HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



Meeting Michigan HardWood Manufacturers' Ass'n. 



The Michigan Ilardw 1 .Manufacturers' 



Vssuciatiinj 1 1 < ■ 1 1 1 it- ihinl and most impoi 

 tant meeting at Traverse City, Wednesday, 

 October 31. The sessions of the organiza- 

 tion were held in the parlors of the Park 

 Place Hotel, with President \V. H. White 

 presiding. Me fore the general meeting the 

 Board of Directors and special committees 

 had been in session on Tuesday afternoon and 

 evening, so that when business was formally 

 taken up the work was dispatched with regu- 

 larity anil quickness. In opening the meet- 

 ing President W. II. White called attention 

 to the importance of the work in which the 

 organization was engaged and the progress 

 made in it up to that time. 



Address of President White. 



This is the third meeting of the Michigan 

 Hardwood Manufacturers' Association. The first 

 meeting was held at Ottawa Beach early in 

 July last, at which time twenty-five members 

 were secured; the second meeting was held at 

 Mackinac island in August, and the membership 

 was increased to fifty-two members. According 

 to this rate of progress we should increase our 

 membership :it this meeting to at least seventy- 



.O 



WILLIAM 



WHITE, PRESIDENT, 

 CITY. 



BOYXE 



five members, and I hope that this will be ac- 

 complished. The secretary's report will show 

 this increase in membership in detail. 



The secretary's report, which he will read. 

 will show that the work that the association 

 has already accomplished has been a remarkable 

 one. The membership list and the output rep- 

 resented by it show that there are already inter 

 ested in the association approximately 80 to '.to 

 percent of the total output of the state, which 

 puts us in a very strong position for dominating 

 our own business methods, our grading, the 

 establishment of a basis of value and other im- 

 portant features of our industry. 



The statistics which the secretary has gnth 

 ered will show you that we have never been as 

 low in stock as we are at the present time, and 

 that our position for getting somewhat better 

 values is remarkably strong for the future. The 

 important things for which this association was 

 formed, and which it hopes to accomplish, are — 



1. To insure uniform rules and methods of 

 the inspection of our lumber that will be fair 

 and just to both producer and consumer. 



_. To get a just price for our product by 

 educating every manufacturer to an understand- 

 ing of just values. 



3. To exploit our woods iti the consuming 

 markets of the country, that consumers may 

 be educated to know the high merits of Michi- 

 gan woods, that they may employ them more 

 generally in their various lines of production. 



4. We also should consider the matter of 



wages both in our woods and in our mills, and 

 legislate on a uniform scale of wages. 



Lastly, we hope to accomplish a great many 

 things of mutual interest to the hardwood nianu 

 facturers of this stale, fully knowing that what- 

 ever is accomplished as an association will re- 

 flect to the advantage of every hardwood pro- 

 ducer of the stale. 



I want to urge upon you the great benefit to 

 be derived from the statistical reports which 

 our secretary will prepare each mouth, and to 

 ask that you will promptly supply him with 

 the necessary data that he may compile the 

 statistics and submit them to you at frequent 

 intervals. In this way excess production on any 

 one thickness of stock will be guarded against 

 and the production safeguarded. 



We also hope through our secretary's office 

 to keep you in accurate touch with market con- 

 ditions, that you may know exactly the value of 

 the lumber you have for sale and thus secure a 

 just price for it. 



As association members we should become 

 thoroughly acquainted and by all means discuss 

 methods of logging and manufacture. Every 

 member should learn something from his neigh- 

 bor that will be for his benefit. I hope that 

 every member will discuss freely and frankly 

 everything that will help to secure a betterment 

 of the hardwood manufacturers' condition in this 

 state. In other words, we hope only for the 

 success of this association. It behooves every 

 one of us to give all the help and support we 

 can to each other. We want suggestions from 

 every member, from one committeeman to an- 

 other committeeman, from one officer to another 

 officer. When you get away from here we want 

 you to acknowledge that you have already been 

 benefited by this organization. By doing this 

 the success of the organization is assured. 



We are all busy men. and while I do not want 

 to urge upon you the doing of anything hastily, 

 or anything radical. I hope you will recognize 

 the importance of prompt action. The eyes of 

 other organizations are upon this iufant one, 

 and we must needs convince them that we are 

 here to do business, and that we know how to 

 do business justly and promptly. 



At the close of the president 's speech ap- 

 plications for membership were received from 

 the A. B. Klise Lumber Company, Sturgeon 

 Bay. Mich., and the J. F. Ott Lumber Com 

 pany, Traverse City, Mich. 



Secretary Bruce Odell read the minutes of 

 the last meeting and they were approved. 

 He also read a statement of the receipts and 

 expenditures, showing a small balance on 

 hand. 



