HARDWOOD RECORD 



23 



clearest possible language. The replies from the 

 different committee members have been carefully 

 compiled and we have placed the result of such 

 compilation before the executive grading com- 

 mittee for their report to you. 



We should also state in further explanation 

 that at the time the dimension manufacturers 

 became affiliated with this association grading 

 rules for their product were formulated, and 

 have been inserted in our grading rule book. 



Grading rules for hardwood logs have also 

 been formulated during the year, adopted, and 

 are now published in our official grading rule 

 In. nk. 



owing to the fad thai a number of our mem- 

 bers in the South manufacture a quantity ol 

 cypress and tupelo, we have inserted the rules 

 as adopted by the Southern Cypress Manufac- 

 turers' Association for these woods. 



Since January 1, L906, we have sent out about 

 15,000 copies of our rule book, making a total of 

 over 1)0.000 copies which we have furnished to 

 the trade since 1902. 



I find that in the study of the grading situa- 

 tion, it is the endeavor of all concerned to have 

 grading rules so written when published that 

 they will not be misunderstood either by the 

 purchaser or the shipper. Your executive grad- 

 ing committee, which has been working during 

 the year on the compilation of the rewritten 

 rules, will no doubt report at this convention. 

 and believe that your bureaus which handle this 

 matter will be greatly assisted by such work. 



BUREAU OP GRADES. 



We have established a force of inspectors to 

 exemplify our grading rules both at the mills 

 and at destinations where cars are in dispute, 

 and we are proud to state that this bureau is 

 composed of men of the highest integrity and 

 ability to carry on such work, they having given 

 entire satisfaction in their rulings on the grades 

 of lumber, with the result that settlement of 

 disputed shipments has been made easy. 



Our system of making reinspections is as fol- 

 lows : We have a card form to be used by 

 members in submitting their instructions for 

 reinspections which provides for the number of 

 pieces, amount of feet, grade, thickness, kind 

 of wood and any brand marks or mill marks on 

 the lumber. This information is usually given 

 us in the form of a letter. When we have re- 

 ceived such instructions and information neces- 

 sary, we acknowledge the same by postal card 

 form, and at the same time by another postal 

 card form advise the holders of the lumber that 

 we have been instructed to reinspect certain 

 Lumber, and that stock should be held intact for 

 relnspection purposes. 



Our inspectors are then sent from the nearest 

 point we can route them, and are provided with 

 statement forms showing that all the lumber 

 found in the said car is shown the inspector, or 

 that the customer finds that he is able to use 

 the stock or has used it and will settle for the 

 car according to original invoice. One of these 

 statements is signed by the customer and submit- 

 ted by the inspector to the secretary's office to 

 gether with his tallies, and together also with 

 a letter form setting out the complaints made 

 by the customer to them, the kind of defects 

 found in the lumber reducing it below the grade 

 Invoiced, their treatment by the customer and 

 any other information of value, all of which is 

 submitted to the shipper. 



After the inspector's tallies have been figured 

 up 1 hey are carefully checked over and report 



made ou1 in triplicate form, the original being 

 sent to the shipper, the duplicate i" the holder 

 of the lumber and the triplicate retained as the 

 office copy. 



At the tin 1 sending to the shipper ins copy 



of the report we determine the amount of varia- 

 tion shown by the report from his original in- 

 voice, and If more than 4 per cent variation in 

 grade or measurement, we submit to them a 



■date ni ni' the actual expenses of the inspeclor 



in making the relnspection, the services of the 

 inspector at all times in making the relnspection 

 work being without charge. If the variation is 

 less than 4 per cent no charge whatever is made, 

 unless the labor to handle the lumber is supplied 

 by the inspector, winch is always charged. The 

 above explanation refers only to the manner in 

 which our work is handled to the members of 

 l he association, especially the matter of arriving 

 at the basis of charges for the work. 



Your bureau adopts this policy for the inspec- 

 tion of lumber requested by anyone regardless 

 of their membership, and naturally such reports 

 .■; re always based only on the rules adopted offi- 

 cially by this association. Our services for this 

 work are charged on a per diem basis and ex- 

 penses. 



The work of the inspection bureau has been 

 very carefully watched by the members. Our 

 system lias been installed in new plants this year 

 and would have been put in operation more thor- 

 oughly had the amount of logs been received, 

 the climatic conditions and the car situation 

 been favorable for visits of the inspectors to a 



P. MANN, MEMPHIS, TENN. 

 EXECUTIVE BOARD. 



