-^iARDWOOD RECORD 



23 



last twelve moQths we shipped over 300 flats 

 loaded witU lumber, and from another mill 300 

 to 400, and we tigure our loss, on account o£ 

 non-allowance of weight for racks to be about 

 ¥TUO." Another Arm writes, "We ship from 

 three to live hundred cars from southern terri- 

 tory per year, on which we are entitled to the 

 allowance in question" ; another firm writes, 

 "We ship 200 tlat cars per year, and would be 

 considerably benefited by the dhange referred 

 to" ; another tirm writes, "It is quite a problem 

 how much we have lost in 20 years' business 

 tin this proposition, but we have undoubtedly 

 paid thousands of dollars." Another firm 

 writes, "We ship 1,000 cars annually, and it 

 would make a difference of $1 per car in our 

 favor." Another firm writes that "they have 

 shipped within the last six months over 4,000,- 

 000 feet of lumber on flat or gondola cars from 

 North Carolina. South Carolina, Georgia and 

 Florida." Another firm writes that "it is a 

 matter of great interest with us, as it means 

 the saving of a good many dollars every year, 

 and we beg to congratulate you on your signal 

 success." Another firm writes, "We ship over 

 500 cars per year from one of our southern 

 mills, and it would make a difference of $1 

 per car." 



In this connection would say that the work 

 is hardly begun, as I found on investigation 

 that the lines north of the Ohio and Potomac 

 rivers, east of the Mississippi, and south of the 

 Canadian border, under the rules of their own 

 classification, should have t>een making this al- 

 lowance for the last nine years, and that I 

 have so advised the members in my circular- of 

 Dec. 16, calling: their attention to rule in ques- 

 tion, and asking them to make demand upon the 

 railroads so located for the allowance in ques- 

 tion. Naturally, as this allowance has never 

 been made, the railroads did not care to admit 

 that rule covered shipments of lumber, and, on 

 referring same to the otBcial classification com- 

 mittee, they issued iniling circular No. 185, ef- 

 fective Feb. 1, saying that rule in question did 

 not apply on shipments of lumber. Would say 

 that I have not accepted this ruling as final, 

 and that this department has filed claims against 

 the roads for overcharge based on this allowance 

 in weiglit, and that complaint has been made to 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission, calling its 

 attention to the tact that roads operating 

 under the oflicial classification were endeavoring 

 to discriminate against lumber shipments. If 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission decides 

 favorably, it will not only mean that past 

 claims, within the statute of limitations as ap- 

 plying in the various states, against the roads 

 can be collected, but that this allowance will 

 be made in future. I beg to call the attention 

 of the members to the fact that if this is de- 

 cided favorably, it will mean the saving of 

 many thousands of dollars. 



In this connection would say I have in my 

 possession letters from firms advising what it 

 means to them, and I beg leave to quote from 

 some of the letters in question. One firm writes 

 "We shipped upward of 1.000 cars last year, 

 and if we could secure the 500 pounds per car, 

 there would be considerable coming to us." An- 

 other firm writes. "We ship about 300 cars 

 per month, and it would mean a difference of 

 about 50 cents per car to us." Another fy-ni 

 writes, "We would say that ff we could get the 

 allowance of 500 pounds for racks, it would 

 mean a big item to this company, as we are 

 shipping 50 to 100 cars per day, on which we 

 are entitled to the allowance." Another firm 

 writes, "We ship a great many cars from our 

 yards, and are very much interested in the 

 question of allowance." Another member of the 

 association writes, "he ships from one mill alone 

 2.200 cars per year, on which he is entitled to 

 tlie allowance." 



In this connection would say tliat this is a 

 ver,v large question, as railroads should be com- 

 pelled to equip cars for the handling of lumber. 

 as they do for handling other freight, and to 

 make allowance for weight of racks used in 

 equipping cars. 



