HARDWOOD RECORD 



26A 



as to the correct application of tlie National 

 rules. This has been done on all applications 

 received at the secretary's office, and excellent 

 results have been obtained. 



la May, 1907, the National Lumber Export- 

 ers' Association solicited the cooperation of this 

 association in correcting certain unsatisfactory 

 methods then prevailing in the measurement of 

 lumber in the Liverpool market. Letters were 

 sent from the executive office to every member 

 of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, 

 calling attention to the importance of exerting 

 Iheir influence in the correction of these meth- 

 ods, and in due course a letter was received 

 from the National Lumber Exporters' Associa- 

 tion stating that Liverpool buyers had agreed to 

 discontinue the practice formerly prevailing, and 

 further stating that the action of the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association had been a promi- 

 nent factor and of great assistance in correcting 

 the former system. 



From a comparison of the secretary's reports 

 of recent years the fact will be noted that thi, 

 demand from the trade for copies of the Na- 

 tional rules shows marked increase, and the 

 fact that 21,000 copies of the present rules have 

 been sent out since November, 1907, perhaps 

 indicates growing interest in our work. The 

 printing in the new rules of instructions on 

 "how to obtain national inspection" was a new 

 departure, but, from opinions received, has, be- 

 yond doubt, proven of assistance to the member- 

 ship. Frequent changes in yellow pine and 

 cypress rules prompted the Executive Committee 

 to discontinue including those rules in the Na- 

 tional Association book, as we have formally 

 adopted the rules of the Yellow Pine Manufac- 

 turers' Association and the Southern Cypress, 

 Manufacturers' Association. 



Numerous requests from manufacturers in all 

 sections covered by our membership for brand- 

 ing hammers to assist in the identification of 

 their shipments, particularly to eastern markets, 

 resulted in the purchase of branding hammers 

 bearing the National Association emblem and 

 special numbers for each inspector. These have 

 been placed in the hands of all salaried inspect- 

 ors, with instructions to use them on all ship- 

 ments when so requested by the member order- 

 ing the inspection. 



During the year several complaints were reg- 

 istered by large buyers and consumers of hard- 

 wood lumber, to the efiEect that after making 

 positive agreement with the shipper to accept 

 the report of our bonded inspectors, the shipper 

 had declined to deliver the duplicate certificate 

 of the National inspector. Your secretary was 

 accordingly authorized to deliver a copy of such 

 inspection to the buyer if the fact was deter- 

 mined, upon investigation, that National inspec- 

 tion had been agreed upon as a final basis for 

 settlement. 



Your attention is also directed to the fact 

 that a special committee of three has been 

 appointed and has been at work in an effort to 

 secure the adoption of the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association rules by the United States 

 Navy Department. A report of the progress of 

 this committee will be heard during the meet- 

 ing. 



During the year which closes with this annual 

 meeting financial conditions have demanded 

 more of my attention than in former years, but 

 I have been greatly inspired in my efforts by the 

 cordial support of the membership, and the 

 absolute confidence in ultimate results enter- 

 tained l)y all of the officers and directors with 

 whom I have been associated in the discharge of 

 my duties. Since May 24, 1907, 162 new firms 

 have been added to the membership roll. Dur- 

 ing the same period a number of members have 

 been taken from the list. A statement in detail 

 of membership gain and loss since our tenth 

 annual meeting is as follows: 



Membership May 21, 1907 594 



Applications received since. . . . 16t) 



Applications re.iected '. 7 



Total accei)ted '.'.'.'.'.'.'. 162 



Me.mbees Lost. 

 Failures and withdrawals from business. 72 



Dropped as delinquent 24 



Kesignations 26 • 



122 

 resulting in a net gain of 40 members for the 

 year. 



Notwithstanding the substantial reduction in 

 shipments and slow collections to contend with, 

 the first of each month has, without exception, 

 seen all bills of every nature paid in full. The 

 association has not at any period been in debt, 

 nor have we borrowed any funds. Detail of re- 

 ceipts and disbursements from my office are as 

 follows : 



Receipts. 



From membership dues $19,725.00 



From inspection fees 33,704.83 



From inspection rules 759.27 



From cash deposits 625.00 



$54,814.10 



DiSBUHSEMEXTS. 



Remitted treasurer $53,802.47 



Cash and checks on hand... 1,011.63 54,814.10 



In addition to the balance now subject to 

 check of the treasurer in the general fund, 

 $1,716.72, should be added $1,000, carried by 

 the secretary, making total cash balance in gen- 

 eral fund June 1, 190S, $2,716.72. Checks and 

 cash on hand received since June 1 amount to 

 $1,011.63, which brings the total cash on hand 

 and in bank to $3,728.35. 



In addition we have outstanding accounts for 

 inspection service, $2,052.05 ; for membership 

 dues prior to May, 1908, $275 ; due May, 1908, 

 $1,900. giving the association accounts and cash 

 on hand at this time $7,955.40. 



Since my appointment as secretary, three years 

 ago, the subject of adding a Bureau of Informa- 

 tion on firms who are known as "kickers for 

 revenue" and buyers who habitually cancel or- 

 ders and contracts, has been advocated by sev- 

 eral of our members. It is not my understand- 

 ing that those members favor the establishment 

 of a complete system of credit investigations or 

 financial ratings, but a confidential bureau for 

 the interchange of experience on customers who 

 are inclined to be arbitrary and unfair. Syste- 

 matic interchange of such experience has come 

 to be an accepted factor in many lines, and with 

 our membership of 634 firms it is my belief 

 that cooperation along these lines would prove 

 of great value to the membership, and doubtless 

 result in the correction of some of the present 

 abuses which the hardwood lumbermen have to 

 contend with. I should be pleased to have this 

 suggestion considered during the meeting, and 

 if it meets with the approval of the members 

 present, I shall take pleasure in submitting plans 

 in detail for the establishment of such a depart- 

 ment. 



