The Ncrtionol Hqrdwood lumber Associcrtion --hs

The cornerstone of this Association is found in Article III of its Constitution, "to promote the welfare and protect the interests of the hardwood trade: to establish, maintain and apply a uniform system for the inspection and measurement of hardwood lumber." On this stone has been erected the structure of grading standards and business ethics knou'n as "Rules for the Measurement and Inspection of Hardwood Lumber, Cypress, Veneers and Thin Lumber and the Sales Code of the National Hardwood Lumber Association."

It is the universally known and accepted text book of the hardwood trade; it is found in the pocket or the desk of every hardwood lumber inspector, sales manager, salesman and principal, as well as the purchasing agents and inspectors of their customers; it has been printed in two languages, English and French, and it is knorvn and respected by hardwood buyers abroad, rvherever hardwoods produced in the United States, Canada, the Philippine Islands, Cuba and Tropical America are bought and sold.

Over twenty thousand copies of the Rules Book are distributed each year throughout this continent and _ the world. In addition to the pocket size edition, it is also printed in the large, illustrated size.

To the casual reader, the current edition of the Rules Book contains just so many lvords, phrases and sentences describing the grading standards and trade practices in general use. But to the discriminating reader, particularly those survivors who took an active part in the development of these standards, there is seen between the lines and through the printed words a vivid picture of the stirring events out of which these rules have evolved in the progress from the unorganized confusion existing fifty years ago to the state of stability norv enjoyed by the hardrvood industry.

The grading standards are the basis of vahl,es. Without grading rules, prices are meaningless, as they rvere back in