HARDWOOD RECORD 



23 



Annual Wisconsin HardWood Lumbermen's 

 Association, 



On September 15, at Marslifield, the Wis- 

 consin Hardwood Lumbermen's Association 

 held its thirteenth annual meeting. The 

 attendance was not as large as it undoubt- 

 edly would have been had not forest fires 

 been raging upon or near the properties 

 of many interested in the organization, but 

 the meeting was, nevertheless, a highly en- 

 joyable and beneficial one. 



The session was called to order by Presi- 

 dent E. E. Finney, who spoke as follows: 

 President's Address. 



It is almost unnecessary for me to attempt to 

 review the trade conditions since our last annual 

 meeting, as I think we all had occasion to ob- 

 serve that soou after that meeting a general 

 depression in all lines of trade was felt, more 

 especially in the lumber trade. Coming, as it 

 did, so abruptly and almost without warning, ap- 

 parently without cause and following such a 

 long period of unusual prosperity, it perhaps was 

 felt more keenly than if it had approached more 

 gradually. It was prophesied that this condition 

 would be of short duration, but as tlie n eiks and 

 months continued to go withi>iii :im imin .>\ i uHur 



it brought on a tendency on iln ; 1 \ i.r 



the millmen to force their 11 ! i h,- 



market at ruinous prices. Tin- Imi. ,,; Mas 

 not generally practiced by our iiurtboru mills, 

 hut more especially in the .South, which pro- 

 cedure naturally demoralized the market. This 

 condition has continued throughout the greater 

 part of our fiscal year. 



From what information I have gathered, the 

 members of our association have had unshaken 

 faitb in the values of their hardwood products, 

 and have clung to tbis faith in making sales. 

 There has been no general attempt to force their 

 product upon lukewarm purchasers, and, as a re- 

 sult, the sales that have been made were protit- 

 abie to the seller and at prices that represent, 

 very closely, the value of the commodities. 



At the present time the unfavorable atmos- 

 phere that has surrounded us for so long appears 

 to Le clearing up and the general impression is 

 that we are about to be rewarded for guarding so 

 faithfully the prices and values of our northern 

 hardwood lumber. 



There arc several matters of importance to be 

 hrought before this meeting. The adoption of 

 inspection rules should be definitely considered. 

 The matter of this association Joining tbe Car 

 Stake Equipment Committee in continuing the 

 fight against the railroad companies should be 

 tJctermined. 



The Chicago & North-Wcstern, the Chicago. 

 Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Wisconsin Central 

 railway companies have notified shippers that on 

 •October 1, 1908, the mllling-in-transit rate which 

 bas been in force for years will be abolished and. 

 as It appears that a great many members of this 

 association will suffer by this move on part of 

 the railroad companies, it seems some action 

 should be taken at this meeting, protesting 

 against the abandonment of this rate. 



The secretary's report will show that this as- 

 sociation is in a thriving condition and capable 

 of continuing in Its service and giving benefit to 

 its members. 



I wish to thank the association for the cour- 

 tesy extended me during my term of office. 

 Secretary-Treasurer's Report. 



Secretary A. E. Beebee uext read his re- 

 port, which w-as accepted, and which was 

 as follows: 



As lias been the custom for several .vears. the 



secretary recently sent out blanks asking for in- 

 formation as to the amount of lumber and logs 

 now held by the various members of this asso- 

 ciation. I am sorry to report that only a few 

 members replied to the request for information 

 and nearly all those that did respond simply 

 reported stock as all sold or practically so. On 

 that account the statistics gathered are of no 

 practical value. I regret this, as a full and 

 complete report would have been very interest- 

 ing to tbe association and the hardwood trade 

 in general. 



Since tbe last annual meeting a few firms have 

 withdrawn from membership. At the present 

 time our list of members contains the names of 

 forty-four firms and I am pleased to report that 

 these forty-four firms are all in good standing, 

 having paid their 1908 dues. 



At the last meeting the secretary was in- 

 structed to get 1,000 copies of the grading rules 

 printed, but as we had adopted the rules of the 

 National Hardwood Lumber Association, and as 

 that association was figuring on changing its 

 rules (which has been done), the secretary 

 thought it best not to go to the expense of get- 

 ting the rules printed, as the members could all 

 get the books of grading rules of the National 

 association : in fact most of our members belong 

 to that association and make all their shipments 

 under its rules. 



The lumber business, as we all realize, has 

 been slow the last year and no important matters 

 have been taken up through the office of the 

 secretary, but we all hope for a revival of busi- 

 ness the coming year. 



I wish to thank the members of the association 

 for the many courtesies extended the secretary in 

 his work. 



IlECEIPTS. 



Balance on hand September, 1907, meet- 

 ing .. . ._ •.;■■• -j;:.;^ *?92.40 



Keceived from annual dues, 1908. 