During m.v connection with the National 

 Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association I have 

 made one trip to Pittsburg. Cleveland. Buffalo 

 and North Tonawanda. one to Baltimore and 

 one to Boston. I strongly urge the necessity of 

 my visiting other cities in which members of 

 this association are located, and also that a 

 trip be made to Wilmington, N. C. Portsmouth. 

 Roanoke, and Richmond. Va.. In order that I 

 may meet the oflSciais of the southern lines, 

 with which this association does a large busi- 

 ness. 



I would like to call the attention of the mem- 

 bers to the fact that this department will have 

 much more weight with the railroads if claims 

 can be presented for every member of the as- 

 sociation, as they will then realize the number 

 of firms that this association represents. 



I take pleasure in advising that one new mem- 

 ber has been secured to the association directly 

 through the services of this department. 



The facilities of this bureau for tracing ears 

 and quoting rates have been utilized by the 

 members of this association in the vicinity of 

 New York. and. I believe, to their entire satis- 

 faction ; and the experience of this bureau has 



been called upon in several cases by members 

 to settle points in dispute with various trans- 

 portation companies. 



Reception by Local Association. 

 During Wednesday evening, in a magnificent 

 reception room of the Bellevue-Stratford, the 

 Philadelphia Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Associa- 

 tion received the members of the National 

 Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association and 

 their guests at an informal reception at which 

 a very elaborate lundheon was served. The 

 committee of arrangements covering this func- 

 tion was George F. Craig, president ; Edward 

 II. Coane, Eli B. Hallowell, Robert G. Kay, A. 

 J. Cadwallader and Charles M. Betts, chairm^j. 

 After this function, at 9 :09 o'clock, Joun J. 

 Rumbarger, vicegerent snark of eastern Pennsyl- 

 vania, held a Hoo-Hoo concatenation in the large 

 ballroom of the Continental hotel. At this 

 affair eight kittens saw the light of Hoo-Hoo 

 land. Mr. Rumbarger was assisted in the 

 duties of snark by two ex-snarks of the ^uni- 

 verse, W. E. Barns of St. Louis and J. E 

 Defebaugh of Chicago. 



After the concatenation a very elaborate 

 %'audeville performance was given in the same 

 room, the star artists of the local theaters be- 

 ing the performers. Refreshments were also 

 served at this entertainment, which lasted until 

 about 1 :30 a. m. 



Session of Thursday, March 2. 

 With reasonable promptness the session was 

 called to order shortly after 11 o'clock. A. L. 

 Stone as chairman of the committee on trade 

 relations, reported that during the year very 

 few cases had been called to the attention of 

 the committee. The committee was somewhat 

 hampered in such cases as came before it in the 

 exercise of its duties by the fact that all of the 

 retail associations were not in strict harmony 

 and under agreement with the national associa- 

 tion. The committee had conscientiously estab- 

 lished the doctrine that it was the policy of 

 the national association not to permit its mem- 

 bers to seek the trade of the contractor or 

 consumer, but it had been unable in most in- 

 stances to take up those complaints with a 

 retail association immediately interested. The 

 report concluded with the statement that it was 

 very apparent that the withdrawal of the retail 

 associations from a scheme of friendly arbitra- 

 tion must work to the embarrassment of both, 

 and the committee was of the opinion that no 

 course other than the protection of its own 

 members upon such broad and liberal grounds 

 as shall be just to them from the standpoint 

 of the national association is open for its 

 guidance. 



J. S. Bennett, chairman of the committee on 

 terms of sale, reported that a great many lum- 

 bermen had adhered to the terms adopted by 

 the association and that a large percentage of 

 lumber is sold on association terms ; and that 

 there seemed to be a general indorsement of 

 the sixt.v-day basis, but few dealers stick to the 

 2 per cent off in ten days. The committee felt 

 (bat a continuance of the work on the same 

 lines would add to the good that already had 

 been accomplished. 



George P. Sawyer, chairman of the forestry 

 committee, presented a very interesting report 

 un t'he subject of forestry. 



Report of General Counsel McKelvey. 

