86 



SELLING LUMBER 



The Govern- 

 ment's Wood- 

 working 

 Exchange 



Study of 



Cost-Keeping 



Systems 



Co-Operation 

 the Keynote 



The Forest Service has established in Washington, D. C, 

 what is called the Woodworking Exchange. The idea is to get 

 all of the people who utilize waste on the one hand, and all the 

 people who have waste to sell on the other hand, and try to get 

 them together to the commercial advantage of both. I believe 

 that a similar activity on the part of the various lumber associa- 

 tions would result in great good. In spite of the fact that we 

 have perfected the methods of manufacturing lumber, I have 

 seen thousands of feet of lumber absolutely destroyed, due to im- 

 perfect or improper manufacture. Those things can be over- 

 come by a more careful manufacturing of lumber. (Applause.) 



Another point: A uniform cost keeping system is very 

 essential. We have here an analysis of the cost of manufacturing 

 lumber. I don't know on what it is based. But we have gone 

 into some mills and made what we call analyses. For example, 

 on a band saw we put a stop on the thing and found out how 

 long it would take to make lumber out of a log, and then on 

 another log. To make a long story short, it costs about one-half 

 to one-third as much to saw lumber from a big log as it does 

 a little log I mean, actual milling cost ; and that is something 

 that is seen throughout all woodworking operations. The paper 

 fellows can make paper out of logs four inches in diameter, and 

 you would have the dickens of a time sawing lumber out of that 

 stuff ; and you can make money out of big logs. Now, if we can 

 get the unit cost of operation in these various systems of opera- 

 tion, we can utilize lumber that is now being absolutely lost. 



The last suggestion is that you ought to patronize home in- 

 dustry. Take the question of the wooden bags. You ought to 

 encourage the use of wooden bags wherever you can. You ought 

 to buy artificial silk socks whenever you get the chance. You 

 ought to use this paper and string wherever you get the chance. 

 They are good products ; they are all genuine articles. They are 

 going to do a whole lot for these industries throughout the United 

 States that are struggling right now. 



Now, gentlemen, in conclusion, you will note that all through 

 this paper the keynote of my remarks centers around one word, 

 and that is "Co-operation." I believe there are enough organi- 

 zations in existence and if we can get together and work to a 

 common point, there will result a tremendous gain. But we must 

 have co-operation. It is only savages and barbarians that don't 



