HARDWOOD RECORD 



i ndoi'sement and approval of the representative 

 iims in both branches of the trade. 



A very large per cent of the delay in taking 

 . u-e of applications from our membership since 

 .lanuary 1 has been due directly to weather 

 conditions, causing the accumulation of orders. 

 The complaints, however, on inspection work 

 liave been reduced nearly 50 per cent over the 

 previous year. 



I wish to congratulate the association on the 

 loyal service of the inspectors in our employ. 

 We certainly have a force that combine with 

 thrii- liiornnL-li knowledge of hardwood lumber 

 xc.ll.'iit iiiai;mi'nt. absolute fairness and the 

 iM'ri;~s.ii\ bni ktjone. They are compelled to 

 wdik I. .11- liMiiis. as their day's work by no 

 means '-nds when the whistle blows, but their 

 evenings must be spent in figuring up tallies, 

 making out certificates and attending to a cer- 

 tain amount of correspondence from members. 

 .Notwithstanding the fact that a great many 

 private firms and individuals engaged in the 

 lumber business have reduced the wages of 

 their inspectors, we have made no reduction, 

 feeling that competent and high grade men are 

 worthy of their hire and that it would be 

 misplaced economy to see how cheap we could 

 have the work done, instead of seeing how well. 



We lost 122 members during the year ; 05 per 

 cent of this loss are out of business by failures 

 or withdrawals from business, and It is reason- 

 able to suppose that • the general policy of re- 

 trenchment in expenses is responsible for a con- 

 siderable percentage of the remainder. We have 

 talsen in 162 new members, making a net gain 

 of 40, bringing our total membership up to 634. 

 In looking over the list of new members you 

 will admit that the support of so many promi- 

 nent firms materially strengthens the assocla- 



There is no association that for the small 

 sum of ?25 per year gives to its membership 

 such service aud benefits that we do. It has 

 often been said that it was "too cheap to be 

 good," but our records do not show this to be 

 a fact. If it were "too cheap to be good" our 

 services would not be called for, but on the con- 

 trary our inspectors' department is kept busy, 

 and wc arc now looking for more good inspec- 

 tors to take care of points not provided for. 



On May 18 a convention of shippers met in 

 Chicago under the auspices of the Illinois Manu- 

 facturers' Association, to protest against the 

 contemplated advance of 10 per cent in the 

 freight rates. It is reliably stated that this 

 10 per cent advance means practically $100,000,- 

 000 increase in revenue for the railroads. A 

 large part of this sum will come out of the 

 pockets of the lumbermen. I have no doubt 

 you have all read the full reports of that meet- 

 ing, in which you are all so srcatly interested, 

 and I hope the rr>..h;tinn- :i.l..iited by that con- 

 vention will be hcaniix .11.1-1-. I by you, and as 

 the subject is a \iial .ii.-. ihai we also assist 

 them financially it necessary. 



In conclusion I wish to take the present op- 

 portunity to thank you for the great honor con- 

 veyed in electing me to the high office of presi- 

 dent two years ago, and in your unanimous 

 action at Atlantic City in reelecting me and 

 thus showing your approval of my administra- 

 lion during' the previous year. The fact that 

 the association is so much stronger is not due 

 to your president, but due to your Executive 

 Committee, your I'.oard of Managers and your 

 Inspect!. ,11 ■,.,.,„, ill... wh„ bay.' so loyally given 

 up thrii 



Duriii ^cr six months 



in Eur i placed the re- 



sponsib.J.L..., v. ...._ ._..:,.c ,.;- '. ice-Presidcnt Ag- 

 ler. 



On account of the financial stringency, which 

 brought about a stagnation in all lines of busi- 

 ness, objection to the Atlantic City rules, etc., 

 your acting president was compelled to give a 

 I'reat deal of his valuable time to association 

 matters. I feel that mention should be made 

 of the able manner in which be conducted the 



office during that trying period. Tour ship has 

 been steered efficiently during the storms that 

 shook the financial world, and has landed in 

 .Milwaukee without disaster — all bills paid. 



My thanks are especially due to our faithful 

 secretary. Mr. Fish. At the beginning of my 

 administration the Board of Managers saw fit 

 to :-'ive him iii.jre authority over the affairs of 

 iv 1:1 leasing his duties and respon- 



_. share of the work that for- 

 I :..in the office of the surveyor- 



^, ,1 iiisferred to Mr. Fish, leaving 



only the '.'.neral supervision of reinspection and 

 the' practical application of the rules in the 

 hands of the surveyor-general. That they made 

 no mistake is evidenced by the fact that the 

 National Hardwood Lumber Association today ■ 

 is stronger than ever. Taking into consideration 

 that we now have uniform inspection and uni- 

 form application of same, too much credit can- 

 not be given Secretary Fish, who has been 

 largely instrumental in bringing this result 

 about. You have a faithful, afflcient and cour- 

 teous gentleman as your secretary. 



On retiring to the ranks I wish to assure my 

 successor that he will have my loyal and hearty 

 support. 



Secretary's Report. 

 Mr. I'resideut and Gentlemen ; lu the prepa- 

 ration of this, my third luumal i..p,,ri. I have 

 endeavored to eliminate ma lu .1. 1 ni >! Hs. work 

 l.erformed during the laj.i > . ! . ..iiHne 



my report to facts and li:;' - 'lie re- 

 sults obtained. 1 tru,st it «ii: '■•■ -1 .i.iiiiig to 

 Ilie membership to review a report showing an 

 increase in membership and amounts earned by 

 our salaried inspectors, notwithstanding the un- 

 iavoralilc conditions hardwood manufacturers 

 and dealers have been called upon to meet dur- 

 ing the last seven months. 



