THE SPECIALIST

By I os. L. Muller-S ecretarl-Mandger N ATION AL HARDTYO OD LU MBER ASSO CIATION

be completely duplicated by manmade synthetic products. To begin with, the hardwoods are the aristocrats of the forest, unexcelled in beauty and variety of properties qualifying them for the most exacting uses through the entire range of structural and scientific properties. It follows then, to develop greater markets for hardwood lumber or to regain and hold those rvhich it has lost, men are required with sufficient knowledge of the many varieties of hardwood species-how to use them and rvhere they can serve the purpose best.

Are such specialists available to the industry? The answer is "Yes, they definitely are, and more of them could be had if more members of the industry would take it upon themselves to seek them out or help in the training of them."

First of all, there are the many forestry colleges that are turning men out these days specially equipped with a technical knowledge of wood fromthevery basic elements, rvhich make up the wood structure, to the handling, distribution and use of it. Add on to this basic college training a few years of practical experience and you have a man really equipped to do a job.

While other industries have been beating paths to the doors of the college deans and making themselves almost obnoxious in demanding and seeking trained men in the fields of chemistry and engineering, we in the lumber industry have paid little or no attention to the many forestry graduates especially trained in the utilization end who have been pouring out of our forestry institutions now for many years,

There has been too much of the "I came up the hard way and no smart aleck college graduate is going to take over an executive job in my company until he has put in about 20 years shoving lumber off a pile in the yard."

About 25 years ago, back in the depression era, such a philosophy might have worked, but not today. Smart young fellows with a willingness to assume responsibility are eagerly sought after, and if not accepted in one industry quickly find employment in another.

If a company wants a young engineer, he goes to an engineering college. If a company wants a lumber specialist, he should go to a forestry college, keeping in mind that there are two sides to forestry: (1) the growing and managemenf of trees and (2) their proper utilization. Most forestry colleges today have specialized courses to train men for the lumber industry.

Seek these men out for employment and the eventual assignment of administrative or executive responsibility, either in the sales or manufacturing ends of your business. Incidentally, many of the forestry colleges today need guidance in the selection of proper subjects for study, and your

Incorporoted Feb. 14, | 9O8 assistance and interest in their problems rvill prove beneficial to you, individually, and to the industry as a whole.

NHLA Inspection Training School

Perhaps nowork of the National Ha.rdwood Lumber Association has been more soul-satisfying than its educational program devised for the specific purpose of training men in the knowledge and application of our hardwood grading rules. Outstanding in this deparhr.rent is the Inspection Training School of the NHLA, u'hich has been established nou' for over seven years at Memphis, Tenn. Since its inception, more than 680 men have been trained in the knowledge of hardwood rules, with extra-curricular training also in the true spirit of competitive industry and free enterprise. At the close of each term of study, which lasts five months, there are never enough men in the graduating ciass to fiIl the requests for their employmeut. lrlevertheless, there are many terms which go by u,hen enough students cannot be found to make up the complement of 50 that is desired.

This school is primarily subsidized by the NHLA and the cost of training each student is above the cost of tl-rc actual tuition paid.

Here is a wonderful opportunity for a hardwood lumber company to send one of its bright young men to the school and assure himself of a man well trained in the fundamentals of the hardwood lumber grading rules and their application.

We are now conducting our 16th term and a uew class will begin February 15. There is no time like the present to write tl.re association for an application form for admit- tance. A brochure describing completely the instruction procedure, the entrance requirements, cost and employrnent opportunities can also be had for the asking.

If you do not have a man to send to the school for fir'e months, try at least to send one or several of your men to the NHLA 5-day Short Courses of instruction which can be scheduled to take care of your men ernd, if you rvish, sonrc uf neighboring companies.

To coin a phrase, these Short Courses pay long clividends to the sponsors and students. The NHLA has a number of men rvho are specialists in conductiirg these 5-da1' corlrses. They have been attended by mill o\\'ners, sawyers, edgermen, inspectors. salesmen, buyers and others employed in different phases of the production, clistribution or use oi hardwoods.

In the Short Courses, the fundamentals of the NHLA grading rules are taught and demonstrated. Ouestions are answered and an over-all review of the rules is given. Nlany testimonial letters have been received from the sponsors of these courses attesting to their value in actual savings in dollars and cents in operating costs, throngh an increased knorvledge oi the grade rules and the metliods of their application.

A sponsor can lte any memlter company l'ho u'ill assr.llt"lc the responsibility for the cost of the course, rvhich is rrsuallv very nominal and especially of little consequence u.hen divided over the number of men attending. The sponsor provides the spot for holding the course to rvhich a selected number of his ou'n em1>loyes attend along u-ith any men

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To All of YOU who ore Moking Our Continued Progress possible-we ogoin wont lo exPress our deep qnd sincere Appreciotion. lt is our hope your Christmos will be festive, your 1956 o hoppy yeor-ond prosperous.