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SELLING LUMBER 



Helpful 

 Current 

 Statistical 

 Service 



elation, in order that there may be the least possible doubt and mis- 

 understanding of their meaning. 



It is the desire of the grading committee to establish the integ- 

 rity of the grades for Southern Yellow Pine, so that the purchaser 

 may be assured of receiving stock of the grade which he ordered. 

 To carry out this policy the Association will furnish an inspector 

 to review any shipment of Southern Yellow Pine sold upon Asso- 

 ciation specifications, when there is good reason to believe that a 

 lower grade from that ordered was deliberately shipped. 



The printed grading rules of the Association are for free dis- 

 tribution, a copy of the standard specifications for yard grades 

 having been mailed to every lumber buyer in the United States. 

 Copies of these rules, as well as of the specifications for "Railroad 

 Maintenance of Way Material," "Car Material," "Timbers," and 

 export grades will be furnished for distribution to your customers. 

 The moulding book has also been sent to the retail trade of the coun- 

 try, and its general distribution and adoption is urged. 



The sub-committee on branding is now experimenting with 

 various devices for the automatic branding of lumber, with the 

 trade-mark of the Association and the index number of the mill, 

 which will make the identification of stock easily possible. The 

 use of the trade-mark will be confined to subscriber mills, and sub- 

 scribers are requested to insert in each car shipped a card on which 

 will be shown the grade and tally of each item loaded, with the 

 statement that the shipper guarantees the same. The name of the 

 mill, or its index number, as given by the Association, will be shown 

 on the card. 



The American public is increasingly demanding that manu- 

 facturers shall guarantee their product, and it is the desire of the 

 grading committee that the Southern Pine industry should occupy 

 its rightful position before the public by guaranteeing, not only the 

 exact grade and tally sold, but a square deal in the adjustment of 

 complaints. 



Statistical Service One of the most important functions of 

 the Association is the publication of accurate statistics concerning 

 the industry. The Weekly Trade Barometer, inaugurated a year 

 ago, has become a recognized feature of the entire lumber indus- 

 try, reflecting as it does an accurate showing of production, orders 

 and shipments of Yellow Pine. It is the policy of the committee 

 of accounting and statistics, under whose supervision all statistics 



