61 



the Forest Products Laboratory reports that it was all No. 1 common 

 or better, and was divided on the basis of species as follows: ash, 71 

 per cent; oak, 10 per cent; maple, 8 per cent; yellow poplar, 5 per cent; 

 birch, 3 per cent; basswood, 2 per cent; walnut, 1 per cent. Ash, be- 

 cause of its moderate weight in proportion to its strength, its high de- 

 gree of toughness, its comparative freedom from warping, and its ease 

 of working, leads all other woods for this purpose; and it is especially 

 preferred for the bodies of high-class cabs because of its ability to with- 

 stand the shocks and jars incident to city traffic, with its occasional acci- 

 dents. A very large proportion of the ash for cab manufacture is im- 

 ported from Arkansas. 



The great increase in the use of wood with the expansion of this 

 industry can be seen by comparing the consumption in Illinois for 1909 

 with that of 1920 or 1923. With the decline in the demand for buggies, 

 coming with the introduction of motor-driven vehicles, many small fac- 

 tories began to make automobile bodies ; but the amount of wood used 

 by them is inconsiderable when compared with that used by the larger 

 and better equipped shops, which are in some instances connected with 

 railway-car building.* 



Steel is substituted for wood wherever possible, and instead of using 

 solid pieces of wood there is a tendency with the perfecting of water- 

 proof glues to use ply-wood made up of thin pieces of veneer; and some 

 firms are producing a veneered top for sedans as one of their specialties. 



The importance of this industry for the state as indicated particu- 

 larly by the number of men employed and value of products manufac- 

 tured, may be thus shown here in tabular form. 



* For further details as to consumption of wood In the automobile Industry see 

 Appendix, p. 1C8, Xotcs 2, 3. and 4. 



