HARDWOOD RECORD 



23 



ments. If you can give us some information in 

 reference to such manufacturers as you think 

 would be interested we shall be greatly indebted 

 to you for the courtesy. 



meet and solve this problem, but unless both are 

 willing to approach it nothing satisfactory will 

 ever come of arbitrary rulings that may be set 

 up by either side. — E. W. McCullough. 



The foregoing letter is from a prominent 

 house manufacturing electrical supplies and 

 machinery. An^-one interested in negotiating 

 for a market for cypress cross arms can have 

 the address by advising this office. — Editor. 



In Market for White Oak and Hickory 



Philadelphia. Ta., Oct. 8. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record : We are in the market for one carload 

 of log run square sawed white oak 1x10-12, 14 

 and IG-foot green. We also want to buy one 

 carload of 2%x2V2-lo-foot hickory for spokes. 

 If you can give us information as to where we 

 can obtain this stock, wc would appreciate it 

 very much. 



The foregoing letter is from a leading 

 eastern lumber house and anyone desiring to 

 figure on the requirements noted can have the 

 address bv addressing the Eecord. — Editor. 



Inspection Suggestions 

 One of the most logical and forceful men 

 connected with the trades allied with the lum- 

 ber business is E. W. McCullough, of Chicago, 

 secretary of the National "Wagon Manufac- 

 turers' Association. The Eecord is in receipt 

 of the following letter from this gentleman, 

 which contains some suggestions that are 

 worth the attention of the lumber association 

 magnates. — Editor. 



Chicago^ Oct. 11. — Editor IIakdwood Kecord : 

 In noting frequent reference in various lumber 

 journals relative to the controversy as to the 

 grading and inspection rules promulgated by the 

 two or more hardwood associations and the ques- 

 tion as to the formulation of rules that may 

 be used universally, beg to say that there is a 

 vital point which I think has been overlooked 

 b.v at least part of these warring factions, which 

 if properly considered might bring this contro- 

 versy to an early and satisfactory conclusion. 



We have found in manufacturing our own 

 line of goods, and it is true also of almost all 

 lines without a single exception, that the views 

 of the consumers or users of the product must 

 be considered to a very great extent, but where 

 these are ignored or at least disregarded, as has 

 been the case with at least one of the lumber or- 

 ganizations, the lumber manufacturers themselves 

 can go on formulating and adopting rules as 

 long as they please, such rules will neither be 

 used universally nor prevent controversies in set- 

 tlement such as frequently occur now. Also, 

 while it may be possible to force compliance 

 with these rules on the consumer at times when 

 supplies are difficult to obtain, all this is re- 

 versed immediately when the market becomes 

 easier. 



I do not mean by this suggestion that it is 

 possible to consult with or adopt the sugges- 

 tions of all consumers of hardwood lumber, but 

 it is possible to learn their wants and require- 

 ments and give them consideration in the formu- 

 lation of these rules, and with the larger lines 

 that demand many million feet of lumber an- 

 nually it would be a great economy to both 

 shipper and consumer if an understanding could 

 be reached as to rules that would be fair and 

 equitable. This has already been tried by one 

 faction to this controversy and has proven sat- 

 isfactory, but with the others who insist on 

 forcing the issue the rules they promulgate 

 amount to little or nothing. There is a middle 

 ground oh which the producer and consumer can 



Liunber Graded by Hardwood Manufactur- 

 ers' Association 



The Record is in receipt of a letter fi-oni 

 Lewis Doster, of Cincinnati, secretary of the 

 Hardwood Manufacturers' Association, the 

 essential features of which are reproduced be- 

 low: 



CixcixxATi, O., Oct. 14. — Editor Hardwood 

 Recoud : lu the promulgation of facts pertain- 

 ing lo the hardwood industry you may no doubt 

 desire to become more thoroughly acquainted 

 with the workings of the Hardwood Manufac- 

 turers' Association. This sub.)ect comes before 

 me after reading an editorial in your paper of 

 Oct. 10, in which you have quoted other papers 

 on the subject of the amount of hardwoods 

 graded under various systems. 



For your information will say that the asso- 

 ciation I have the honor to represent contains 

 a list of members in the neighborhood of 350, 

 and when rimes are satisfactory operate about 

 700 big and little sawmills. This membership 

 covers the entire hardwood producing lield of 

 the South, and the properties embrace therein 

 timber holdings in lots up to 300,000 acres. 



To further substantiate my idea in bringing to 

 you the size and importance of the product of 

 this association. I would like to go into more 

 detail about the area of timber owned by hun- 

 dreds of thousands of acres ; the various states 

 covered by the same, as well as the amounts in 

 feet in the different kinds of woods, but at 

 this time it is impossible for me to give these 

 details. 



