Decision of Philippine Mahogany Fofks to Adopt Trade Promotion Program Brings Back Recollections of the Famous Fisht lrom 1927 to 1931

By Jock Dionne

When thel' tolcl nre the other day that the Philippine XIahogan,v folks, under the trade grouping known as the Philippine \Iahogany Manufacturers Import Asso'ciation. l-rad clecided to stage a trade promotion program to counteract and offset certain insidious recent campaigns of propaganda that have been set adrift in the land by their inherent enemies, the so-called "true Mahogany" folks as n'ell as others who cannot come uncler that categorv-I u'as pleased and interestecl.

AS A MAN WH'O H.\S WRITTI,N AND PUBLISHED DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS TEN TINIES AS MANY EDITORIALS PUBLICIZING. BOOSTING. AND DEFENDING PHILIPPINE MAHOGAN\: AS HAS ANY OTHER TRADE JOURNATI'DITOR I AM NATURALL\: I)EEPI.Y INTERESTIiI) IN SET'ING THESE MARVELOUS WOODS DO SOMETTIING DEFINITE iN THEIR OWN BEHALF.

I recall that rvhen the great fight that the Philippine folks macle before the Interstate Commerce Commission an<l the courts u'as at its height, Walter Scrim, of Los Angeles. then President of the Philippine Mahogany Association, searched the files of THE CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT for editorials and articles that might be use<l in behalf of Philippine Mahogany, and was surprised to find SEVERAL HUNDRED of that character.

The fact is that rvhen the fight against Philippine Mahogany started in 1927, I was so deeply impressed with rvhat I ,considered the injustice and unfairness of the attack, that I pulled off both my coat and my gloves and jumpecl into the battle editorially, and for several years fired a continual bombarclment into the anti-Philippine ranks. In a life among lumbermen I have found that they are sometimes very, very short-memoried, but I think all the Philippine Mahogany folks in California will recall the help this journal gave in the tough years from 1927 to 1931. Reprints of our editorials were frequently used, and when the second series of hearings-the re-hearings they were-were held in California in 1930, I was invited and urged by the attorneys for the Philippine Mahogany side of the case to testifv before the Commission.

But I think the biggest "kick" I got out of my conne.ction rvith that four year battle had to do with the discovery-never before heard of and printed exclusively in THE CALIFORNIA LUMBER MERCHANT in the summer and fall of 1928-that there A,RE growing in the Philippines commercial hardwoods that DO belong botanically to the great tree family "\IEI.IACE.\8,", rvhich, bc it known to ,r'ou all, is the Mahogany farnily tree. Yorr see, one of the original condemnations brought against tire Philippine u.oocls rvas that \,fahogany mlrst come from the tree famill. X'Ieliaceae. So I consulted a bunch of Philippine authorities and dis,covered that there are at least ONE HUNDREI) branches of that great tree family growing in the Phiiippine Islands, so that the claim that Philippine u,oods are NOT Mahogany ltecatise they do not come from that family, dicl not hold rvater. Understancl, I don't mean that the commonly used Philippine rvoods that we call "Philippine Mahogan1." are from that famili'. They are NOT. But there are plenty of comnrercial trees on the Islands that ARE. But the "kick" I got out of it lr'as that as soon as I published those articles the Commission rnade further announ,cenent on the subject, to rvit, that not only must a true Mahoganv come from the NIelia'ceae family tree. but it must liker,vise come from the Srvietenia Branch of that farnily. That last one laid us a complete st1'mie. We've got the Meliaceae ir-r the Philippines-in fact the ordinarl' Philippine cigar box is made from Kalantas which is of the Meliaceae family and therefore a Mahogany-l-iut we haven't ar.ry of the Slvietenia.

As I have just stated, the Philippine Nlahoganr- folks never claimed and do not claim that the rvoods thev shipped into this country under the trade name of "Philippirre Mahogany" are so-called "true NIahoganies". Not at all ! There has never been any misreDresentation of that matter.

