HARDWOOD RECORD 



31 



speetion of the Hardwood ilanufaeturers' 

 Association. Tliis committee was made up, 

 on behalf of the eastern organizations, 

 of ilessrs. Moore, Davis, Williams. Shepherd 

 and Mellvain; on behalf of the Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association, of Messrs. Van- 

 sant, Ritter, Love, Luehrmann and Delaney, 

 and W. A. Bennett was appointed as the 

 eleventh member of the committee, and re- 

 quested to act as chairman. This committee 

 went into session, and Lewis Doster was ap- 

 pointed secretary. Every line of the 128-page 

 inspection rule book of the Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association of the United States 

 was carefully read, discussed and numerous 

 minor changes were made as a basis of the 

 committee's eventual report. The session con- 

 tinued through the remainder of Tuesday and 

 all day Wednesday. June 1. 



The discussion prevailing was entirely liar 

 monious. and was conducted throughout along 

 liberal lines of debate. Every item was ap- 

 proached by each member looking to the best 

 interest of all j)arties. ilutual concessions 

 were repeatedly made; large and small sub- 

 jects involved had equal and painstaking at- 

 tention, and no detail was too minute to be 

 thoroughly thrashed out. Tlie delegates of 

 the Hardwood Manufacturers ' Association 

 made numerous explanations to insure a 

 thorough understanding of every detail of 

 their rules, upon which they had worked so 

 many years, but in sundry instances they 

 were obliged to accept minor aniendments to 

 satisfy the conditions of trade requirements 

 as they existed in the East, or, on the 

 other hand, the eastern peojile made an equal 

 number of concessions in recognition of the 

 necessity of lumber grades that could be log- 

 ically made from the present stand of hard- 

 wood timber on which ojierators are now en- 

 gaged. 



The spirit of the entire meeting may be 

 epitomized in the desire of all to safeguard 

 the best interest of the greatest number, and 

 with this spirit prevailing there was not an 

 acrimonious discussion during any session. 



During the evening of June 1 the .joint 

 conunittee made its report to the general 

 conunittee. which was unanimously au<l en- 

 thusiastically adopted. After beuig signed by 

 every member of the delegation, the report 

 was also signed by W. H. Lear of Philadel- 

 phia, who was unable to be present at the con- 

 ference; and a contract was entered upon 

 between the Hardwood JIanufacturers ' Asso- 

 ciation of the United States, the Eastern 

 States Eetail Lumber Dealers' Association, 

 and the Xew York Lumber Trade Association, 

 involving the employment of the amended sys- 

 tem of rules for a period of five years. These 

 rules are subject to change during that time 

 only by mutual agreement. 



The Hardwood Manufacturers' Association 

 was authorized to issue, without delay, a new- 

 rule book, which will now constitute the 

 standard of purchase and sale of hardwoods 

 between the various intei'ests involved. This 

 book has already been printed and is being 

 distributed to all manufacturers and buyers 



of hardwoods Ijy Secretary Dostor. 



Since this conference was held and the 

 agreement entered upon, there have been 

 meetings held of the New York Lumber 

 Trade Association and the Eastern States 

 Eetail Lumber Dealers' Association, and 

 the action of the delegates approved. No 

 meeting has been held of the Hardwood 



F. A. KIRBY. CHKKlti UIVEK BOOM & LUM- 

 r.Eli COMI'AXy. SCKANTON', PA. 



LEWIS IIO.STEK. Si;<'[!ETAItV lIAItl>\VOOD 



.MA.\rEA( TlKEItS' ASHOCIATIOX, 



CIXCINXATI. O. 



Manufacturers' Association, as the dele- 

 gates went into this conference, agreeable 

 to instructions from its executive board, 

 with power to act. 



Specifically, outside of the most inconse- 

 quential amendments in wording, the changes 

 made are as follows : 



First: In the event of disputes involving 

 quality, buyers are authorizeil to lay aside 

 rejects for reinspection, but if the dispute 

 involves quantity, the entire shipment must be 

 held intact. 



Second: In the inspection of lumber both 



sides of the piece shall be taken into con- 

 sideration in determining the grade. 



Tliird: Ordinary season checks are not to 

 be cousi(lore<l defects. 



Fourth: In the measurement of lumber 

 less than two inches in thickness, fractions 

 on the half foot are to be dropped and the 

 fractions above the half foot are to be 

 counted to the next higher figure. On stock 

 two inches and thicker, fractions of three- 

 quarter inch are dropped. Standard thick- 

 nesses of rough stock were placed at: %, 1/,, 

 %; %, 1, I'/i, IV., 1%, 2, 21/4, 2i,{,, 2%, 3, 

 3%, 3%, 3% and 4 inch, and it was si>ecified 

 that 10% of a shipment might be ,',;" scant 

 of standard thickness. 



Fifth: Sap specifications in different 

 grades of many of the woods were slightly 

 reconstructed. The percentage of short 

 lengths permissible in a shipment were 

 iuiieuded, so as to more generally conform 

 t(j the demands of the purchasing trade. In 

 the division of cuttings in No. 1 Common on 

 various woods, lengths were rearranged 

 which show a change involving an increase 

 of one foot in length. 



Si.xth: Specifications as follows, guaran- 

 teeing an actual minimum percentage of 

 firsts in the grade of firsts and seconds, were 

 authorized: 



."»o per cent — I'oplar. 



40 per cent — Basswood, soft elm, .Mexican ma- 

 liojrany. Cottonwood. 



y,rt per cent — African mahogany. 



3H% per cent — White ash. birch, hard maple, 

 chestnut, sycamore, red and white oak i plain 

 and quartered), buckeye, red and sap gum. 



2.5 per cent — Soft maple. i)ro\vu and black ash, 

 Cuban mahogany. 



2(1 per cent — Beech, butternut, rock elm, 

 liickory, pecan, walnut. 



Seventh: It was specified that firsts and 

 seconds shall be 8 feet and over, admitting 

 1.5 per cent of odd lengths, but not more 

 than 5 per cent under 10 feet in length. 



Eighth: In line boards, where defects 

 were slightly in excess of specifications, 12 

 feet and longer are to be given the advan- 

 tage in grade, and 11 feet and shorter re- 

 duced. 



Ninth: In No. 1 Common lengths of 6 

 feet and over, admitting 15 per cent of odd 

 lengths were authorized; 2.5 per cent of 6, 

 7 and 8 feet not to exceed .5 per cent under 

 S feet. 



The result of this compact between the 

 large manufacturing and buying interests of 

 the country will undoubtedly be of far-reach- 

 ing importance! It undeniably marks the 

 beginning of the end of a basis of universal 

 hardwood inspection. It will simplify hard- 

 w-ood lumber transactions and establish a 

 friendship among the interests involved 

 that will result in general harmony in the 

 trade. 



It will be noted that this conference was 

 catholic in character; every interest from 

 the stump to the consumer has been care- 

 fully safeguarded, and all parties interested 

 are to be heartil.y congratulated on the out- 

 come of the negotiations. 



Fhiladelphia Sales Office to Be Continued 

 Since the death of W. M. McCorraick. president 

 of the Little River Lumber Company of Town- 

 send, Tenn.. and of the Clearfield Lumljer Com- 

 pany of Morehead. Ky., it lias been decided that 

 the sales of these two corporafions will be car- 

 ried on from the general sales ofTices of the two 

 companies at the former location, 218 Franklin 

 Bank Building, I'hiladelphia. The two liouscs 

 will be represented by W. J. Mlngus and Thomas 

 B. Rutter ,Tr.. who were long associated with 

 the late Mr. McCorraick in the conduct of his 

 linrdwood sales affairs. 



