20 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



i;sT 10. 1018 



feet long go for as low as $6.00 a thousand, and the cream of white 

 pine sold in cargoes sometimes as low as $9.00 and $9.50 a thousand. 

 The association and prganized effort is what has brought the lumber 

 manufacturer to his present advanced state of merchandising wherein 

 be i3 able to have something to say on questions affecting his manu- 

 facturing and his markets. Mr. Hines hkhIi' tlic iissntion th:it in his 

 opinion every five-cent investment in ass(M i:ii h.k wnk Ihih^s liack 

 a direct return of one dollar. The talk, wliirli wns .■|itiiiiisti>' (hrnugh- 

 out, closed with a warning that manufacturers must keep apace in 

 their prices with advancing operating costs. 



President Harder spoke of the need for getting in all possible new 

 members and asked present members to use their best efforts to secure 

 the applications of firms eligible but not yet in the association. The 

 association now has a membership of eighty-three. 



The president then referred to the recent conference of building 

 trades held at Atlantic City to discuss war questions. It was agreed 

 that the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association could and should 

 act for regional associations on the question of membership in this 

 new body and the duties it involves. 



Sam E. Barr, the well-known eastern lumberman, who is now a 

 lumber expediting expert helping out the government at Washington, 

 presented some astonishing figures covering future government needs 

 for lumber. On July 22, 23 and 24 the government placed orders for 

 a total of 133 million feet of lumber, each of two of the large canton- 

 ments taking 55 million feet. The production division for the war 

 department, according to Mr. Barr, is handling an average of one 

 thousand cars a week, many weeks showing a total of 1100 or 1200 

 cars. The total lumber shipped on government work between June 1, 

 1917, and June 1, 1918, was 70 thousand cars, according to the speaker, 

 who made the further prediction that from two to three million feet 

 would be purchased before fall. He predicted tremendous govern- 

 ment demand for hemlock and hardwoods as well. The purpose was 

 expressed by manufacturers present to get out more long lengths of 

 logs in order to better take care of government needs. 



Charles A. Goodman, president of the National Hardwood Lumber 

 Association, was the next speaker. He told of ways in which the two 

 associations could be of mutual benefit. Ninety-five per cent of all 

 hardwood lumber, according to the speaker, sold under inspection rules 

 is now sold under National inspection. He told further how the 

 National association had co-operated with the government in every pos- 

 sible way and had gone so far as to loan to the government its own 

 inspectors. 



The question of prohibition for the state of Wisconsin occupied a 

 considerable part of the time, the principal feature being the possi- 

 bility of putting Wisconsin on the list of dry states. J. T. Phillips 

 has been serving as a committee of one to raise a fund of $10,000 

 among the association members as a contribution for the funds of 

 the anti-saloon league of Wisconsin. The total reached is now only 

 $1750, which shortage is a result of lack of insight among the members 

 as to the exact purpose of the appropriation. Various members gave 

 strong evidence of the beneficial effect of the ' ' anti-booze ' ' legisla- 

 tion, which has been demonstrated to them through practical results 

 of local option. It seemed the. consensus of opinion was that Wis- 

 consin should go dry. The matter was brought to a head by motion of 

 Mr. Hines that the committee be increased to five members, that the 

 association pledge itself to raise $10,000, and also that the anti-saloon 

 league show the manufacturers just how this sum will be spent. 



An appropriation of $5000 was made for the welfare fund of the 

 10th and 20th engineers regiments now in France. The association 

 members will be assessed an additional one cent per thousand feet 

 to take care of this added cost. The dues of the National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association were also raised to 1%C per thousand 

 feet on shipments. On motion Secretary Swan was instructed to send 

 a telegram to the West Coast Lumber Manufacturers' Association 

 in session at Mt. Rainier, Wash., telling of this action of the Northern 

 Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Association. 



The luncheon order came at this time, Mr. Hines having arranged 

 for an exceedingly enjoyable affair in the main dining room of the 

 club house. The afternoon session which began about two hours later 



was executive, given over to various committees and bureaus and 

 general but important association work. Secretary Frank F. Fish 

 of the National Hardwood Lumber Association was a prominent 

 speaker at this session. 



The meeting adjourned about 5:30, when taxicabs awaited to take 

 evorvone back downtown. 



Plans Export Booking Department 



The Southern Hardwood Traffic Asso.iation has already begun 

 "laying the foundation for future export and coast wise ship- 

 ments of hardwood lumber and forest products" against the time 

 when more shipping space will be available' for them. 



J. H. Townshend, secretary-manager, who has made a thorough 

 study of this subject in all of its phases, has submitted recom- 

 mendations to the board of governors in favor of establishment of 

 a booking department through which all export and coast wise 

 shipments of hardwood, lumber and forest products of members 

 of the association will be handled and through which shipping 

 space will be arranged and charters obtained. 



James E. Stark, president of the association, has been authorized 

 to name a committee of three to make an investigation of the 

 feasibility and desirability of the plans outlined by Mr. Town- 

 shend and ii'idinuH iiilcd by him. This committee will be named at 

 an early 'hitr :nii| if is confidently expected by members of the 

 board and by officials of the association that the booking depart- 

 ment will be established by the time there are sufficient facilities 

 available for large handling of hardwood forest products along the 

 Atlantic, Pacific and gulf coasts and overseas. 



President Stark, more than a year and a half ago, recommended 

 the creation of a booking department and Mr. Townshend, in his 

 recommendations, calls attention to the fact that, owing to the 

 rapid rate at which ships are being produced, there is a possibility 

 of decided increase in the amount of shipping space available and 

 that the plans outlined by Mr. Stark should not be longer delayed. 



The department will |icrfiirm the functions already suggested 

 with respect to iKMikiu;,' shipments of lumber for export and coast 

 wise handling and with respect to securing space and arranging 

 charters. But it will do a great deal more than that, according 

 to the recommendations made by Mr. Townshend. It will obtain 

 reports from all its members interested in the handling of lumber 

 for coast-wise or export shipment as to the volume of lumber they 

 have to offer and as to the date at which this will be ready for 

 shipment. This will put the department on an intelligent basis in 

 its operations. A committee of five will be named, if the recom- 

 mendations are adopted, that will act in an advisory capacity to 

 the general manager. Agents will be selected for the various ports 

 "to keep the main office of the association advised in connection 

 with everything pertaining to ocean rates, marine insurance, war 

 risks, counsel arrangements, collections, forwarding, through bills 

 of lading and, in fact, to perform all functions that have hereto- 

 fore been handled by forwarding agents." 



Mr. Townshend says that, in view of the fact that the associa- 

 tion now has 250 hardwood operators, it will, if this plan is adopted, 

 control 90 per cent of the hardwood and cooperage material that is 

 exported. He adds: "We have also discussed this subject with 

 a number of our members who are cutting pine and are confident 

 that they will be glad to pool their interests on pine shipments," 

 a course that will increase the volume of business and that will 

 enable the association, in his opinion, to secure more advantageous 

 ocean rates. 



In conclusion he declares the belief that an export department 

 "would prove the best investment the association has ever made," 

 because "what has been accomplished in getting cars through the 

 congested embargoed districts on railroads can be accomplished by 

 this association, through the co-operation of all of its members, in 

 the export field." 



Those members using the booking department will, according to 

 Mr. Townshend 's jjlans, pay so much per car, the basis to be deter- 

 mined after careful investigation. 



