44 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Meeting Philadelphia lumbermen's Ex- 

 change 



The regular monthly meeting of the Lumber- 

 men's Exchange of Philadelphia was held on Nov. 



7. William T. Betts, president, in the chair. On 

 motion ot Ralph Souder, chairman of the legis- 

 lative committee, a resolution was passed stating 

 that the Lumbermen's Exchange of Philadelphia 

 is in full sympathy with the resolution adopted 

 by the Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association 

 at New London, Conn., on Sept. 6. 



An invitation from the National Rivers & Har- 

 bors Congress was received, requesting that dele- 

 gates be sent to the next convention, to be held 

 at the New Willard hotel. Washington, D. C, 

 Dec. 4, 5 and 6. President Betts appointed the 

 same committee to represent the exchange which 

 attended the convention last year. 



Memphis Liunbermen Discuss Excessive 

 Insurance Rates 



The lumbermen of Memphis will continue to 

 fight the present alleged excessive rates on lum- 

 ber insurance. This subject has been discussed 

 at all the recent meetings of the Lumbermen's 

 Club of Memphis and at the last one, held Nov. 



8, the following resolutions were unanimously 

 adopted : 



Whereas. We are informed that several neigh- 

 boring states, through the activities of the in- 

 surers, obtained state rating boards and enjoyed 

 material reduction in almost every case where 

 rates were excessive and out of proportion to 

 other communities, and 



Whereas, From the best information obtain- 

 able, we And that our insurance rates are ex- 

 cessively high, in proportion to the losses in this 

 territory and further believing that the experi- 

 ence on the insurance carried on lumber shoiild 

 be published so that equitable rates on lumber 

 of this class could be based in accordance with 

 this experience ; be it 



Resolved, That the meeting appoint a legis- 

 lative lommittee to investigate and confer with a 

 delegation of the state legislature, preparatory to 

 passing a law that will equalize insurance rates 

 on lunilier districts with those north ot the Ohio 

 river. 



Thep> resolutions were offered by James E. 

 Stark, who said that he learned enough to lead 

 him to the belief that rates were out of all pro- 

 portion to the risk involved. He asserted further 

 that he believed it possible to secure lower rates 

 and expressed the belief that it was very poor 

 business for the lumbermen to continue to pay 

 present rates if it were possible to obtain lower 

 ones. C. W. Holmes thought it was possible to 

 secure lower rates also, especially if the proper 

 efforts were put forth to that end. Some of the 

 other lumbermen Joined in the discussion, and 

 it was declared that rates were so high that, if 

 something were not done, it would be impossible 

 for some of the yard men here to continue opera- 

 tions. After adopting the foregoing resolutions 

 the club added J. E. Stark and J. M. Pritchard to 

 the law and insurance committee, which has 

 charge of this matter. This committee is com- 

 posed of J. V. Rush, chairman, F. E. Gary, W. 

 E. Nickey, J. R. Bailey and Sam Burgess. 



The club, at the request of the Lumbermen's 

 Club 'Of Nashville, instructed the secretary to 

 write to the National Wholesale Lumber Deal- 

 ers' Association, requesting that it hold its next 

 annual meeting at Nashville, This action was 

 taken. 



There was also some discussion of the question 

 of exchange on checks sent in payment for lum- 

 ber. This matter will probably be further con- 

 sidered at a later meeting. Nothing definite was 

 done. 



Philadelphia Lumbermen in Golf Tourna- 

 ment 



Through the courtesy of William T. Betts, 

 Horace A. Reeves, Jr., and Eugene W. Fry, who 

 are members of the Philadelphia Cricket and 

 Golf clubs, the Philadelphia Lumbermen's Golf 

 Club held its last tournament and meeting for 

 the season at the famous Philadelphia Golf Club 

 grounds with its eighteen-hole course, St. Martins, 

 Pa., Nov. 12. The weather was ideal for golf 

 and the day's sport was particularly animated. 