Xt is freely conceded that all branches of the 

 lumber industry recognize mote fully each year 

 the necessity and value of organized effort. 

 Present trade conditions render such effort of 

 more value than ever, and it is my belief that 

 the National Hardwood Lumber Association, 

 with its prestige of eleven years of successful 

 work, can and will in the near future maintain 

 a list of 1,900 members. We shall work for an 

 important incre.-vse during the coming year, and 

 with your cooperation there is absolutely no 

 question about successful results. 



With an earnest request for a continuation 

 of your loyal support and with thanks for the 

 many courtesies extended during the past year, 

 this report is respectfully submitted. 



F. F. Fish, Secretary. 

 Treasurer's Report. 



GENERAL FUND. 

 Balance on hand as reported bv J. 

 Watt Graham at Atlantic City con- 

 vention, May 23, 1907 $ 2,753.71 



Receipts. 



Membership dues $19,350.00 



Inspection tees 33,076.48 



Inspection rules 750.99 53,177.47 



$55,931.18 



DlSBi:i!SEMEXTS. 



Salaries (secretary, chief in- 

 spector, stenographers and 

 inspectors) $39,143.89 



Inspectors' expense 6,346.09 



Secretary's tiaviline ex 



'age 



Convention, New York con- 

 ference, Executive and 

 Standing Committee ex- 

 pense 1,233.74 



Printing and office supplies. 1,953.69 



Telephone, telegraph, light, 



express and exchange.... 436.40 



Reinspeetion settlements.... 1,906.14 



Rent of 1012 Rector build- 

 ing 960.00 



Premiums on bonds for sec- 

 retary and treasurer 28.65 



Refunds to members 52.83 54,214.46 



Balance on hand June 1, 



1908 $ 1.716.72 



CASH DEPOSIT FUND. 

 Receipts. 

 From J. Watt Graham, for- 

 mer treasurer $ 1,363.30 



Deposits from twentv-five 



inspectors 625.00 



Interest to June 1, 1908... 51.49 



$ 2,038.79 



DiSBURSEMEXTS. 



Refunds of fourteen inspec- 

 tors (resigned) $ 350.00 



Balance on hand June 1, 



1908 $ 1,688.79 



CL.iLDE M.iLEV. Treasurer. 

 ATTEKNOON SESSION. 



At the opening of the afternoon session the 



committee on forestry, of which M. M. Wall of 



Buffalo is chairman, made its report as follows : 



Report of Committee on Forestry. 



To the president and members of the Na- 

 tional Hardwood Lumber Association: Your 

 committee on forestry begs to report consid- 

 erable work done during the past year. Has 

 been in correspondence with the National 

 Forestry Service at Washington and with the 

 forestry commissions of the states of New 

 York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut 

 and other states and with legislators and in- 

 dividuals, and has endeavored to keep as much 

 as possible in touch with what is actually 

 being done in regard to forestry and also what 

 legislation is being enacted, and to advise and 

 assist in such legislation as much as possible. 



Perhaps the most important legislation is 

 the bill which was recently passed appropriat- 

 ing $5,000,000 for the purchase and control of 

 approximately 7,000,000 acres of land in the 

 Appalachian and White mountains. 



The future hardwood supply hinges largely 

 on the control of the Appalachian mountain 

 -forests. To briefly summarize the reasons the 

 hardwood lumber cut of the country has fallen 

 off over 15 per cent in the last seven years, 

 and this decrease took place at a time when 

 the industries made unprecedented demands 

 upon every kind of structural material. The 

 output of pig iron increased S6 per cent, that 

 of cement 229 percent and that of softwood 

 lumber nearly 16 per cent. During the same 

 period the wholesale prices of all classes of 

 hardwood lumber advanced from 25 to 65 per 

 cent. Almost every kind of tardwood has been 

 put on the market and hardwood is now being 

 cut in every state and in almost every locality 

 where it is found. All possible substitutes are 

 being put into requisition. The demand is 

 stronger than ever, but the supply is falling 

 off. A notable shrinkage has occurred in some 

 of the most popular woods, as shown by the 

 following table: 



1S99. feet. 1906, feet. Inc. Dec. 



Oak 4,438,027.000 2,820,393,000 36.5 



Maple 633,466,000 882,878,000 39 4 . . 



PoP'ar 1,115,212.000 fi93.076,ono .... 37.9 



Red gum.... :^s.,4K, -i.v: .:7^ , 59.0 .... 



Chestnui ,. :"•, ,- • • 1 , ■ . . 171 

 Bassw I J '3 "" 



go"V'>"'""l .'-'.■. 36.4 



Beech s.A , 



Elm 156,731, uuO 2-l,7iM,uju ..'.'. 50.S 



Ash 269,120,000 214,460,000 20.3 



Hickory .... 96,636,000 148,212,000 53.4 .... 



Tupelo (A) 47,882,000 



Walnut 38,681,000 48.174,000 24.5 



Sycamore ... 29,715,000 



All others... 208,504,000 87,637,000 58.0 



S.634,021. 000 7,315,491,000 Ib^ 



Oak, which in 1S99 furnished more than one- 

 half the entire output of hardwood lumber, has 