MEMBER 



G. E. W. LUEHRMANN, ST. LOUIS, ARKAN- 

 SAS VICE PRESIDENT. 



greater number of plants, II is our intention 

 ibis year to cover in a systematic manner the 

 different sections of the. country for the pur- 

 pose of demonstrating to the manufacturing in- 

 dustry the correct handling of our grading rules. 

 Our manner of currying on this work, in which 

 we take ui) carefully the manufacture, seasoning, 

 proper handling and careful shipment places upon 

 the market a product of a higher class, and with 

 the correel interpretation of the grading rules 

 il reduces to a minimum the undesirable matter 

 ni' complaints and at the same lime protects the 

 shipper from loss in overtrading. 



CONSUMERS' LIST. 



A.s outlined lasl year, we started a list of users 

 of the different woods produced by our members. 



We have kept up our canvass ibis year, enverim: 

 a list of over 10,000 names, sending out several 

 requests at different times. The returns from 

 these canvasses have been compiled and arc now 

 ready to be set up by the printer for publica- 

 tion. As a matter of fact, we have with us 

 today some specimen pages of the manner in 

 which this Information is being prepared for 

 publication, and which we hope to be able to 

 complete in a very short time. 



This book has been asked for by a great many 

 members who are willing to purchase it. and we 

 believe thai the sale of this book confined to 

 members of the association will be of vast in- 

 terest The receipts from the sale will enable 

 us to keep tin- work currenl and show next 

 year a larger book in proporl ion to the added 

 information we are able to secure during the 



year. 



The information contained in this book is no) 

 only valuable but necessary, and when such pub 

 lication can be submitted, showing each kind of 

 wood, each state, subdivided into cities, and all 



II KRAMER, RICHMOND, 

 PRESIDENT 



I\MA\A VICK 



alphabetically arranged, it will be a credil to 

 t his associat ion to employ the necessary means 

 to keep it in active circulation. Specimen copies 

 are provider! for exhibition purposes, which can 

 b- seen at any time. 



CLASSIFICATION op EXPENSE. 



In order to show the phases of associal Ion 

 work which require the largest expenditures, we 

 attach below a statement showing the cost of 

 1 he various details in maintaining our inspection 

 force and the office work : 



Bureau of grades : 



Mill inspection work $1,341.17 



Relnspection deparl ment. . 8.881.11 

 Miscellaneous Prinl ing, 



etc :;:.t 33 



$10 



Salaries, offiee 



Traveling, office and field work 



Print ing and stationery 



Postage 



Kent 



Telegraph and telephone 



Assessment to the National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association 



The expenses and the work of this association 

 have been gauged on the amount of income de- 

 rived, based on the regular dues of 5 cents per 

 thousand. Your treasurer's report shows the 

 amount of money that has been handled, and 

 although the membership has increased, our In- 

 come has not been increased in proportion, owing 

 lo the peculiar conditions which have surrounded 

 the hardwood industry in this period. The ex 

 cesslve high waters of the southern district 

 caused a decrease in the amount of logs deliv- 

 ered to the mills; the extreme car shortage also 

 caused a diminution in the receipts of lumber 

 on the markets and the lack of tides tor the 

 river mills prevented shipments, all of which 

 was noticeable in tin- returns of our monthly 

 assessments in the aggregate. 



DEPARTMENTS. 



The various departments are subdivided ac 

 cording to class of manufacture. 



First, the sawmill man, for whom it is our 

 endeavor to have lumber properly manufactured 

 and graded and whom w r e endeavor to keep 

 advised as to the correct thicknesses to be pro 

 duced which are in demand, etc. 



Second, (he planing mill operator, who ma nil 

 factures siding, both bevel and drop, ceiling, 

 casing, base and mouldings, for which we have 

 adopted standard grades and sizes in govern 

 proper sale. 



Third. I be dimension stock operator who cuts 

 for the vehicle and furniture trades. Grading 



rules have been adopted tor Ibis class Of ' 

 rial, all of which has been a greal bem 



Fourth, we have now before us requests from 

 producer's of hardwood flooring who, realizing 

 the bonefits which we have obtained for the 

 former three, have asked ibis association if 11 

 is possible to lake u] 1 thai class of work in 

 addition to what we have already put in ef- 

 fect. This latter class is composed of tic, pi.' 

 who are very close to 1 he hardwood indusl ry, 

 and I offer ;is a recommendation, if it is possi 

 ble lo do so. 1 hat we establish a departmenl 



of hardu in d flooring. 



