The Washington herald., 1908-08-23
By FREDERIC J.. HASKIM.

To-day the International Coope-s' Union.
some thousands strong in membership. is
meeting in annual session at Cincinnati
Already some thrifty member OF the union
has figured that each hour Of the session
viii cost SO. every single minute one
round dollar. and he has issued printed
notices urging thoughJfulness and eXpedi-
tion in parliamentary practice on the part
Of the delegates. In order that there be
no needless waste Of time and money.
Despite the dUUness OF the past season
and the financial depression OF the past
year. the convention will be large and the
members full OF hope and enthusiasm.
There are some 2O09 cooperage esta''' ish-
naents in the United Sta. ..- lied
1t s31051e05. employing about 800 men
az Al annual wage Of $4,000. and put
ting out a product with q market value
of S50.010.000 The number OF barrels and
circular packages these men make every
year approximates I5O.1JGG61. The loose
cooperage industry supplies the means for
packing and shipping -four. sugar. salt.
coffee. cereals. lime. cement. vegetables.
hardware. china. glass. and Ike non
spiIlable articles Barrels are preferred
% sacks. being handler for shipping and
more sanitary. The tight cooperase in
dustry looks after the demands Of the
pork packers, the oil shippers. the makers
Of glue and paint. molasses and syrups.
whistles and wines. and such spiIlable
and leakabIe commodities.
Because OF the wide variety OF com
mOdiues carried n the output OF their
shops. the coopers OF this country keep
their eyes more closely on weather condi-
tions and crop reports than 90 the mem
bers Of any other union When il was
discovered that only three-fourths Of the
mills OF the Northwest were grinding
wheat IN July. the cooperage industry
was threatened with poor trade, until a
later report showed that by the middle OF
August all mills would be found running
thei- full time. then the skies grew
brighter for the coppers. for -four barrels
would be in as great demand as ever
The heavy rains Of early spring caused
many long faces The summer gave more
promise OF good crops. and now the late
summer and early faI VIII bring bumper
crops OF vegetables. apples. and other
fruits that VIII call for a large supply OF
fruit barrels. while the cane crop prom
ises an average demand for -oIasses bar
rels-
The barrels produced every year are
estimated % be worth about SO GO. COO.
and the industry consumes q large per
CenJage OF the 1l5.1J5 Gl0.0j5 feet Of lumber
that manufacturing industries take from
the forests every year This industry viii
help materially IN reducing the acreage
Of standing timber. Already the depletion
Of forests II certain sections IS causing
/ the center 0f industry 20 swing toward
other places Saginaw, Alch-. was once
/ the chief home Of the siack-stave indus
I try. NON Il IS Northern instead Of South
ern Michigan that holds the trade OF the
State IN that especial commodity. Where
Ohio once made I0.ce1 slaves. il now
makes 1.950 On the other hand. 50 far
{ southwark IS the center swinging that
I Louisiana now has ten stave plants where
I II had one ten years ago one center ot
I the industry lies in a section that includes
Arkansas. Missouri. Mississippi. and Ten
nessee. where the red gum still sbou1dS.
There Is a great waste IN stave and
I heading manufacture. Some clever fg-
/ u-er from the Committee on the Con
I ser-ari1n Of Natural Resources must de
wise some way 10 prevent such waste In
/ the making Of slaves. only 50 per cent o;
I The log is used. while in the making OF
Z headings only . per cent IS used The
rest. 50 far. has been left unUtuized- The
( supply of white oak. a great factor II
I slave making. has caused a decrease il
exports in the past year. and a raise II
[ price Last year the decrease IN export;
vas u Per cent. the increase in price OF
J exported cooperage % per cent O1e-hftf
/ Of the annual output of white oak srave'
| is usually exported
IN making staves. heading. and hoops
I some fourteen different kinds OF wOot
are used Elm leads n scave manufac
[ ture IN slack cooQerage. more than one
I fifth the total number OF slaves beiag
I furnished from this species. while elm
pine. and red gum, taken together. make
Z Up one-half the material used in slacE
I barrels In heading. pine Is chiefly used
/ that. with red gum, basswood- and elm
furnishing two-thi7ds Of the beading ma,
I terial Pennsylvania. as a State lead.
/ the country in stavs manufacture. though
/ in the value cf the slaves Michigan leads
/ Virginia makes nearly half the pine stave.
/ used. Missouri leads in the manufacture
I OF gum slaves. while Pennsylvania make.
/ almost all the chestnut slaves. showing
I a record OF over fOur-ffths OF the SO. .o1j. 90
made in the past fiscal year Barrel hoop:
/ are in themselves quite an item OF ex
! pense Il taken in the aggregate There
I are over 5000. .l00 made every year fol
/ the slack cooperage use. and their valu:
I is $4,000 Elm Is used almost excIu.
[ sively for this article. though oak hick
ory. birch, and ash enter in competition
. with elm in small way. Ohio. Michigan
I Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee. and Arkan,
sas make five-sixtbs Of the hoops used
/ Last years production Of tight cooper
! age is said to have barely net the de
mand- The pure food law wss largely
/ responsible for the increased manufactUr,
! c. tight barrels. creating a stronger mar
: ket for alcoholic packages TO meet the de
ma-d on distiIIers for bonded goods
Back Of this demand was the heavy on,
/ Of three years ago. when there was ar
/ enormous production Of petroleum. 1900
\ 90 barrels over any previous year. and
a Ike strong production Of cottonseed oil
all Of which was as great fish in the ne
OF the tight cooperase industry. Price,
went I'D. too. IN these past three years
t White Cak IS used almost exclusively II
1 this industry. and when other manufac
I turers found It a needful thing in theil
/ business the competition raised the price
| IN the production OF sawed slaves 70
I tight barrels. Arkansas leads. followed b.
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