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HARDWOOD RECORD 



Tour acting secretary sent blanks to all 

 manufacturers of hardwood in Michigan re- 

 questing them to report the amount of stock 

 on hand and untilled orders July 1. 1906. 

 Fifty-nine manufacturers reported and among 

 these most of the larger manufacturers, al- 

 though ten to twelve of the largest manufac- 

 turers did not report their stock. 



From such deductions as we have made 

 from a compilation of the stocks reviorted we 

 think it probable that fifty of the largest 

 manufacturers produce in the neighborhood 

 of 90 per cent of the hardwoods cut in. Michi- 

 gan. Twenty-nine out of fifty-nine reporting, 

 or a little less than 50 per cent of those 

 reporting, have 92% per cent of the stock 

 reported. The woods on which we have 

 reports are maple, beech, birch, elm and bass- 

 wood. This report shows the amoimt of the 

 above woods in feet only and does not show 

 sizes or grades. 



From such information as this committee 

 is able to secure, it appears that there is 

 considerably less hardwood luml^er in the 

 hands of manufacturers than there was at 

 this time last year, and that the demand is 

 sufficient to consume all of it at fully as good 

 prices and in some instances at much better 

 prices than have prevailed during the present 

 year. 



Thick maple is in much better demand and 

 stocks much lighter than at any time during 

 the past two years, and probably will be- 

 scarce before next winter's cut is in condition 

 to market. The amount of beech lumber in 

 stock is very well covered by orders and there 

 seems to be no surplus. Beech has been used 

 very largely as a substitute wood, the purpose 

 generally being to secure something cheaper 

 than had been used before and from its use 

 in this way many consuming manufacturers 

 have come to know that beech is a valuable 

 wood for many purposes. We expect to see 

 the use of beech increase both because of its 

 merits and because for some time at least it 

 will be the cheapest of hardwoods. Either 

 of these reasons should be sufficient to help 

 the price of beech. 



-The stocks of birch are no doubt much 

 lighter than they were at the beginning of 

 the year, owing to a very much increased 

 demand, due likely to concessions in prices. 

 Basswood has remained practically un- 

 changed during the past year, the supply- 

 about equalling the demand. We can learn 

 of no accumulation in stocks, neither does 

 there seem to be any marked decrease in 

 stocks. 



Elm has not maintained the position taken 

 by it early in the year, as there has been 

 some decline in prices and a slight increase 

 in stock due probably to the use of substi- 

 tute woods. 



It is the opinion of this committee that the 

 general conditions and outlook for Michigan 

 hardwoods, taken as a whole, are probably 

 better than at any time in their history. 

 Respectfully submitted. 



Bruce Odell. 

 W. L. Martin. 

 A. W. Newark. 

 W. C, Hull. 

 W. N. Kellev. 

 S. G. McClellan. 



Committee. 

 Mr. Odell: A summary of the reports of 

 stocks on hand which have been received 

 should be information for members only, and 

 will be fui-nished any members wanting them. 

 We will also get out statistics on other lines, 

 which will be of benefit. 



Mr. White: I wish to say that this associa- 

 tion is very fortunate. Cummer. Diggins & 

 Co. have allowed Mr. Odell to carry on this 

 work until we decide fullj- what we are going 

 to do. I have therefore arranged with Mr. 

 Odell today to fix up an office at Cadillac, 

 hire a stenographer and cari-y on this w'ork 

 for the time being. 



I think this association should have a traffic 

 committee of three to co-operate with the 

 Wisconsin association in this west-bound 

 freight question and other matters. What is 

 your pleasure? 



Freight Committee. 



A motion was made and carried that a 

 freight committee be appointed iu accord- 

 ance with the president's suggestion, and the 

 following were named : B. F. Cook, Fred 

 Diggins and C. A. Bigelow. 



Secretary Odell then addressed the con- 

 vention on the value of statistical reports 

 of stocks on hand, etc., and made an urgent 

 plea that requests for information be promptly 

 attended to, in order that the data obtained 

 may be complete. He also proposed a vote 

 of thanks to Lewis Doster and other members 



of the Hardwood Manufacturers' Association 

 for their assistance in organizing the Michi- 

 gan hardwood manufacturers, iu the form of 

 a resolution, adopted as follows: 



RESOLVED, That this association hereby 

 extends to the Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association of the United States its hearty 

 appreciation of the valuable assistance ren- 

 dered us at the time of our organization by 

 the presence of their very efficient secretary, 

 Mr. Doster. and other prominent members of 

 their association, including R. H. Vansant. 

 their former president. We have found their 

 suggestions most beneficial and helpful, and 

 we hereby wish to record our obligation to 

 their association. 



Mr. Day: I move that the executive com- 

 mittee appoint a man to .canvass this state 

 and get every manufacturer and stumpage 

 owner to join this association. Carried. 



Ne'wspaper Men Talk. 



air. Defebaugh: I do not think it necessary 

 for me to go on record regarding association 

 work, as I have for about twenty years been 

 trving to assist in my humble way in the 

 establishment of associations in all lines of 

 the trade, believing that Just such confer- 

 ences as vou are having today are useful to 

 yourselves" and to the trade at large. I never 

 saw one of them that was not productive of 

 good where there was mutual confidence and 

 action. I know very well many of you have 

 done a lot of work in association lines. I 

 remember of going over in this state a few 



r.RUCE ODELL, SECY MICHIGAN HARD- 

 WOOD MANUFACTURERS' ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



years ago to assist in the organization of a 

 maple flooring association and I believed there 

 was a field here for that association, I went 

 to one city in this state where we labored 

 from early" morning until midnight to induce 

 one concern to become members, with the 

 result that thev signed about midnight. Any 

 of us who have assisted in building up these 

 associations have done a good work. Mr. 