.\Iih..iii:li th.'se rather trying conditions have 

 11, -;..insibllities of your officers and 



I ..nduct of their own interests, 



times extended to your secre- 

 (I iiort, and to their loyalty and 



uusL'lli^li .-a.iiiice of time to the association 

 affairs much of the progress of the year is due. 

 Our financial condition, as will be noted from 

 the treasurer's report, is stronger than ever, in 

 spite of the fact that we have been called upon 

 to meet some extraordinary expenses whicli did 

 not come under the regular current expenditures. 

 As stated in the report presented at the At- 

 lantic City meeting one year ago. the Board of 

 Managers, in June, 1006, recognizing the fact 

 that the chief inspector was compelled to be 

 absent from the association office much of the 

 lime, decided to place the secretary in charge 

 of the Inspection Department so far as the cor- 

 respondence and assignment of work to the in- 

 spection force were concerned. It is my belief 

 that improved service has resulted, for the chief 

 inspector, in addition to giving prompt attention 

 to the requests of our membership for official re- 

 inspection, has been placed in much closer touch 

 with the inspection force. He has made fre- 

 (luent trips to the important markets in which 

 salaried inspectors are maintained, and has also 

 rendered valuable service to many of our mem- 

 bers by visiting their plants and instructing their 

 employes in the correct application of the Na- 

 tional rules. It would appear reasonable to 

 credit this system with the reduction in number 

 of complaints from members on the work of the 

 Inspection Department. 



In the report submitted at our last annual 

 meeting, the association had seventeen salaried 

 inspectors in Its employ, stationed in the lead- 

 ing producing and wholesale markets, where the 

 conditions warranted permanent employment. 

 Tills number has been Increased to twenty-three, 

 located as follows: 



... .-J Cairo 1 



... 2 New Orleans 2 





.Minn 



Since our tenth annual, held May 23 and 24. 

 1907, the reports from salaried inspectors show- a 

 total of 50,726,944 feet, and adding to this oij- 

 181,069 feet covered by certificates of the fee 

 inspectors, results in a grand total of 106,908,- 

 013 feet. Last year the salaried inspectors' re- 

 port was 42,436,215 feet, indicating a net gain 

 for the salaried men of more than 20 per cent. 

 This gain is not confined to one or two markets, 

 but is distributed evenly over the entire field 

 covered by the inspection of this association. 

 These totals cover only the amount inspected on 

 which the bonded certificate has been issued. 

 The reduced volume of shipments since Novem- ' 

 ber, 1907, has resulted in considerable shrinkage, 

 and unfavorable weather conditions during many 

 weeks have further reduced the showing, but ap- 

 plications for the appointment of salaried in- 

 spectors from the sawmill districts, which are 

 now being considered, furnish abundant proof 

 that we are working along correct lines, and 

 that both branches of the trade recognize the 

 value and fairness of our present system. 



I desire to again urge upon the membership 

 the importance of familiarizing themselves with 

 the rules governing the Inspection Bureau. This 

 information is given very fully In the hand-book 

 issued from the general office in December, 1907, 

 copies of which were sent every member, and 

 has also been included in the Inspection Rules 

 Book. During the last year lack of this infor- 

 mation on the part of several of our members 

 has resulted in unnecessary delay and expense, 

 as their failure to make application direct to 

 the secretary for official reinspection has neces- 

 sitated the cancellation of several certificates 

 under the rules in force. 



Durin.ec the year, applications for the service 

 of National inspectors at mill points have in- 

 ciiased materially, and the attention of this, 

 iji. 11.1.. I -li:|. 1- respectfully called to the para- 

 -I I ; i_ t of the Inspection Rules Book, 



li. .1 h .t mem'oers enclose check with 



npi.ii. It iiii li. 111., inspector called upon, to cover 

 railroad fare and other necessary expenses. At- 

 tention to this request will insure against delay, 

 as it is by no means certain that our inspectors 

 can at all times advance the necessary amounts 

 without serious inconvenience. My attention 

 was recently directed to the fact that one in- 

 spector bad advanced from his personal funds 

 over $200 to members, in railroad fare and other 

 expense, and had been waiting more than sixty 

 days for a return of the money thus advanced. 



In conformity with the by-laws, eight meet- 

 ings of the Executive Committee and Board of 

 Directors have been held, as follows : 

 Board of Directors, May 23, 1907. 



All meetings have been well attended and 

 suggestions from the membership carefully con- 

 sidered, but to review in detail the voluminous 

 records of these meetings would unnecessarily 

 lengthen this report. I have therefore, as for- 

 merly stated, endeavored to give prominence to 

 the facts and figures of the year's progress. 



At the Board of Directors meeting held on 

 May 23, 1907, it was suggested that a saving 

 of considerable expense and much time to mem- 

 bers might be effected in many cases througli 

 deputizing the salaried inspectors on official re- 

 inspections, instead of sending the chief inspector 

 a long distance, under heavy expense, to re- 

 Inspect single cars or small lots in dispute. This 

 plan has been followed In numerous Instances 

 and has been commended by' the members secur- 

 ing such service. It was also suggested that the 

 Inspection Department could further advance the 

 interests of uniform inspection by furnishing 

 inspectors, when so requested, to visit mills and 

 Instruct the inspectors In the employ of memhors 