232.50 



14.1 



Printing and siai .nii.'i y .< '.ilt, 



Stamps 111 Mil 



Salary to scirciiux l-iiiin 



National Lumber .Manufacturers' Assiicia- 



tion assessment for 1908 50.00 



Balance on deposit in Kirst National bank, 



Marshfield, Wis 545.65 



$734.90 



It was moved by J. L. Davis, and duly 

 seconded, that the rules covering the asso- 

 ciation's needs in the matter of grading 

 hardwoods, as adopted by the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association at Milwau- 

 kee — be also adopted by the Wisconsin 

 Hardwood Lumbermen's Association. The 

 motion was carried. 



With regard to an assessment of .$300 

 levied on the association to help defray 

 the expenses of the car stake equipment 

 complaint case, no definite action was taken, 

 and the matter was deferred until the car 

 stake meeting at Chicago in October. 



The secretary was instructed to send out 

 circular letters regularly, to obtain informa- 

 tion as to Wisconsin market conditions, and 

 asking for other information which would 

 enable him to compile statistics of inter- 

 est, for the purpose of mailing out to all 

 members. 



The secretary was instructed to corre- 

 spond with the railroads and determine just 

 what their attitude will be in relation to 

 withdrawal of the milling-iu-transit rates. 



A committee on nominations was ap- 

 pointed, consisting of J. L. Davis and B. 

 L. Timlin, and their report of the follow- 

 ing ticket for officers of the association 

 during the ensuing year, was unanimously 

 adopted. 



President— E. E. Finney. 



Vice-president — B. W. Davis. 



Secretar.v-treasurer — A. E. Beebee. 



Directors — IT. C. Humphrey, Appleton ; Thomas 

 Wall. Oshkosh: B. F. McMillan. McMillan: 

 George H. Lusk. Thorp ; E. E. Finney, Marsh- 

 field ; Guy Nash, Shanagolden ; F. D. Timlin. 

 Wausau. 



A vote of thanks was tendered the offi- 

 cers and directors for their efficient work 

 during the last year. 



The meeting then adjourned. 



The Wisconsin Hardwood Lumbermen 's 

 Association is an important one, compris- 

 ing as members the following hardwood 

 concerns of the state: 



Andrews & Roepke Lumber Co.. Birnamwood. 



Arpin Hardwood Lumber Co., Grand Rapids. 



A. II. Barnard. .Minneapolis. Minn. 



Keldenvllle Lumber Co.. Bruce. 



Brittingham & Young Co.. Madison. 



Bundy Lumber Co., Bundy. 



Buswell I.umh.r & Manuifacturing Co., Minne- 

 ap.ilis Mi,,,, 



' 1" ■'-■' ' V I'oal Co.. Bibon. 



I ' : > '-I I Lumber Co.. Milwaukee. 

 •I" 1: , ■ iiiiber Co., Phillips. 



I" - : . ' Winona, Minn. 



!'■ I : ! II ■,,., Wausau. 



11' '■ -' I Miilier Co., Blackwell. 



II ' iiiiiljer Co., Mellen. 



>- ' ' I r Co.. Fairchild. 



' ■" ■' I .! I'll! ii ■ I ■,. . Dunbar. 



11. 11. .ii.-.iuiii l.iunberCo.. Antlgo. 

 Hcineman Lumber Co.. Heineman. 

 Frank P. Hiles Lumber Co.. Hiles. 

 Ingram Lumber Co., Wausau. 



Nye. Lusk & Hudson Co., 'I'borp. 

 Reitbrook Land & Lumber Co., Milwaukee 

 Rice Lake Lumber Co., Rice Lake. 

 Rust-Owen Lumbfr Co.. Drummond. 

 Daniel Sba» 1 ,:,,,i" . ,- Eau Claire. 

 Stevens-.Ja^^ 1 '■, Kau Claire. 



Stolle-Baiihl ' ■ i:au Claire. 



Vollmer\\:I;. 1/... \l,i ; .i,ii.|il. 



W. .T. Wagsfatl. c i,slik..sli. 



Wall-Spalding Lumber Co.. Oshkosh. 



Wausau Lumber Co.. Edgar. 



Wisconsin Land & Lumber Co.. ITermansville. 



Reorganized Grand Rapids House. 



The weli-knnwn lumber house of Charles 

 Dregge Lumber Company of Grand Rapids, .Mich., 

 has been succeeded by the Dregge-Grover Lum- 

 ber Company. The concern Is made up of 

 Charles Dregge of the old concern and H. P. 

 Grover. The company has saw mills at Ozark, 

 Mich., and at Spur 4(')1 on the Soo Line in the 

 northern peninsula. Will carry on the business 

 of manufacturing ami wholesaling forest products 

 the same as heretofore, but expect to extend the 

 business very materiall.v. 



Both parties in interest in this concern are 

 expericnrf.i lumbermen and Mr. Dregge is espe- 

 cially well known to a large portion of the con- 

 sumers of northern hardwoods. 



In addition to northern and southern hard- 

 woods tbe house are dealers in ties, posts and 

 poles, lath, shingles, hemlock and yellow pine 

 lumber. 



