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Februar5z: Cedar Speclal Issue llarch: Redwood Special Issue

Aprll: Pressure lir€ated Wood

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June: Texas Special Issue featuring LAT'g l0Oth Annlversarlr

REPRINTS AVNII\BLE

I am writing to you about Mr. Gage McKinney's article beginning on page l0 of your October issue. On page 45, Mr. McKinney writes that NHLA allows a standard deviation of 590. This, in my opinion, is a misrepresentation of NHLA rules. The only percentage differential allowed by NHLA is covered by page lll, article 10, section 5. This 490 has to do with grade and not mqrsurement.

I thought Mr. McKinney might want to make a revision in his next article.

We are enclosing a proof of tally which we use and give to each of our customers on delivery. We are also enclosing a NHLA rule book.

Roland R. Johnson Senior Vice President Frank Porton Lumber Company PO. Box 1225, hrt Worth, Tx.76l0l

P.S. If Mr. McKinney revises the above paragraph, how much would 2,m reprints of his article cost us?

We are happy to make these corrections. The cost for 20n reprints is $210 plus shtpping and handling. If anyone elv would like reprints in any other quantity just call or write us for a price quototion.ed.

For The Record

As a hardwood industry person, we certainly appreciate your continuing efforts to bring the story of our material to your reading audience. We know that hardwood is a "different breed of cats" and when dealing with our products there is no substi tute for knowledge of the wood itself or industry practices.

But several things concern me in reference to Gage McKinney's article "How to Get All the Hardwood You Pay For" which appeared in your October, 1985 issue. These involve both inaccuracies and attitude of the writer as revealed by the tone of the story.

The errors are e:$y to discuss and correct. First, a hardwood lumber nrle is 36" long, not "about 40. "" It is made this exact length not only to be handy in turning boards as one inspects them, but also so the inspector can use the rule easily to measure the length of the board or long cuttings.

Secondly, the statement ". the National Hardwood Lumber Association allows a standard deviation of 590" re- quires conection and amplification. In the @ntext in which it is used, this statern€nt refers to the board foot tally of the lumber, i.e., the quantity received, and is incorrect. The current NHLA rule book (Page I I ISales Code, Article X, Sa. 5) $ates "Should this original official inspection result in not more than 490 deduaible difference in money value from the gross nmount of the invoice. . " This is vasly different from Mr. McKinney's statenr€nt in that the computation includes not only footage but also the grade of the lumber with appropriate pricing. This is important because the 490 difference in money valw is considered to be a rearcnable variation in the judgments of two competent inspoctors in grading the lumber with some boardsbe' ing upgraded and some downgraded in the second inspection. The footages measured by shipping and receiving inspecton should come very close to being identical, maybe + l9o, since measurement alone is largdy a mechanical process and thejudgrnent decisions necessary for grading are not involved.

My perception of the attitude of the writer is subjective and therefore is somewhat harder to deal with. I frankly feel that repeated use ofbeing "cheated" by the "shady dealers" puts a negative tone on the story that is entirely unwarranted and is not overcome by the disclaimers to the contrary at the beginning and end of the article. I woulld srtggest to you that the way to deal with someone who you think is cheating you is to buy your lumber from a reputable hrmand there are plenty of themrather than by trying to beat someone at his own game by measuring boards with a 4O" lumber rule and registering complains when you're more than 590 short in footage. I would further suggest that il would have been much more constructive to title the article "Unraveling Some Mysteries in Receiving Hardwood Lumber" and develop in a more positive fashion.

As indicated above, we know that our hardwood products and our business customs vary sub'stantially from the softwood industry with which many of your readers are involved. Many reputable hardwood frms would welcome the opportunity to better acquaint others with the world of hardwood.

This association counts as one of its major purposes the education of those inside and outside of our industry. We are not in a position to arbitrate claims, but we will be most happy to supply information when requested. Under certain circumstances, we might well be available to present prograns to industry groups. In short, we want to do everything reasonable to foster undentanding and to encourage the use ofhardwoods. Please call on us.

S. Carroll White Executive Manager National Hardwood Lumber Association Memphis, Tn.