The golfers were divided into three foursomes, 

 one threesome and two twosomes for the con- 

 quest, which began for new honors at 12 :30 p. m. 



The first foursome, composed of Frank Buck, 

 president ot the club, with Eugene W. Fry, vice- 

 president, as partner, and Horace A. Reeves, Jr., 

 and Ralph Souder, four of the crack-a-jack wield- 

 cTS ot the driver and the putter, laughingly con- 

 tested for first place, and throughout the game 

 there was considerable good natured bantering 

 and teasing back and forth, which only added 

 new zest to the game. The play resulted slightly 

 in favor of the last two named in the net score, 

 l»ut Buck and Fry won out in best ball. Aii 

 amusing incident which will be appreciated by 

 all amateur golfers occurred in the game played 

 by the popular vice-president of the Lumbermen's 

 Exchange, Benjamin Stoker. Although only his 

 second game among older and experienced play- 

 i-rs, Mr. Stoker, nothing daunted, pluckily plunged 

 ahead, but alas, he had not anticipated one of 

 those swear provoking positions which are so 

 familiar to the golfer, and when the like ill luck 

 befell him, unaware of the rules of counting, 

 he began vigorously to swipe at the ball, and not 

 until the caddie, who mentally kept count, in a 

 loud voice called out seventeen, did he realize 

 his mistake. How'ever. no one enjoyed the Joke 

 more than did Mr. Stoker, who spared not him- 

 self in the least. Another laughable affair was a 

 strictly good natured Jest which William Meyer 

 played upon his friend, B. S. Gill. Mr. Meyer 

 introduced Mr. Gill, a new member, to the club, 

 and wishing him to- stand well in the limelight 

 ( '!) with the golfers, had only a 'twenty handicap 

 placed to his name, taking at the same time 

 Iwenty-five for himself. Gill having only played 

 two games in his life, naturally is a novice, while 

 Mr. Meyer has been playing for three years, hence 

 the absurdity of the handicap appears. Meyer 

 won second prize, but all honor to Gill, for it) 

 spite of the figures so kindly placed, he nearly 

 beat Meyer out, which quite turned the tables on 

 his Jocose friend. 



At 6 ;45 p. m. a dinner to tickle the palate of 

 an epicure was served, after which the meeting 

 was called to order by President Buck. As Sec- 

 retary Ben C. Currie was absent, the minutes of 

 previous meeting were omitted. H. G. Parker 

 was elected a member of the club at this meet- 

 ing, which makes the required membership of 

 fifty complete. The remainder of the evening was 

 devoted to various social amusements. The prize 

 winners were : John E. Howes, first prize, a 

 beautiful cut-glass fern dish ; William Meyer, sec- 

 ond prize, a large hammered brass Jardiniere ; 

 J. E. Troth and l<'rank E. Scholield each won a 

 handsome electric desk lamp for best ball. Mr. 

 Schofield had second lowest net score. Init ac- 

 cording to the rules of the club, could not receive 

 two prizes. The organization of the Philadelphia 

 Lumbermen's Golf Club has proved one of the 

 most successful social ventures in which the 

 lumber trade has ever embarked. The enthxisiasm 

 evinced by the members and which increases at 

 each meeting and tournament augurs well for its 

 progress and interest for 1913. 



St. Louis Furniture Board of Trade Pre- 

 sented with a Token 

 At the October meeting of the St. Louis Fur- 

 niture Board of Trade, its secretary, Henry M. 

 Holtgrewe, president of the Missouri Furniture 

 Company, presented to that association a hand- 

 some gavel. The gavel is a remarkable piece of 

 workmanship in every particular. The woods em- 

 ployed in making it are both foreign and domestic. 

 The body is of rosewood, each end having a star 

 inlaid with hard white maple. The barrel is pro- 

 fusely engraved, the upper band showing a 

 forest, the felling of trees, logs, sawmill, lumber 

 yard, seasoning and curing of lumber, a furniture 

 factory and a retail furniture store. The lower 

 band is engraved with allegorical figures repre- 

 senting shields, with exquisite fancy scrollwork. 

