee, the situation will become 

 very much clarified. 



The report emphatically stated tliat there is no cause for anxiety 

 as to No. .S hardwood stocks, expressing as the opinion of the mem- 

 bers of the committee that by .January, 1916, any excess of No. .3 

 hardwood will h.ave disappeared entirely. The present accumulation 

 is the direct result of the railroads refraining from purchasing ties 



—28— 



into which this class of stock has been going for the past two vears. 

 The report continues: 



' ' Old contracts are being speedily renewed and many inquiries are 

 out and ties are being exported. The box business also shows signs 

 of improvement. ' ' 



R. H. Rayburn reporting for the legislative committee on employ- 

 ers' liability said he believed there would be no change nuvde in the 

 present liability legislation. 



Fire-warden Hickok, employed by the association, said that a new 

 game warden will shortly be ai)pointed and recomniendeil that the 

 association endorse both officially and tlirough the per.sonal efforts of 

 the mendiers, the application of R. H. Rayburn, member of the asso- 

 ciation for this position. He said Mr. Rayburn has not .solicited the 

 office, but is willing to accept it in behalf of tlie lumber business. 



Inter-Insurance 



In an address by Charles F. Simonson, Chicago, iiutuager of the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' Inter-Insurance Exchange, he ex- 

 plained in detail the points of superiority of inter-insurance when com- 

 pared with the methods of stock companies. The two main features 

 of superiority, according to his explanation, were the less cost and 

 the equal security of inter-insurance. The jiroperty included in the 

 risks is widely scattered and conflagrations cannot endanger much 

 of it; while that danger is perpetually ]iresent in cities and con- 

 gested industrial centers. , 



The speaker insisted that the campaign against wood as a build- 

 ing material was based on false premises and reached erroneous 

 conclusions. 



It is idle to say that shingle roofs add unduly to tlic hazard, as 

 there are undoubtedly many so-called composition roofings composed 

 of tar and asphalt which are more inflammable and conduct heat 

 more rapidly than wood shingles. 



When you consider the use of wood in building construction and 

 the increased cost of fireproof construction, what advantage was 

 there in the so-c;illcd fireproof buildings which in Baltimore and San 

 Francisco conflagrations suffered loss as high as ninety-eight per 

 cent in the fire districts. 



There is no (piestion that the solid heavy jilank and timber floor 

 construction without openings, on columns of wood, has many ad- 

 vantages, and is the very best type of construction that can be used 

 to resist fire in any building. Being in solid mass the wood is not 

 quickly ignited, and burns very slowly, and tests show that a 12"xl6" 

 timber is weakened but about twenty per cent if burned to a depth 

 of 1". Structural iron or steel, unless completely protected, softens 

 ra])idly, buckles under heat and collaiises quickly when water strikes 

 it, and many buildings so i)rotectc(l h.ave been totally destroyed when 

 sub.iect to fire test. 



So-called fireproof construction has not ])roven satisfactory, when 

 put to the test as shown in such notable instances as the garment 

 workers' fire in New York a few years ago, and the Edison plant 

 a few weeks ago. The records show that fires have generally been 

 controlled in buildings with solid plank floors, and there is no ques- 

 tion that such a building will present greater resistance to fire within, 

 and where it has brick walls, the equal to so-called fireproof construc- 

 tion from a fire without. 



Mr. Simonson stated that the exchange will start writing business 

 on February 15. 



After a discussion on various pertinent features of the general 

 insurance business, the association went on record as supporting 

 the new exchange. 



Some Troubles of the Lumber Industry 



R. S. Kellogg, secretary of the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association, pointed out a number of lumber troubles and suggested 

 remedies. He said in part: 



The business Is second to the largest in the United .'States. Since 

 1850 the sawmill cut hna approximated 2,000 billion feet, and there yet 

 remains In private ownership enough timber to cut that much more. 