 Arpin here is doing a good work by his self- 

 sacrifice along the lines of reducing freight 

 rates to the coast, and it will result in good 

 I am sure. The Southern Pacific and some 

 of the other roads all fear anything like a 

 revolution in rates. They say the moment 

 thev make a change in rates on lumber to 

 the" coast thev will have to put in machinery, 

 furniture and" other products. But there will 

 be a change in rates to the coast, nevertheless, 

 without anv doubt. People are now asking 

 some of the roads for cars, which they cannot 

 supply. That is true of Pacific coast roads. 

 We are now coming to what is going to be 

 the car shortage of history, this fall. Every 

 commodity is being offered no-w in tremendous 

 quantities, and the roads are going to be 

 powerless in sixty days to meet the demands 

 upon them. I think all associations fairly 

 well organized will bring to their members 

 almost untold good in the next twelve months. 

 Mr. Gibson: You all know my interest 

 in association work. I have seen its effects 

 for years and know its value. Beyond grad- 

 ing rules and all this sort of thing the gi-eat 

 value of association work is this acquaint- 

 ance, this friendship, and the fact that you 

 get a mutual education. One man learns from 



the othei-, and you eventually eliminate unin- 

 telligent competition. You achieve a high 

 standard and therefore it is worth all the 

 time and money you spend on it. All the 

 associations that have been organized in a 

 logical way have been successful. Every 

 association effort has made money for its 

 members, and I want to congratulate you on 

 this one because you have started right and 

 you are going to benefit yourselves. 



In the matter of grades the correct theory 

 of grading lumber from the manufacturers' 

 viewpoint is to establish grades that the 

 wholesale consumer may use to his satisfac- 

 tion, just so far as they can be made, and 

 saw logs to good advantage. Y'ou do not want 

 to waste your timber. Y'ou must practice 

 forest and' sawmill economy. Y'ou will find 

 the time very close at hand when you are 

 going to take youi> low grade stock and ref- 

 use and make dimension material. You will 

 find this will be a great thing for you from 

 a financial viewpoint, and that is what you 

 all naturally have in view. 



Mr. Barns: I have nothing to say. My dis- 

 tinguished confreres are the orators of the 

 lumber trade press. I am up here rusticating 

 nearby and I spend the happiest part of my 

 life in Michigan; that is in summer, when I 

 have nothing to do but catch your fish, play 

 your slot machines and have a good time. 



As to associations, we have one in St. 

 Louis that is almost a model of all those in 

 the country. There are pretty hard-headed 

 men in the yellow pine fraternity, and it is 

 very plain that they would not spend their 

 jnohey unless they saw practical benefits. 

 Their association is expending a good deal of 

 money every year, and they .are doing it for 

 a purpose, you can depend. I am very glad 

 indeed to b"e present here today, and to have 

 this opportunity of meeting all of you. 



Secretary Doster Explains, 



Mr. White: Mr. Doster is with us today, 

 and has certainly been a great aid to us in 

 getting into shape. We would be glad to have 

 him give us a few words on the methods he 

 carries out in his association work. 



Mr. Doster: I certainly appreciate your 

 kind expression of thanks, which has more 

 than repaid me for the extra work I have 

 done on your behalf. It has been my pleasure 

 in association work to establish a system of 

 travels, and I have never traveled to a better 

 state than Michigan, or met more association 

 people than I have here. There is no ques- 

 tion but that you will get some excellent i 

 results. I have in the past explained my ^ 

 work wherever I have been. 



In 1902 the manufacturers of the South 

 covering fourteen states were up against it 

 in the way you are. They were being forced 

 to ship their lumber under all sorts of condi- 

 tions. There were no intelligent grading 

 rules on the market to form a basis, and . 

 they organized to protect themselves. Our 

 object is to 'inform our fellow manufacturers 

 of the conditions existing in every section of 

 the country, and to advise each other of 

 unbusinesslike methods of such persons who 

 endeavor to take advantage of the manufac- 

 turing element. After we formed our organi- 

 zation we discovered that to adopt grading 

 rules we had to go further along the line. 

 The question of interpretation of the rules 

 was one of vital importance and it was dis- 

 covered that the only way to obtain good 

 results was to have inspectors who would 

 report on the lumber that was being objected 

 to bv buyers, with the result that we put in 

 a fully organized corps of inspectors to travel 

 over "the United States, wherever lumber is 

 consumed. At the same time we discovered 

 that the question of shipping lumber was one 

 of vital importance. We established an edu- 

 cating department and have our traveling 

 inspectors visit the sawmills. The manufac- 

 turers of the South never wanted to make a 

 grade of lumber that could not be sold, and 

 every point we have taken up in our associa- 

 tion work has given to the consumers of 

 lumber something better than they have ob- 

 tained before. Prior to 1902 everybody was 

 working in the dark with the sole aim of 

 producing a large amount of lumber rather 

 than producing a limited amount at a larger 

 price. Our inspectors study what the con- 

 sumer wants and how to make it. and manu- 

 facturers and consumers are thus working 

 together in harmony. We only allow manu- 

 facturers and stumpage owners in our organi- 

 zation. We are composed of men thoroughly 

 familiar with the consuming markets, and 

 consumers are always taken into considera- 

 tion before anv radical move is made. We 

 have also established a plan in which we 

 study competitive woods, and attempt to 

 keep values in just proportion. 'When we 

 organized we had poplar as our highest priced 

 commodity, and we naturally studied what 

 was going to take its place, and how to secure 

 a fair price for it. 



In vour own trade you will find that people 

 are buying basswood from the South. I know 

 today "that our basswood in the South is 