At the first hearing of the Philippine Mahogany case in August, 1927, the big chief witness for the prosecution was an Eastern college professor and botany sharp. He testified that there were no Mahoganv trees in the Philippines. Much of the prosecution was based on his testimony. Afterwards I got hold of a book this same old boy had rvritten on tropical forests, and Lo and Behold ! in this book I found under the title-"1\,Ieliaceae, The Mahogany Family",among other woods listed wsls-"1hq Calantas and other excellent timbers of the Philippines." I'll never forget how rve dan'ced a jig in our office when rve read those lines. As I said, we published tl-ris and a long list of other of these "excellent timbers of the Philippines" that. according to the Professor's own book, are Nlahoganies. Anyway, as I stated before, they soon plugged this hole b1' slipping the Swietenia branch in on us. But we had given them something to think about.

You should have seen the nastr' letter the Professor wrote me I And you should likewise have seen the one I wrote the Professor !

Anyway, I cheerfully recommend to those who will spread the name and fame of Philippine Mahogany the articles on that subject that I published in several issues in September and O,ctober ol 1928.

Perhaps a little review made irom the files of The MERCHANT of the Philippine Mahogany fight may be interesting to our readers. Time flies so fast, and man's memorv is short. In August, 1927, alter a short hearing, The Federal Trade Commission issued a Cease and Desist Order forbidding the use of the name "Mahogany" to be applied to Philippine hardwoods "unless such wood or lumber or the vr.oocl from which such products are made is derived from the trees of the Mahogany or lleliaceae Family." This order rvas issued August l6th, 1927. That was rvhere I caught them in the articles mentioned above.

In the October l, 1927, issue of the C. L. M. was pttblished in full a statement to the public and trade made b1' the Philippine Mahogany Association, stating their side of the controversy, outlining particularly the fact that they had never sold their wood as botanical Mahogany; that a large percentage of all the Nlahoganies marketed in the United States are NOT botanicallv Mahoganies; that there is no public interest at stake in this matter ; that no sign of fraud has ever been practiced in selling these beautiful and useful Philippine woods as "Mahogany" ; etc.

In the October lfth, 1927 issue, in a full page black-face editorial I discussed this matter. I quoted General Leonar<l Wood, then head of the Philippine Government, as saying to the President of the Philippine Mahogany Association : "Keep up the good fight; we have justice on our side ancl I'll back you to the limit." I further said: "The fact is, as I have stated before, there is no public interest in this matter. It is purely and simply a commer'cial fight in rvhich a coterie which has enjoyed one of the tightest rnorropolies that the lumber industry has ever knor'vn, is feeling its grip looseued by the rapidly developing popularitrof these beautiful Philippine r'voocls, at their reasonable and economical prices. We do not believe that the Federal Trade Commission had any ltusiness trying the case until it irad been shown that that it rvas public welfare that rvas at stake. That the rvelfare of the prrblic is being rvell serverl b1- the inroads of Philippine N{ahoganv into the cabinet rvood nrarkets of the United States, is easily proven. It has put rvithin reach of our citizens at modest prices, rvoods of a texture, beauty, and value. that used to be considered attainable only by those of larger means and financial abilit]'. TI{E

AVERAGE CITIZEN IS NOT INTERESTEL IN THE BOTANICAI- NAI'IE OF ,\

WOOD, or its particular tree derivation. What he rvants to knorv is, is it beautiful, is it serviceable, is it valuable, and is it rvithin his means ? Philippine \'Iahogany has put rvonderful ca-binet rvoods n'ithin the price reach of rnillions of people tr,r u'hom the older Mahogany lvas unattainable, and in so doing has served a large public interest." And much more of the same sort, in this and many other editorials on the same subject while the fight went on.

In another editorial I said : "It is a case where woods grown in foreign lands would strangle the competition of valuable and worthy woods grown under the Stars and Stripes, owned by Americans, manufactnred in American mills, imported by Americans, distributed by Ameiicans in upright and worthy fashion, and sold to the public without deception or falsehood, direct or indirect."