 The rest of the gavel is decorated In an equally 

 tasteful way. The engraving was done by A. 



Buehner of St. Louis, and occupied over one 

 hundred hours of his time. 



To Mr. Holtgrewe the club is indebted not 

 only for the gavel but for the entire design, 

 which he^ thought out carefully and planned in 

 consultation with the engraver. The gift is 

 highly appreciated by his fellow members ot the 

 board, who passed motion providing a box for the 

 preservation of the gavel. 



Second Growth Forest 



Dr. C. A. Scbcnck of the Biltmore Forest 

 School, who is well known to many lumbermen in 

 all parts of the United States, has issued a third 

 and much enlarged edition of his book, "Biltmore 

 Lectures on Silviculture," which was first pub- 

 lished in 1905. This book, which in its new form 

 contains over two hundred pages, deals primarily 

 with the growing of timber. He calls his book 

 "The Art of the Second Growth." It contains 

 much information concerning the kinds of trees 

 suited to various situations : and owners of cut- 

 over lands, as well as those who may wish to 

 plant timber on worn-out farm lands, will find 

 much valuable information in this book. 



More of the International Lumber and De- 

 velopment Company 



The International Lumber and Development 

 Company, whose mendacious methods have been 

 exposed in the columns of the Hardwood Record 

 at various times, will be tried before a Federal 

 Jury on Dec. 10, on the charge of using the 

 mails to defraud. Three additional bills of in- 

 dictment were returned by the Federal grand 

 Jury on Nov. 13 against Charles McMahon, John 

 R. Markley, Isaiah B. Miller, Henry A. Merrill. 

 William H. Armstrong, Sr., William H. Arm- 

 strong, Jr., and Albert G. Stewart, offleers of 

 the company, all of whom were indicted in June. 

 This company was formed seven years ago and 

 capitalized at .f6..^00.nOO for the purpose of de 

 veloping plantation and other timber tracts in 

 Mexico. In the charges the government alleges 

 that the company sold more than $6,000,000 

 worth of stock, on which $1,. 500. 000 was paid 

 in dividends. It is further alleged that these 

 dividends were paid out of the money received 

 for stock instead of the earnings of the com- 

 pany, and that very little had been done by the 

 concern in the way of develoiiing the property. 



Action Against Railroads 

 The National Lumber Exporters' Associatiori 

 intends to ask for a rehearing in the case against 

 the Kansas City and Southern Railroad and other 

 lines running into New Orleans in connection 

 with the variation in the rate from points in 

 Louisiana to New Orleans on lumber and logs 

 intended for the domestic trade as compared 

 with the rate on lumber and logs for the export 

 business. The difference in the rate is now 

 two cents per 100 pounds, and the petition of the 

 National Lumber Exporters' As.sociation to have 

 the rate equalized was rejected by the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission at Washington. Just what 

 reason will be urged for a rehearing has not yet 

 been determined, but the commissioln in its action 

 overlooked several points, any one of which may 

 l>e taken up. It is suggested that the exporters 

 have always been willing and now pay for any 

 extra switching that may be done if a shipment 

 is diverted from its original destination, but they 

 maintain that they are not on equality with the 

 domestic trade, which gets the benefit of delivery 

 at any point designated free of ch'arge, though, 

 of course, a shifting to another point entails a 

 special tax. The exporters contend that their 

 requirement to have export lumber and logs deliv- 

 ered at the docks of steamers which are to take 

 the shipments is in effect like the delivery at 

 any point designated by the domestic trade, and 

 that the rates should be the same in both in- 

 stances because there is no difference in the char- 

 acter of the service. 



The annual meeting ot the National Lumber 

 Exporters' Association will take place Jan. 2.t 

 and 24. 1913, at Chattanooga. 



