14 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



the last fortnight and say they are squarely -with me in a campaign 

 looking towards good hardwood trade morals. They tell me they buy 

 lumber on the inspection of their association and sell it on the same 

 inspection; that they know how to make money as legitimate 

 merchants, and do not have to resort to " off " grade or short measure 



to make handsome earnings. 



* * * 



There are other bright spots. For two weeks my mail has been 

 filled with letters of congratulation and encomiums on the stand 

 the Hardwood Eecokd is taking in relation to irregular practices in 

 the hardwood trade. I must confess that these letters have come 

 very largely from manufacturers, and I hope I shall be just as popu- 

 lar with them after I fully unbosom myself on matters of which I 

 am cognizant pertaining to some individuals in their branch of the 



industry. 



* * * 



There are other particularly bright spots. The Hardwood Record 

 is in close touch with well towards twelve thousand wholesale consum- 

 ers of hardwoods in the United States, and this portion of the indus- 

 try seems to be particularly well pleased with the campaign I have 

 inaugurated exposing pernicious practices. As a matter of fact, they 

 seem to be with me to a man, for which I am duly grateful and 



appreciative. 



* * * 



Now, I am neither antagonistic nor a censor of the National Hard- 

 wood Lumber Association. I am simply getting after individuals in 

 the trade who profess one thing and do something else. I am the 

 enemy of the man who uses the professed tenets of the National Hard- 

 wood Lumber Association, or any other association, as a cloak to 

 cover up irregular transactions. I contend that I have a right to do 

 this, and should not have the enmity of any upright, fair-minded 

 man in so doing. 



The national government legislates that when a packer misbrands 

 his food products he is liable to fine and imprisonment. 



The city authorities of Chicago recently arrested and punished a 

 lot of marketmen for short measure and under weight. . 



The average decent man would not stand idly by and see' a pick- 

 pocket pursue his calling and not cry ' ' stop thief. ' ' 



This is exactly the position of the Hardwood Record. I believe in 

 the purification of the hardwood industry and I believe it to be pos- 

 sible. I am not preaching fair play, square dealing and commercial 

 integrity on any high moral grounds, but simply as the gospeL of com- 

 mon sense. On the principle that the integrity of the trade is to 

 its best interests the Hardwood Record will stand or fall. 



.— H. H. G. 



Hardwood Association Meetings. 



Today and tomorrow at Cincinnati the National Hardwood Lum- 

 ber Association is holding a semi-annual meeting, during which it 

 doubtless will legislate on matters important to the trade. Owing 

 to the fact that the meeting is held concurrently with the publication 

 date of the Hardwood Record a report of the proceedings, of neces- 

 sity, cannot be presented in this issue. 



On Wednesday, Oct. 31, the Michigan Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association will hold an important meeting at the Park Place Hotel, 

 Traverse City. At this meeting it is expected that an agreement will 

 be reached upon a system of grading rules. The association will 

 thoroughly analyze the condition of stocks on hand in both dry and 

 green lumber and the prospects for the output for the year to come, 

 and will legislate on several important subjects of vital interest to 

 the manufacturers of Michigan. The meeting will doubtless call out 

 a large and representative number of the hardwood producers of that 

 state. 



"How do your unfilled orders compare with this time last year?" 

 Twenty-four report larger, from ten to fifty per cent; twenty- 

 three report about the same, and ten report smaller. 



"How long will your present supply of orders keep your shipping 

 department busy!" Seven reported two weeks; nineteen reported a 

 month; twelve reported three months; four reported six weeks; eleven 

 reported two months; two reported six months, and seven reported all 

 stock sold. 



' ' Are your stocks on hand larger or smaller than on March 1, 

 1906?" Ten reported about the same; thirty-two reported smaller; 

 four reported all stock sold; sixteen reported larger stock, owing to 

 poor car supply. 



' ' How are your prospects for production during the remainder of 

 the year; will it be larger or smaller as compared with the preceding 

 five months?" Twenty-four reported that it will be smaller; nine- 

 teen reported that it will be larger; thirteen reported about the 

 same, and six advised that they will not produce any stock. 



' ' How is your car supply ? ' ' Twenty-nine reported poor supply ; 

 sixteen fairly good; sixteen good, and two normal. 



"Are you able to sell lumber at current price list?" Thirty-one 

 reported that they were selling at. full list; six reported that they 

 were able to secure prices above list, and twenty reported that they 

 are shading the list somewhat. 



' ' Do you consider that conditions point to a higher trend of prices 

 in the immediate future?" Forty-three say "yes"; ten "on some 

 items only ' ' ; seven that ' ' prices will hold firm ' ' ; twelve say ' ' no. ' ' 



"Do conditions warrant an advance of hardwood prices?" Twelve 

 think that they do; thirty-eight think that no change should be made 

 at present; thirteen failed to reply. 



' ' What is the condition of trade outlook and your ability to sup- 

 ply demand ? ' ' Twenty-eight replied that the outlook was good ; 

 sixteen replied that they will not be able to supply orders offered, 

 and five reported themselves as short on some items. 



"Have you received any logs by tide since Aug. 15?" Fifteen 

 river mills reported no tides; five river mills reported small tides 

 with moderate receipt of logs. 



' ' If running a river mill, advise how soon you will cut out. If a 

 mountain or railroad mill, what is the condition of the roads for 

 hauling?" Of seventeen river mills reporting, ten advised that 

 they are now cut out; one can run for six weeks; three have logs 

 enough for thirty days, and three can run for three months. Of the 

 twenty-one mountain and railroad mills reporting, seven advised 

 that roads are in fairly good condition at present, and fourteen say 

 that roads are bad, in some cases so bad that hauling cannot be done. 



Little comment is necessary on the above report. It makes certain 

 that there is going to be a manifest shortage in a good many items 

 of hardwood before the season's demands are supplied. Poplar stocks 

 are in especially bad shape. 



The Hardwood Trade Situation. 



The secretary of the Hardwood Manufacturers' Association has 

 recently sent out a series of inquiries to leading hardwood producers 

 of the United States, and from the replies received the following 

 deductions are made: 



"Are your inquiries satisfactory in volume?" Fifty-three re- 

 plied "yes"; five "no"; one "good," and four "fair." 



Chestnut Oak. 



The forest tree article in the last issue of the Hardwood Record 

 dealt with chestnut oak. This tree is a type of the few white oaks 

 in which the forests of this country abound. Up to within a com- 

 paratively few years ago this variety of oak has not been regarded of 

 very high commercial value and it has been used for the making of 

 ties and for coarse building purposes, although its bark has been 

 generally utilized for tanning. 



The wagon making industry has just awakened to the fact that 

 chestnut oak is the best substitute offered for original growth of 

 white oak. The wood is tough, strong and lasting and, while it is 

 slightly difficult to season without warping or checking, when a little 

 care is exercised in this particular it goes on the market in very 

 attractive shape. 



The chief remaining source of supply for chestnut oak is ia east- 

 ern Tennessee, western North Carolina, northern South Carolina and 

 northern Georgia, although it is found in scattering growth through 

 the hardwood forests of quite a large section of the Middle South. 

 In view of the great dearth of wagon materials chestnut oak will 

 soon command a much higher price than it does at the pjesent time, 

 for, in reality, it is a splendid wood. 