On October 14th, 7927, the Philippine Mahoganl' folks appealed from the decision of the Federal Trade Commission to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court sustained the FTC. But much public opinion hacl been aroused in the matter. As a result of the rvicle advertising the case gave them, the Philippine Mahogany people found their business actually grorving in the face of the litigation. And a number of large users and distributors of Philippine hardwoods requested the FTC to bring nerv charges against new defendants, re-open the case, and give it a real hearing. This thel' dirl, and the new hearings began in Los Angeles in June, 1930, and continued througl-r the summer of that year.

On July lst, 1931. the Federal Trade Commission announced its decision IN FAVOR of the defendants. the Philippine Mahogany people, thus eliminating any legal restriction against using the term Philippine \{ahoganf in the sale and distribution of Philippine hardwoods. Ancl so the matter still stands. Philippine hardwoods were enormously advertised and greatly helped by the trial of the controversy. They made many demonstrations at the final hearings proving the real qualitv anrl beauty of their woods, and showing beyond doubt that even experts l.rar.e rnuch.difficulty in telling them from true \'[ahog?n1, rn'1.r.t't they are properly finished.

But the old gang that started the trouble irr the first place are never 'contented. Philippine Mahoganl' continues to find a firm and growing place in the minds of the American public, and these other folks just don't like it, and that's all there is to it. African Mahogany has no more botanical right to the name Mahoganv than l.ras the Luan and the Tanguile of the Philippines. Ilut at every chance they throw a rock at Philippine windorvs, and so do the old importers of Tobasco and other Central American hardu'oods.

The Philippine Mahoganl' folks are getting tired of it, and they are now preparing to take time and opportunitr. b-r' the forelock and do a little bragging about their products. And the Lord knows they have much to ltrag about. One of my editorials in July, 1928, said:

"Philippine Mahogany. regardless of what 1'ou may call it, is a beautiful, useful, practical, economical r,vood of manv varieties, colors and grains, and it surel1- is a 'comer.' You can't keep a good wood dou,n. These Philippine u'oods have come into popular demand because of rvhat they -\RE, not because of their trade name. And their progress rvill continue, regardless of names. Recently a hardn'ood man from Memphis visited Los Angeles, and he looked with uncon,cealed arnazement and admiration at great piles of Philippine 'sqLrares' without a knot or defect in a carload. 'I did not know there rvas such a supply of clear cabinet wood on earth,' he is reported as savir1g."

MURDER?

A Scotchman got into an argument with the conductor of a train about his fare. The Scot said he had paid it, and the conductor said he had not. Finally the conductor got angry and, picking up the Scotchman's suitcase, threw it out the window, just as they were going over a bridge.

"Villain," screamed the Scot, "it's bed enow to try and rob me by makin' me pay twice, but ye hae no richt to drown my little boy."

The Vagrant

I will leave the dust of the city street, And the noise of the busy town, For the windy moor and the high hill And the peat-stream flowing down. I will keep my watch by the campfires, Where the white cliffs lean to the sea, And dawn shall wake me with golden hands And the rain shall walk with me.

"we rearn ",, .",,::,::*"-:: strange adventures of individuals and races. But out of it all does there not arise a vision of human achievement-heroic actions, inspired thoughts, designs of beauty, and slow unraveling of nature's secrets? Take what view you will of the past or the future direction of the human race, this heaped-up treasure, this non-material wealth alone speaks eloquently to me of what is man, and strengthens my belief in the significance of his future." (By

Dr. James B. Conant, President of Harvard.)

STRETCHING OR SHUF'F'LING

A lady had advertised for a girl for general house work, and was showing an applicant ov€r the house. She had been very liberal in her promises of privileges-afternoons off, evenings out, and so qn-snd it looked as though the two were about to come to some agreement when the girl suddenly asked:

"Do you do your own stretchin'?"

"Do we do our own what?" the lady asked.

"Stretchin'," repeated the new girl.

"I don't understand."

"Stretchin'," repeated the girl, the second time. ,,Do you put all the food on the table at dinner and stretch for it, or do I have to shuffle it around?"

Dirty

Gertie: "I refused to marry Bob last month and he's been drunk ever since."