The system of our bureau of inspection pro- 

 vides for placing the inspectors in the different 

 sections of the country, for the purpose of ad- 

 justing quickly any complaints on shipments, to 

 avoid demurrage or any inconvenience of storage 

 room until the settlement is made. These in- 

 spectors are located at convenient consuming 

 points to give prompt attention to any one de- 

 siring their services. The reports of their work 

 are made out in triplicate ; one copy sent to 

 the purchaser, one copy to the shipper and the 

 triplicate to our office for record. Special tally 

 sheets are used to enable the members to ob- 

 tain accurate information covering the widths 

 and lengths of the lumber inspected. 



We never locate a man permanently in any 

 one section of the country. His travels extend 

 to every part of the producing and consuming 

 territor.v. If we find lumber shipped that is not 

 graded properly, or not well taiicn care of, we 

 send an inspector to the source of shipment to 

 explain, if the shipper wishes, the bad features 

 of the work, which tends to overcome like re- 

 sults in the future. These men do intelligent 

 and excellent work, as we figure that the smaller 

 the number of complaints the more our members 

 are being benefited. After the inspectors visit 

 the mills they make reports to the management 

 in duplicate ; the original report being left and 

 the duplicate mailed to this office for record. The 

 visits of the inspectors to consuming markets 

 has great weight in the work at the mills. This 

 service is free to the members, the cost being 

 deducted from the income received through dues. 



We issue certiflcates only on lumber that is 

 complained of, and our method of handling is 

 quick. However, we do issue some certiflcates 

 which arc authorized on some foreign or west 

 coast shipments, when it is agreed between pur- 

 chaser aud seller that such certificate is the 

 basis of settlement. 



The main part of our work and the expensive 

 one is the maintenance of inspectors in the 

 consuming markets for handling complaints, and 

 in the producing markets for inspection and in- 



struction services. Now I have come to the 

 point which I desire to bring out — the amount of 

 lumber which is graded by our association mem- 

 bers. There are two ways to figure that : We 

 have shipped annually from 600,000,000 to 800.- 

 11110,000 feet of hardwoods; during times of de- 

 pression wc have gone below this amount, but 

 the output of our members at the present time, 

 running full force, comes close to -1,000,000,000 

 feet. We found less demand for investigation 

 of disputes in 190S than we did in 1907. 



A comparison of the expense incurred per car 

 per thousand feet in the year 1908 was greater 

 I ban in 1907. This was due to the fact that 

 lumber was situated in a more scattered terri- 

 ttu'y, causing more expense in the traveling of 

 inspectors. I can truthfully state that ninety 

 per cent of the lumber shipped by our members 

 is based on the rules of this association, and 

 from the millions of feet which go into the mar- 

 kets on our grades which require the settlement 

 of only GOO disputed cars we feel that the per- 

 centage is ver.v low\ However, it would be a 

 great delight to me to see such a number of 

 complaints reduced year by year, which we hope 

 to accomplish. Increasing the volume of our 

 product and decreasing the number of complaints 

 is the aim of this association, and they will be 

 reduced to the minimum with the businesslike 

 system we have inaugurated. 



It may be that I have gone too much into 

 detail on the number of feet of lumber graded 

 in our hardwood section covering the southern 

 producing Held. Imt I believe it will be of in- 

 terest to you, to not only correct the erroneous 

 matter which I have noted, but also to enable 

 you to avoid any misstatements in the future. 

 The publication of this letter will enable the 

 entire hardwood industry to obtain a correct 

 idea of the enormous product in value, as well 

 as in volume, passing through the hands of the 

 organization of which I have the honor to be 

 at the business end. — Lewis Duster, Secretary. 



This letter has evidently been brought out 

 by recent editorials in various lumber newS; 

 papers, referring to the quantity of hardwood 

 lumber that jiasses under the ' ' official inspec- 

 tion" of various associations. Mr. Doster's 

 letter explains quite fully that the system of 

 the Hardwood Manufacturers' Association 

 governing inspection matters differs ma- 

 terially from that employed by the other 

 chief fiardwood organizations. 



Primarily the Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association employs a large number of in- 

 spectors not to actually inspect and issue 

 official certificates, but as a corps of peda- 

 gogues to educate inspectors employed by 

 manufacturers with respect to the correct in- 

 terpretation of inspection rules, and also when 

 occasion arises, to reinspect lumber at points 

 of destination, and to educate buyers in the 

 specific details of accurate inspection. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Doster's statement this edu- 

 cational system has made it necessary to re- 

 inspect during the past year only about 600 

 cars that were originally inspected under the 

 Hardwood Manufacturers' Association rules. 



Mr. Doster's showing would indicate that 

 from 600,000,000 to 800,000,000 feet of hard- 

 woods are now annually marketed under the 

 Manufacturers' system of grading, and that 

 during the present year it is likely to run 

 well towards one liillion feet. — Editor. 



The plant and yards of the Oakland Lumber 

 Company at Rinard. W. Va., were destroyed by 

 fire Oct. 8 at a loss of about .flO.OOO, partly 

 revered bv Insurance. 



