36 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Evils a.nd Theik Remedies 



In othei- words, lack of uniform and reliable 

 inspection, violation of business otbics and blun- 

 dering intorference witb the usual course of trade 

 are almost entirely, if not wbolly, responsible 

 for tbe annoyance and loss of protit which have 

 almost continuously been tbe running accom- 

 paniments of the coastwise trade. 



So much for tbe evils, and now for the 

 remedy. Just here is where tbe million dollar 

 a minute man should come in. I regret to say 

 that he has not yet been found. But while 

 I can not hope to gain such a sum or to merit 

 the far loftier reward which would be due to the 

 man who succeeds in lifting the trade to tbe 

 desired plane, I can otfer some suggestions which 

 long experience in the coastwise trade convinces 

 me will result in lasting benefit to all con- 

 cerned, if generally adopted. 



So much has been said and even more suf- 

 fered for tbe lack of reliable and uniform in- 

 spection that the dissatisfaction and unrest has 

 resulted in more or less dehnite action by asso- 

 ciations in every section. 1 suggest that this 

 association, as one of national scope, take steps 

 directly or through tbe American Trades Con- 

 gress, (1) to encourage these incipient move- 

 ments. (2) to induce tbe manufacturers and 

 dealers to united activity witb tbe inspection 

 bureau or other organization in their respective 

 localities having tbe movement in charge, and 

 (3) to render assistance in tbe practical work- 

 ing out of tbe plans adopted by these various 

 organizations. 



Business Ethics as an Element 



Tbe matter of ethics in tbe sense here in- 

 tended is closely connected witb and scarcely 

 second to the subject of inspection. I allude 

 to that phase of business ethics which has to 

 do witb tbe wilful substitution of one grade 

 for another by a dealer or manufacturer who 

 takes an order for a high grade and knowingly 

 fills it with a lower grade, or conversely "sweet- 

 ens" or "juggles" grades so as to make a sale 

 or win a customer from someone else, or "kicks" 

 without just cause to avoid a merited loss or 

 get unearned profit. 



This class of trouble is more deeply seated, 

 more vicious and more difficult to deal with 

 than even inspection irregularities. It partakes 

 of moral depravity and no suggestion will thor- 

 oughly i-each the trouble except one that will 

 reform the individual. 



Here association work is peculiarly appropri- 

 ate, as personal work along lines of reformation 

 is nearly always resented. 



Much can be accomplished, however, by per- 

 sonal work along parallel lines and particu- 

 larly by convincing delinquents that they can 

 not possibly derive lasting benefit from such 

 practices. 



But if the evils of omission and commission 

 above considered could be absolutelv eliminated 

 we would still have with us in the coastwise 

 lumber trade tbe worst problem of them all. 

 The offender in this case is a nondescript. It 

 is impossible to classify him and hard to say 

 if his sin be that of omission or commission. 

 or whether it be sin at all. Folly is perhaps 

 the strongest term that can be justly employed 

 and .vet for sheer demoralization of business 

 and financial loss the blunderer is clearly in 

 tbe lead. He is found at both ends of tbe line. 

 At one end he is tbe manufacturer without 

 experience in the business and who, ignorant 

 equally of tbe value of bis timber and tbe 

 market prices, makes erratic bids. At the other 

 end be is tbe equally inexperienced broker or 

 dealer found taking orders from several to 

 many dollars lower a thousand than the bids 

 of any one of a score of reliable bouses. 



Again, at one end be is tbe manufacturer 

 who undertakes to go outside of regular chan- 

 nels and trades direct witb tbe contractors or 

 consumers, thereby disturbing the normal course 

 of business and sooner or later bringing serious 

 loss and not infrequently absolute disaster upon 

 himself : while at the other end ho is the con- 

 tractor or consumer attempting, witb like result, 

 to the trade and himself, to deal directly with 

 the manufacturer. 



But no matter who be is or from whence he 

 hails, he is a marplot and in tbe end benefits 

 neither himself nor anyone else. He is so 

 numerous that no suggestion looking to a remedy 

 directly applied to him can avail. It will always 

 be a case of "another Kichmond in the field," 

 and the only remedy is by better organization 

 among manufacturers and dealers at both ends 

 of the line so that these marplots and blun- 

 derers can Dot stay in tbe business long enough 

 to do any serious damage. 