Babe: "Seems to me that's carrying a celebration too fat."

I will seek the places where gypsies roam, And strange, wild songs are sung. I will find once more the magic paths, I knew when the world was young. And the stars will give me comradeship, And the wind will be my friend, And I will send you the fairy gold, That lies at the rainbow's end.

Stretch not your hands, nor bid me stay, I hear the white road's call; The sun hath kissed the buds from sleep, And I am one with them all. But I will send you a golden cloak, And a pair of silver shoon, And a dream that the fairies spin from stars On the other side of the moon.

By Pauline Slender.

A GREAT MESSAGE FROM TV\/OODROW WILSON

Woodrow Wilson, war President of the United States, said: "f do not want to live under a Philanthropl, I do not want to be taken care of by the Government either directly or by any instruments through which the Government is acting, I want only to have right and justice prevail so far as I am concerned. Give me right and justice and f will undertake to take care of myself. I will not live under trustees if I can help it. I do not care how wise, how patriotic the trustees may be. I have never heard of any group of men in whose hands I am willing to lodge the liberties of America in trust."

"What is a budget?"

"A budget is a method of worrying before you spend instead'of afterwards."

Definite Upward Trend in Building Seen by Insulite Executive

"The turn in the burilding industry is definitely upward," declarecl E. H. Batchelder, Jr., vice president in charge of sales of the Insulite Company, at a fecent sales conference held in the company's sales offices in Minneapolis.

"The farm market of the great Northwest is a striking illustration of the favorable outlook ahead of us," Mr. llatchelder continued, "and we as a company were never in a better position to take advantage of these sales op- portunities presented by the upward trend in business. With a complete line of insulation products and an increased sales staff we are prepared to help Insulite dealers get their full measure of the available business."

The speaker pointed out that residential building in 37 Eastern states in Tune set a dl months' record.

Back From Southland

H. H. Barg, o{ the Barg Lumber Company, San Francis.co, returned recently from a two weeks' business and vacation trip to Southern California. Aacompanied by Mrs. Barg, he visited the California Pacifi,c International Exposition at San Diego, and spent some time tuna fishing off the Coronados Islands.

Enioy Sierra Trip

Members of the "Soracity Club" report having had a fine time on their annual trek to the High Sierras, and statistics relating to their daily catch appear to be truthful. The club is composed of four past presidents of the East Bay Hoo Hoo Club, C. I. Gilbert, Clem Fraser, Earle Johnson and Larue Woodson, witl, the active president, Jerry Bonnington, and Eddie Tietjen, secretary of the San Francisco Hoo Hoo Club.

On this year's trip the party packed into Pate Valley from Aspen Valley Lodge in Yosemite National Park, September 7, and stayed until the 1Zth. Although fishing was not as good as in previous years on account of high waters, a limit of fish was the usual day's catch for all hands. The weather was ideal, they say, and in the higher altitudes around 10,000 feet there rvere wild florvers in profusion and rvild grouse were abundant. The camp at Pate Valley rvas raided several nights by bear but nothing of value was destroyed.

During the time they were in the mountains Eddie Tietjen, Jerry Bonnington and Clem Fraser packed up -into the mountains about 12 miles farther to Rogers' Lake, where they all got nice limits of 12 to 14 inch trout.

The trip was made under the arrangement of Bob Bright of Aspen Valley Lodge. ivho personally supervised everything.

R. C. JONES TAKES AIR TRrP

R. C. "Dick" Jones, of Van Arsdale-Harris Lumber Company, San Francisco, is back from his vacation. Mr. Jones, accompanied by Mrs. Jones, flew to Los Angeles on the United Air Lines direct plane, which makes the journey in just over two hours, and went on .to San Diego to visit the Fair. They returned to San Francisco by the steamer Yale.

When You Sell

Siructurat

Booth-Kclly Douglae Fir, thc Areociation gradc and trade mark certifu to your customcrr thc quality of the etock you handle. Builderr quit gueecing about what thcy're buying, and buy whcrc thcy hnow what they're getting.