In the discussion of the president's ad- 

 dress a motion was made that a committee 

 be appointed to take action on the sugges- 

 tions contained therein, and President White 

 appointed D. II. Hay, X. H. Porter and E. 

 Fitzgerald as such committee. 



New Grading Rules. 



The committee mi grading rules made its 

 report and recommended the following rules 

 on birch, beech and maple: 



General Instructions. 



The variety of defects, their size and location 

 upon n pice, lone such relations to each other 

 iliai the inspector must necessarily depend upon 

 his own judgment in grading, guided by the Col 

 lowing rules so far as they will apply prac- 

 tical U : 



Lumber must be inspected and measured as 

 t lie inspector finds it. of full length and width. 

 lie shall make uo allowance for the purpose of 

 raising 1 he grade. In inspecting all lumber both 

 sides of 1 Ic piece shall be taken into considera- 

 tion in making the made, except as hereinafter 

 dialed. Lumber shall be well manufactured, of 

 practically uniform thickness, have parallel 

 edges anil ail ragged and bad ends shall l.e 



trim 'I eft Tapering lumber shall be measured 



at the narrow end of the piece, except as other- 

 wise specified. All lumber shall he tallied stir- 



i; r face measure, the lally counted mi and 



1 In one-quarter or one half added to the total 

 where the lumber is l'i or 1% incites thick 

 and if 2 inches or over thick to he multiplied 

 by the thickness. All lumber thinner than 1 

 inch and sold as such shall be measured ami 

 counted the same as lumber 1 inch thick. In 

 1 he measurement of all lumber all fractions 



over i._, fool as shown on the board rule shall 

 he added to the next higher figure and all Erai 

 lions 'j font or under shall be dropped. Shal- 

 low wane on one edge of 1 inch boards not ex- 

 ceeding y 2 inch in width on the face side of the 

 piece, running not to exceed one-third the length 

 of the board, shall not be considered a defect 

 One and \i, 1% and 2-inch plank will admit 

 of a proportionate amount of wane, but not to 

 exceed : , inch wide in any instance. The state 

 dard lengths are as designated under each grade 

 of lumber. Standard thicknesses are %, <- 2 . 

 %, %. 1, l'i. 1L.. 2, 2%, 3, 3Vi and 4 inches. 

 A careful piece tally must be kept of all lum- 

 ber. The term "clear lace cutting or ripping," 

 as used in these rules, means a face free from 

 all defects except bright sap, the reverse side 

 to be practically of a sound character. The 

 term "sound cutting." as used in these rules, 

 means free from defects that would materially 

 weaken the strength of the piece. Boards ' j 

 inch scant, of minimum width mentioned in 

 grades, will lie included in same in limited quan- 

 tities. Inspection of lumber sawed for specific 

 purposes, such as axles, bolsters, tongues, 

 reaches, implements and for other uses, musl he 

 inspected with a view to the adaptability of the 

 piece for its intended use. Ten per cent of odd 

 lengths are allowed in all grades. The face side 

 of a board is the side showing the best quality 

 or appearance. Bright sap is not a defect in 

 any of the grades of maple, birch or beech, ex- 

 cept as stated. 



Standard Defects. 



Each one of the following items constitutes a 

 standard defect : One knot not exceeding 1^4 



W. W. .MITCHELL, FIRST VICE l'KESIDENT, 

 CADILLAC. 



inches in diameter; two knots not exceeding in 

 extent one standard knot; wormholes, grubholes 

 or ratling pin holes not exceeding in extent or 

 damage one standard knot; one split not di- 

 verging more than 1 inch to the foot and not 

 exceeding in length in inches the surface meas- 

 ure of the piece in feet, except as otherwise 

 specified ; one bark edge or wane not to exceed 

 1 inch in width, not to exceed one-third of the 

 length of the board, showing on only one side 

 ei ihe board and to be measured; heart, shake. 

 1 "i or jolt not exceeding in extent or damage 

 one standard knot. 



EXPLANATION of STANDARD DBF] 



Ordinary season checks are not to be con- 

 sidered defects, but if of so serious a chart 

 as io damage the lumber they are to he coi 

 ered by the inspector. Black stain and sap 

 stain that will surface off in dressing are nor, 

 to be considered defects. Splits that do DOi 

 diverge more than 1 inch for each foot in length 

 are straight splits. A straight split not cx- 

 • ceeding 6 inches in length, in one end of a 

 piece of lumber, 8 inches and over wide, shall 

 not be considered a defect. The location of de- 

 fects in a piece of lumber has much to do with 

 its value and should have great weight in de- 

 ciding the grade. The rules for the Inspection 

 of lumber are intended to define the poi 

 piece that will go into a given grade. When 

 the defects make it a line hoard, 12 foot and 

 longer lengths should be given the advantage in 

 grade, 10 foot and shorter lengths reduced. 