To sum up tbe whole matter, "United we 

 stand, divided we fall." 



The intelligent coojieration of all parties regu- 

 larly engaged in the business offers the only 

 hope of escape from unnecessai'y business ari- 

 Jioyancc and financial loss. 



If we welcome every one who has merit and 

 business training and are equally diligent In our 

 efforts to exclude those who lack character or 

 the necessary business qualifications, tbe coast- 

 wise trade will improve on its present splendid 

 position in the commerce of the country and 

 be a source of jileasure and profit to all who are 



engaged in it. Otherwise, it will go from bad 

 to worse and the end will be little, if any, short 

 of utter demoralization. 



Universal Inspection 

 Address by R. M. Carrier, President Hard- 

 wood Mancfacturers' Association 



The inspection of lumber is without doubt one 

 of the most important questions that lumbermen 

 as a whole have to deal with. It has only been 

 for the past several years that there has been in 

 existence standard grading rules for all kinds of 

 lumber manufactured in the United States. Prior 

 to this time the entire industry was in a state of 

 confusion, different grading rules being in effect 

 in most prominent lumber centers. This forced 

 the producers to grade differently for each mar- 

 ket, thereby preventing an intelligent marketing 

 of their products. A great change has come 

 about in this branch of the industry, for after 

 several years of work on the part "of the dif- 

 ferent associations, taking into consideration tbe 

 requirements of both tbe producer and consumer, 

 they have today succeeded in formulating stand- 

 ard grading rules for all the different kinds of 

 lumber. 



All woods manufactured in this countr.y come 

 into more or less direct competition with each 

 other, particularly in tbe lower grades. Is it 

 not time that we should take a step forward 

 in this very important work, to bring about uni- 

 formity in the grading of all woods which are 

 represented by tbe different organizations in this 

 association, so that specifications would to a con- 

 siderable extent be tbe same? This could be 

 done through the medium of tbe National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association, which is tbe parent 

 body of most all of the lumber jiroducing organi- 

 zations of the United States. This would result 

 in great benefits, especially witb woods which 

 come in direct competition "with each other. 



Most all lumber producers find on their lands 

 a small amount of timber that is of a different 

 species trom that which they are principally 

 manufacturing. Tbe softwood producers, such a's 

 yellow pine, white pine, cypress, etc., find more 

 or less hardwoods. On tbe other band, the bard- 

 wood pi'oducer very often has some cypress or 

 some of - tbe other softwoods. In most cases 

 the producer has little knowledge of these off 

 woods, no attention being paid to the manufac- 

 ture of them. Ver.v often they are not informed 

 as to the proper thickness and manufacture of 

 same, nor are they well informed as to the grad- 

 ing and marketing. The amount of these off 

 woods manufactured by any one mill is compara- 

 tively small, but in tbe aggregate it is a large 

 amount, and I am certain that we have all 

 found ver.v bad competition in this lumber, for 

 it is invariably sold below tbe market price. 

 Often it is properly manufactured and taken care 

 of ; then the low price is due to the lack of 

 knowledge of the proper market conditions, or 



the standard grading for that particular wood. 

 In other cases, it has been poorly manufactured, 

 and, therefore, the producer is compelled to sell 

 at a low price, but in either case it damages 

 tbe market, and is a detriment to the manufac- 

 turer whose principal product is this kind of 

 lumber. 



I am sure that all lumbermen desire to manu- 

 facture their products properly, nor wish to sell 

 at prices below the market. Now, if the grading 

 rules of all lumber were standardized, it would 

 largely overcome this condition, as it would be 

 easier for tbe manufacturer of any one wood to 

 understand grading rules other than his own, 

 as they would all be written more or less alike. 

 Again, in case they were standardized, an in- 

 spector familiar with one wood could more easily 

 understand and carry out the grading rules for 

 other woods. 



The grading rules for the different woods have 

 now come to a point where I am sure they can 

 be standardized, and this would undoubtedly be 

 of great advantage to all who produce and con- 

 sume lumber. Furthermore, in making rules, 

 there should be taken into consideration tbe pur- 

 cliaser and consumer, as in many cases this 

 branch of the trade is handling many different 

 kinds of wood ; and if all grading rules were 

 standardized it would facilitate their work very 

 greatly, as their inspectors are at all times re- 

 ceiving the different woods, not only the hard- 

 woods, but tbe softwoods from the North, South 

 and West. When this work is accomplished, then 

 this association could adopt the grading rules of 

 the different associations which are members of 

 this organization, and print all of these rules 

 under one cover, which book would be of great 

 value to tbe entire lumber producing and con- 

 suming industry. 



