HARDWOOD RECORD 



believe that prosperous and permanent business can be founded on 

 ratastrophes. At the sanie time American exporters should put 

 their wares forth in as favorable a light as possible, thus making 

 l>ermanent customers through giving satisfaction. 



The New Viewpoint 



I'X A RKCENT issue of Hahdwood Record appeared an article 

 *■ comparing the habits and characteristics of the old Style of 

 ilrummer with the modern salesman. This comparison attempts to 

 show that the old method of buying business with dinners and 

 other gratuities was not so good a business proposition as is the 

 tendency of the modern salesman to sell his proposition purely on 

 a business basis. It is needless to say that the majority of the 

 thinking lumbermen of today will endorse this suggestion, 



It leads, however, to a further proposition. Every indication 

 points to the fact that not only in sales work but in all ofher 

 affairs that have to do with the administration of any modern 

 business, men are getting further and further awaj' from the un- 

 elevating carousals of the old days and are taking a different view 

 of business responsibilities. This is nowhere more apparent than at 

 conventions. It is safe to say that a few j'ears ago the average 

 lumber convention was pretty well marked with casualties result- 

 ing from this lenient policy, whereas at the present day conven- 

 tions unfortunate occurrences of this kind are actually rare. There 

 can be no question on the part of any one who has watched this 

 (juestion closely that conventions of today are practically free 

 from undue participation in time-killing stimulants. 



Whether this is a result of any moral change is in doubt. It 

 is probably a result rather of a different attitude toward the effects 

 of this type of behavior on business efficiency. This is the age 

 of efficiency in all things and the business man realizes that he 

 as well as the organization and machines which he controls must 

 be efficient in order to meet competition. It may be that this 

 change in the form of celebration is a result of the changing gen- 

 eration as some of the old guard are getting to the jioint where 

 they do not care to indulge too freely while the younger ele- 

 ment holds itself more or less in check because of its association 

 with the older men. It is entirely probable, however, that the 

 new thought which is manifested in all walks of business life is in 

 the main responsible for this very welcome change. 



Building Operations Favorable 



At'COKDlXG TO ACTUAL STATISTICS more buildings were 

 erected in the United States the first half of this year than 

 during the first half of 1913, but it is a fact that the investment 

 this year does not equal that of last year by seven per cent. 



Reports from large cities show a decrease in cost of 3.3 per 

 cent from the first six months of last year, but a gain of 44 per 

 cent in cost as compared with' 1908. Bradstreet's figures on build- 

 ing returns for the first six months of this year give an interesting 

 measure of trade and industrial activity during 1914 as compared 

 with that of recent years. These reports show that permits issued 

 in 150 cities of this country during the first six months of 1914 

 total 145,026 as against only 141,767 in the same months of last 

 year, which is a gain of 2.3 per cent in lumber structures. How- 

 ever, the values estimated for construction in these two periods are 

 not so favorable, as the volume last year was .$472,667,000 as 

 against $438,769,000 this year. 



It is probable that the general condition, which at first appears 

 unsatisfactory, is a rather favorable development for lumber. The 

 decrease in value of structures authorized with, at the same time, 

 an increase in number of structures, would indicate for the most 

 part that buildings are of a smaller order. In other words, the 

 building has been going on mainly in newer sections, which would 

 indicate that instead of the vast total of expenditure being made 

 up by large office buildings in big cities the building construction 

 has for the most part been in the form of dwellings and other 

 similar structures, which take more wood in proportion than do 

 tlie office buildings, big hotels and similar buildings. Lumbermen 

 can hence get a grain of hope from this very development which 



to the average business man whose interests are all dependent upon 

 building construction is not favoraldo. 



Cut of Hemlock and Hardwood 



THE REPORT read at the Menominee meeting in Michigan late 

 in July by R. S. Kellogg, secretary of the Northern Hemlock 

 and Hardwood Manufacturers' Association, presents an encouraging 

 view of the situation. Prospects for the future are good. The output 

 of lumber for this year, consisting of both hardwoods and hemlock, 

 will total about 850,000,000 feet, which exceeds all previous record.s 

 for the association; and this, too, in a region where the total cut of 

 lumber of all kinds has decreased. 



There is about twenty per cent more lumber in pile now than there 

 was a year ago, but that is due to causes which do not indicate an 

 unsatisfactory condition of the lumber business carried on by the 

 association. Sales had reduced stocks very low at this time last year, 

 and they are just now getting back to normal condition. Some of 

 the large producers are now marketing their stocks themselves instead 

 of contracting at the beginning of the season, as heretofore. 



There was a short logging period last winter, on account of lack 

 of snow and cold weather, and that alone is a guarantee that there can 

 be no oversupply in the yards of northern hemlock and hardwood 

 manufacturers at this time. 



Comparing the first six months of 1914 with the corresponding 

 period of 1913, the published statement gives the following summary: 

 The decrease in the hemlock cut was four per cent, while hardwood 

 increased fourteen per cent, making a total net increase of six per 

 cent in the cut. For the same periods, hemlock shipments declined 

 eleven per cent, hardwood seventeen, producing a total shipment 

 decrease of thirteen per cent. 



The Association and the Man 



THE OPINION IS NOT IXFRKQULNTLY EXPRESSED by a 

 certain type of individual tliat the various lumber associations are 

 undemocratic in their principle, being dominated by a certain circle of 

 men who reap the entire benefit. It is significant that this expression 

 usually comes from the man who does not take the trouble to attend 

 conventions and does not interest himself in any particular either 

 directly or indirectly in the association's work. 



R. B. Goodman, president of the Northern Hemlock and Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association, comments on a similar phase of associa- 

 tion work in speaking, in his recent address before the semi-annual 

 meeting of that body, of the difficulty of getting first-class men to 

 serve on committees. 



Mr. Goodman in his paper cited a letter he had received from a 

 prominent northern lumberman. It seems that this man was ap- 

 pointed to an important committee Init never knew he was a member 

 until he was asked to prepare his report, and then wrote in and 

 wanted to be excused because, in the first place, he hadn't known of 

 his duties and, in the second place, he hadn't time to serve anyway. 



As a matter of fact, it is pretty easily understandable that the 

 men who are heading association affairs are the biggest men in the 

 game. It is a fair assumption that they are also the busiest in the 

 association, as far as their personal affairs are concerned. Neverthe- 

 less, they can conceive the direct and tangible benefits which will 

 result to them through the association's activities and are willing to 

 inconvenience themselves to the extent of using some of their personal 

 time for the association work. This type of men — the leaders, because 

 to them is given the real work of the association — necessarily shape 

 its policies. They do not in most cases, however, exert their influence 

 in ways which .will result in theii- personal aggrandizement. 



The point is that lumber associations can be made just as effective 

 for the lumbermen as a whole as the total memberships will dictate. 

 It is up to them entirely to say what their association shall work for 

 and what attainments should be aimed at ; but if they sit back with- 

 out lending even their moral assistance, they certainly have no justi- 

 fication for protesting that others are reaping the benefits. The man 

 who benefits from association work is the man who is closely enough 

 in touch with association activities to take advantage of the many 

 opportunities it offers. 



