HARDWOOD RECORD 



The anEATEST Problem 



This leads up *o the greatest pwsblem o£ tlie 

 day lor lumber manufacturers, which is the keep- 

 ing of timber conservatioa <3ut •at politics. I 

 urn afraid it is almost too late to accomplisli 

 (his, f«r it is already the subject of much po- 

 litical speculation in the various capitals. As 

 with the lumber trust bugaboo, we have moved 

 too late We are too apt to smile at mere theo- 

 ries and to do uothing until they have developed 

 into such deep-rooted conditions that it is al- 

 most impossible to overcome them. Thus it was 

 with the trust theory, which has cost the lum 

 bermen millions of dollars and which was di- 

 icctly responsible for the tariff fight and the 

 partial elimination of the tariff on lumt>er. 



Gentlemen, it is an absolute certainty that 

 this state (and others, lor that matter) is pre- 

 paring to pass laws looking to the conservation 

 of timber. In the guise of protecting all natural 

 resources, timber alone will be legislated against,. 

 for the reason that other varieties of conserva- 

 tion might not be popular with the voting public. 

 It is not my intention to argue for or against 

 conservation. Properly handled it would mean, 

 as Captain White suggested in New Orleans a 

 few weeks ago, sufficiently high prices for uppers 

 to cause a heavier consumption of lower grades 

 and thus permit the profitable sawing of top and 

 ether inferior logs. He also suggested in St. 

 Louis last week that this impending legislation 

 should make it a misdemeanor, punishable by 

 line, for a lumber manufacturer to sell lumber 

 for less than it would cost to grow the trees 

 and saw them into lumber. 



The idea alone that there are bouuil to be 

 conservation laws introduced in the various state 

 legislatures in the very near future is not the 

 particular cause lor worry. It is the fact that 

 these laws will be written, introduced and per- 

 haps passed by polilioians seeking to popularize 

 themselves and who know not the least rudi- 

 ments of the lumber business, that should cause 

 us to sit up and take notice. The public will 

 be with the politicians in this movement, for 

 the public, while it concedes that the farmer 

 owns his land and the crop upon it, has been 

 educated into the belief that it has more rights 

 than have .vou in the timber upon which you are 

 paying taxes. Therefore it is of supreme im- 

 portance that these impending laws be watched, 

 that they be absolutely defeated, unless they are 

 alike in all lumber producing states, and that 

 the lumbermen take a greater interest in such 

 political moves, for they are strong if they act 

 together. I am informed that three bills look- 

 ing toward timber conservation are already pre- 

 pared and will be brought up at the next session 

 of the Louisiana legislature. 



Conservation of Ci'pkess 



It is difficult to conceive just where cypress, 

 enters into this conservation movement. It does 

 not grow on hills, where the soil is subject to 

 erosion, nor is it responsible for the water supply 

 at the head waters of streams. It does grow in 

 the richest soil to be found on this little earth 

 of ours, and some of the most productive farms 

 to be lound anywhere were once cypress swamps. 

 The cypress people believe that true conserva- 

 tion should be practiced at thi> other end of the 

 line and that that wood should be used which 

 will not decay and soon require replacing, which 

 means, of course, the greater use of cypress. 

 Joking aside, we arc between two millstones. 

 There is the movement to prevent the depletion 

 at the forests and there is the movement to drain 

 all swamp lands. A certain tract of cypress 

 which is known to some of you was drained a 

 oumber of years ago, with the result that a 

 large number of trees are dead or dying. The 

 September storm of this year blew down 20.- 

 JOO.OOO feet of this weakened timber and yet 

 I'OU, according to popular demand, must submit 

 to laws which will prevent the cutting of your 

 timber nnii laws which will drain your swamps. 



■It is no secret how politicians handle such 

 fbftgs, nor is it strange tbxt we should be tear- 

 I'ftl of the results of legislation designed by them, 

 'i'hey want us to conserve, and yet what did 

 they do to timber taxes this year? To ease the^ 

 burden of the poor Louisiana farmer who ' yjjs 

 afllicteii wi'Vi boll weevil troubles, ten mijUp^g 

 of dollars were lifted from the farmers) taxes 

 and practically all of it was saddled upon the 

 nimber owner. This is the kind of ii.,ediiiue you 

 liiive to takii. 



Another of the iKiportant proluems of the day 

 is Ihc j««.seut nHiitant attit'jde of the lumber 

 rctailiT, During the last Vwo years the manu- 

 laoturer has been in the depths and has been 

 mal;iug little, if any, profit out of his business. 

 On tbo other »iand, the retailer has prospered, 

 Jias Isarned to assert his authority over the man- 

 ufa.cturer neetiing orders and has become more 

 agga-essive in insisting that all business be trans- 

 aicted acoorcfing to methods dictated by him. He 

 tells the manufacturer there are certain custom- 

 *»rs whose business is thoroughly worth while 

 whom he -shall not sell, but that he shall cleave 

 •anly unto the retailer. He is also preparing to 

 •dictate to the manufacturer the business methods 

 Jjo shall follow in dealing with these customers 

 ihe is willing to let the manufacturer have. He 

 AS .making every preparation to insert, after his 

 .midwinter convention, terms of sale of his own 

 making in the orders he will thereafter give. 

 If for economic reasons the manufacturer sees 

 fi.t to make changes in the lengths of a certain 

 *e.w items, he uses it lor campaign purposes, 

 stuffs the ballot box and makes it appear that 

 ail items are to be so changed. His arguments 

 lead one to think that only 12 and 1(1 loot 

 lengths are purchased by the retailer, as only 

 they can be used without waste. 