With but few exceptions tbe grading rules for 

 the various woods have been framed by the pro- 

 ducers themselves, and I feel certain that in 

 doing so they have at all times taken into con- 

 sideration not only themselves, but those who 

 use the lumber. We find in this organization 

 members who manufacture the same woods, grad- 

 ing their lumber under dift'erent sets of rules. 

 For example, take the hardwoods. Most of the 

 southern operators arc i;rading under one set of 

 rules, w-hile those of Michigan and Wisconsin 

 are grading under another. In this discordant 

 condition thev are bringing upon themselves great 

 loss, whereas, it the hardwood producers were 

 to pull together and agree upon one grading rule, 

 they would control tbe situation and the result 

 would be one standard of grading — a condition 

 which is most desirable, and would not onl.v 

 benefit these woods, but tbe entire industry. I 

 recommend that this association endeavor not 

 only to have all grading rules standardized, but 

 to use its influence and efforts to have producers 

 who manufacture tbe same woods and grading 

 under different rules, all agree upon one standard. 



jinnual Philadelphia Exchange 



The twenty. fourth annual meeling of tbe 

 Lumbermen's Exchange of Philadelphia was held 

 at the Union League on Thursday, April 14. 

 President Herbert P. Robinson occupied the chair 

 and after calling the meeting to order appointed 

 W. Henry .Smedley. Edward II. Coane and 

 .Toseph P. Dunwoody oflicers of election, W. 

 Henry Smedley to act as judge. 



The reports of the secretary and treasurer 

 and of the various committees followed, that 

 of Charles P. Maule showed such a healthy and 

 flourishing condition of the finances of tbe 

 organization as to elicit a hearty round of 

 applause. 



The address of President Robinson was next 

 in order. In reviewing tbe progress made by 

 the exchange during his term of office Mr. 

 Robinson said that although some members bad 

 been lost new ones had been taken in so that 

 tbe membership showed an increase of two. He 

 also stated that the organization had been for- 

 tunate in renewing the lease on the exchange 

 rooms for two years, vi'ith the privilege of 

 extending the time three years, so that a home 

 for five .years is assured. He touched on a 

 number of matters of local import in which tbe 

 exchange had been interested during the year, 

 and manifested his pleasure over tbe cooperation 

 which the exchange members, and especially the 

 Board of Directors, showed during his term of 

 office. At the various meetings of the board, ho 

 ;-tated, never once was a quorum lacking and 

 usually the full board was in attendance. 



The president's address was received witb 

 I'ntbusiasm. afler wbi<'li Ihe important linsiness 



I'f electing officers was taken up. Samuel B. 

 \'rooman, the long popular member of the ex- 

 change, nominated for president Franklin A. 

 Smith, moving at the same time that the nomi- 

 nations be closed, which was unanimously car- 

 ried. Frederick S. Underbill then named William 

 r. McBride for the office of vice-president; the 

 nominations in this case also closed. 



A. J. Cadwallader then nominated the many- 

 times-chosen treasurer. Charles P. Maule, the 

 "watch-dog of the treasury," as retainer of the 

 office. Tills ceremony is really merely a for- 

 mality, as Mr. Maule's re-election is always a 

 foregone conclusion. 



Franklin A. Smith, Samuel B. Vrooman and 

 A. J. Cadwallader were chosen auditors for the 

 coming year and Robert C. Lippincott was 

 re-elected as trustee of the relief fund. 



Secretary .Totin H. Lank was then directed to 

 cast a ballot electing the above-mentioned can- 

 didates, which was done. 



Fisher Dalrymple. .T. Randall Williams and 

 William H. Fritz were elected to supply vacan- 

 cies on the Board of Directors. 



Thanks were voted to the various trade jour- 

 nals for papers furnished to the exchange and 

 the retail lumber dealers, through their presi- 

 dent. William C McBride. expressed their thanks 

 for the use of the exchange rooms. In behalf 

 of the Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association 

 Frederick S. Underbill expressed appreciation to 

 I Ik- exchange for the many courtesies received 

 ibiring the year. 



The meeting then adjoiti-ned. to be followed 



