THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 



13 



attention as the position of tlie committee 

 demands. 



CONCLITSION. 



Tlie dnties of tliis office liave grown to a 

 point wliere they require more time and 

 attention than I am able to give them, and 

 in concluding this report, whicli will be my 

 last as secretary. I wish to congratulate the 

 members of this organization upon the suc- 

 cess which has attended its efforts. It has 

 seemed at times that, considering the ends 

 sought, our progress was slow: but when 

 we iooli back at the point from which we 

 started we have reason to congratulate our- 

 selves tliat we have done so well. 



In this last report I wish to bear testi- 

 mony that in the five years of my work as 

 secretary I have never known this associa- 

 tion to be swayed in its actions by selfisli 

 motives. It has never enacted legislation 

 designed to give one section of its member- 

 ship an advantage over another section, nor 

 to give its members an advantage over 

 those who are not members. It has treated 

 every proposition Ijrought before it in a 

 spirit of absolute fairness and impartiality. 

 and so long as this spirit dominates its 

 councils no opposition will prevail against 

 it. 



In conclusion, I wish to thank the mem- 

 bers for the confidence tney have placed in 

 me and for their loyal support. 



Respectfully submitted. 



A. R. VIXNEDGE. Secretary. 



President Smith then called for reports 

 of standing committees. The revision com- 

 mittee reported as follows: 

 REPORT OF REVISION COMMITTEE. 

 To the Members of the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association. 



Gentlemen: — We, the undersigned com- 

 mittee on revision and inspection rules, 

 after careful consideration, beg to report 

 to the members now in convention that we 

 unanimously are of the opinion that we 

 serve the Interests of tlie association best, 

 as well as the general hardwood lumber 

 trade at large, by not recommending any 

 changes in the present rules of inspection 

 us adoi)ted a year ago at the St. Louis con- 

 vention. We arrived at this conclusion not 

 entiri'ly within ourselves, but also took 

 occasion to interview lumber manufac- 

 turers as well as lumlier dealers on this 

 subject, and the consensus of opinion, with 

 few exceptions, was to the effect that to 

 change the rules for the inspection of hard- 

 wood lumber was unwarranted. We be- 

 lieve that our association i)artieularly needs 

 stability on tills subject, and to " yearly 

 change the rules we would simply adopt a 

 vacillating policy. 



Uespectfully submitted. 



TIIEOi )OK E FATHAUER, 

 J. W.X'I'T (;kaiiam, 



W. S. D.MtXIOLL. 

 G. VON I'L.VTEN. 

 .T. M. PIUTCIIARU. 

 Report adopted without debate. 

 The Inspection Bureau committee asked 

 for further time. 



Acting Cliairman W. A. Bennett of the 

 transportation committee reported as fol- 

 lows: 



REPORT OF THE ACTING CHAIRMAN 

 OF THE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT 

 OF THE NATIONAL HARD- 

 AVOOD LUMBER ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



Mr. President and Gentlemen of the 

 Convention:— During the absence of your 

 chairman. Mr. W. II. Rnsse of Memphis, 

 in Europe. I was reciuested to act in his 

 stead, which I have done, with the result 



that will be stated by your treasurer and 

 traffic manager. 



It was thought at the inception of this 

 department of the association that all that 

 was necessary for ns to do was simply 

 to announce that we had added a traffic 

 department and had employed a compe- 

 tent traffic manager to conduct same, and 

 with this announcement our membership 

 would flock to it and express great anxi- 

 ety to become members. 



We who knew we had the interests of 

 the association at heart and our own in- 

 terests as Avell in our business, misjudged 

 this and it is a surprising fact to us. that, 

 while our members ijave gradually in- 

 creased until we have quite a representa- 

 tive body of people, yet not by any means 



as rated in Dun's, one-tenth of one per 

 cent of our lowest capital rating; any ex- 

 cess of that was rightfully belonging to 

 those who subscribed to this guarantee 

 fund. 



Aside from lli.it matter there has been 

 quite an amount of money expended by a 

 few that slionld be returned to them, and 

 while, of course, we know the association 

 will make that part good to ns, yet at the 

 same time it is a very unequal division of 

 the burden, and, to say the least of it, this 

 department has not had the moral and 

 linancial support that it so well deserves. 



The change in rates and other matters 

 that have lieeii accomplished and will be 

 accomplished liy this department are of a 

 character so v.ist that there is not one of 



F. SW.MX. I'ltlCSlDKNT, 

 SlK'll).vville. Ind. 



the number have taken hold of it that 

 sliould have done so. 



Next to a unilormity of inspection this 

 is the most important feature of our busi- 

 ness. We have had all of us difficulties 

 in our business arising out of freight rates, 

 overcharges, recousigniiig point and many 

 things that we were not aware of, nor 

 could we be aware of unless we were born 

 and bred in the business; all of these 

 difficulties are overcome through a traffic 

 manager, one who is intelligent in his 

 business and thorough in his work, and 

 such a man we have in our employ, and his 

 report and every action will demonstrate 

 that. 



A few of us in the beginning of this 

 traffic bureau subscribed to the guarantee 

 fund some .$200 each: that simply was a 

 temporary fund to start matters off in good 

 shape, yet. however, with the expense we 

 have had as yet you will see and the diffi- 

 culties under" wliic.i we have labored none 

 of this money has been returned to us. 

 and a few of us have not only in that 

 amount, but several hundred dollars be- 

 sides. 



Of course, in this guarantee fund of 

 .$200 we were entitled to pay our pro rata. 



us that could not afford to pay liberally 

 for its support and then be ahead as an 

 investment more than any other member- 

 ship of this association. My judgment in 

 this matter is that this particular depart- 

 ment should he divorced from the associa- 

 tion entirely, althougn I think the associa- 

 tion should endorse and put it on a basis 

 where it will be self-supporting, and this 

 can onl.v be accomplished through means 

 and' ways that will broaden its scope and 

 take in lines of business other than lum- 

 ber. This matter, however, is one for dis- 

 cussion among you, and I hope it will be 

 taken up vigorously in its order and cared 

 for properly, liecau.se outside of uniformit.v 

 of inspection this is the next important 

 factor in any well organized lumber busi- 

 ness. 



I desire to thank my friends for the sup- 

 port they have given me in this undertak- 

 ing, and thorough co-operation I have had 

 from the tiansport.ition committee of this 

 bureau. I do not think that, in view of 

 our expenses and lack of support, we 

 maiie a bad showing. 



It is unnecessary for me to expand on 

 this matter, as the reports of the president 

 and traffic manager will he of a character 