I do not intend to be liarsh in this criticism 

 of the retailer, but it is a condition you have 

 mat and unless there is a change the "manufac- 

 torei- wUJ have other- problems to reckon with. 



Tliese subjects are too deep to be handled in 

 such a short report as this, but they are of such 

 importance that they should receive your earnest 

 oonsidei-ation. 



Tt\easurer Dodge's report showed a good 

 balanoe in the treasury and he expressed 

 tie .)x;]ief tliat the revenues were ample to 

 meet current expen.ses. 



Aetbig Chairman Westmoreland of the 

 Tupelo Committee, submitted several 

 ehanges in the grading of that wood which 

 were adopted. Mr. Westmoreland also pre- 

 sented the following report as chairman of 

 the Terms of Sale Conmiittee, which was 

 also adopted: 



As the Chicago meeting of the American Lum- 

 ber Trades Congress abolished the terms of sale 

 which were in effect in all lumber organizations 

 participating in' that congress, it was necessary 

 lor this association to immediately put in effect 

 terms of sale of its own and I, therefore, as 

 chairman of the Committee on Terms of .Sale, 

 railed a meeting to convene in New Orleans .June 

 25. There were also present at this meeting the 

 members of the Committee on Grades, the Com- 

 mittee on Form of Price List and the delegation 

 attending the Chicago convention of the Ameri- 

 can Lumber Trades Congress. As all committees 

 of this association have been given power to act, 

 subject to the later ratification of the associa- 

 tion itself, our committee adopted terms of sale 

 which were ordered printed on slips to be at- 

 tached to invoices, acceptances, etc., as follows : 



Notice 

 For protection, against loss in transit, we 

 lequest that you make a record of the box car 

 door seal numbers and initials. If shipment has 

 been transferred from original car and there is 

 damaged stock, or a shortage, demand that the 

 railway agent verify your statement. Should lie 



^^ .se, advise us immediately. No claim will be 

 ^asHAePed if not mailed with expense bill within 

 JVC dajTs after arrival ol car. Should there be- 

 a shortage, the loss occurred in transit and nfr 

 must have your affidavit. 



TEE.1IS OF SALfe 



The ■consignee shall pay Ireight, balance neiT 

 cash, ■s.ixty days Irom date ol invoice. Discount 

 (a premium offered for prompt remittance) wili- 

 be adowed on the amount remitted only, as fol- 

 lows : Two per cent within fllteen days or one« 

 per cent within thirty days from date of invoices 



These terms of sale were ordered placed in the 

 Price Current by the Committee on Form of 

 Price List and in the grading rules by the Com- 

 mittee on Grades and Specifications 



The meeting held was a joint session for the 

 reason that the matters to be taken up oveu- 

 lapped from one committee to another The 

 .loint .session ordered that rubber stamps be pre- 

 pared and sent to ail members, these stamps to 

 00 used on acceptances, invoices, quotations and 

 in any correspondence bearing upon the .sale oi 

 umber. The wording of this stamp is as lol- 



-Our lumber is sold on the grading rules and 

 terms of sale o£ the Southern Cypress Manufac- 

 turers Association and subject to the 'Code ol 

 Ltnics of the American Lumber Trades Congress 

 and all quotations are made and orders accepted 

 tnereon. Claims on account of grade or meas- 

 urement will be adjusted on report of inspector 

 ot above association, party in error to pay cost 

 ot inspection. A variation of more than "s per 

 cent in measurement or grade of the item com- 

 plained of shall -constitute an error " 



A New Hardwood Mill in Alabama 



t„,t '':°™"f' -^ """ei-n plant for the manufac- 



pleted by the Poplar Lumber Company at Tar 

 ■springs, Danville postofflce, Alabama. The miu 

 Which will turn out a general line of sout'e n 

 ardwoods, is equipped with modern machinery 

 HHoughout, as is also the stave mill. The com 

 pany has a body of timber comprising high-4ade 

 poplar, forked leaf oak, hickory, beech etc 

 which will be manufactured into lumber, and the 

 concern will also cut dimension stock and oak 

 staves and heading. 



The president ol the new company, Jlr Potter 

 and the secretary-treasurer. .Mr. Uitt, are both 



"T °,c"'' '''""°'=^ - '"mber manulactm? 

 and success is sure to crown their efforts. 



Death Of Prominent Indiana Lumberman 



As the result ol a very sad accident Elliott G 

 Shulze, secretary and general manager ol the 



Wnvr°, :"'''"' ^"°"'"- Con>Pan.v of For 

 \\ayne, Ind., was recently killed. While ridin<. 

 a wheel in his home city Mr. Shuize collided 

 with another cyclist going in the opposite dii' c 

 T,L, ^''^ """''"^ *° ""^ sround, sustaining 



alte the accident. The direct cause of his 

 death was hemorrhage of the brain. The other 

 cyclist was only slightly bfuis<?d. .Mr Shuize 

 was prominent socially and in church circles as 

 well as a general favorite with business asso- 

 ciates. He was 4i years ol age and left a wife 

 and lour children. 



Mr. Shuize entered the employ of the Hoff- 

 man Brothers Lumber Company when a very 

 .voung man, and by steady application and hard 

 work won promotion after promotion until he ■ 

 rose to the position ol secretary and general 

 manager of the concern. He had been connected 

 with the company for thirty years. The opera 

 tions ol the company were closed down immedi- 

 ately upon receipt ol the news of .Mr Shulzes 

 death and remained closed until after the funeral 

 services. -"i.i«i 