 .Tohn J. McKelvey. general counsel, reportevl 

 that a step was taken two years ago toward the 

 closer identification of the legal department with 

 the association and an amendment to the by- 

 laws was made under which it became an in- 

 tegral part of the working machinery of the 

 organization. About fifty members have become 

 annual subscribers at $10 each to the bureau. 

 The growth was not as rapid as anticipated, 

 although whenever members were fully ac- 

 quainted with the purposes of the bureau it 

 resulted in their joining it From a failure of 

 members to respond more freely the ex- 

 ecutive committee concluded that the charg- 

 ing of a subscription fee was not desirable. 

 The plan was therefore drawn up under which 



the subscription feature of the department was 

 abolished. These changes necessitated an alter- 

 ation in the by-laws and the executive commit- 

 tee will submit an amendment. 



The total number of claims which came into 

 the hands of coimsel during the past year was 

 101. With the number which came over to 

 the oflice from the previous year, claims aggre- 

 gated $50,022.81. Over $35,000 of this amount 

 has been collected. Of the 218 claims now 

 remaining in the hands of counsel, 118 of them 

 are claims which have been proved against 

 insolvent and bankrupt estates. Counsel recom- 

 mended that the association give support to the 

 movement for federal supervision of insurance 

 organizations. 



Afternoon Session, March 2. 

 Lewis Dill, as chairman of the committee on 

 resolutions, recommended that the amendment to 

 the by-laws proposed by the board of trustees, 

 changing the legal department from the basis oa 

 which it had heretofore been operated, be changed 

 to conform with this recommendation. 



Resolutions were recommended thanking Lewis 

 C. Slade for his zealous and efficient work as 

 president of the association ; thanking the chair- 

 man of the board of managers of the bureau of 

 information. F. E. Parker, and the chairman of 

 the railroad and transportation committee, 

 R. W. Higbie, especially commending their work ; 

 and that thanks be extended to the officers and 

 members of the Wholesale Lumber Dealers' As- 

 sociation of Philadelphia for their many atten- 

 tions and courtesies, which report was adopted. 

 The convention then proceeded to the nomina- 

 tion of seven trustees to serve for a period of 

 three years, which resulted in the following se- 

 lection : Lewis Dill, Baltimore ; C. H. Prescott, 

 .Jr., Cleveland ; George F. Craig, Philadelphia ; 

 Frank W. Lawrence, Boston ; A. L. Stone, Cleve- 

 land ; J. B. Wall, Buffalo ; W. W. Knight, In- 

 dianapolis. The above named trustees were 

 elected in conformity with the report of the 

 committee on nominations, of which F. E. Parker 

 was chairman. 



George F. Craig of Philadelphia thereupon 

 nominated Lewis Dill of Baltimore as the choice 

 of the convention for president and recom- 

 mended his election to the board of trustees. 

 This nomination was seconded by a half dozen 

 meinbers and on motion the recommendation was 

 made unanimous. On Mr. Dill's entering the hail 

 he was tendered an ovation that has never before 

 been accorded a prospective president of this 

 convention, and in a brief and graceful speech 

 be thanked his friends of the association most 

 cordially tor the trust reposed in him by their 

 recommendation for his election as president. 

 The meeting then adjourned. 



Election of Officers. 



Immediately after adjournment a meeting of 

 the board of trustees was held for the purpose 

 of choosing officers for the ensuing year. TTie 

 election resulted as follows : 



President, Lewis Dill, Baltimore. 



First vice president, John M. Hastings. Pitts- 

 burg. 



Seuond vice president, Charles H. Prescott, 

 .Ir.. Cleveland. O. 



Treasurer, Frederick W. Cole, New York City 



Secretary, Eugene F. Perry, New York City. 



General Counsel. John J. McKelvey, New York 

 City. 



The Banctuet. 



At 7 p. m. March 2 a banquet to the members 

 of the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' As- 

 sociation and their guests was held in the mag- 

 nificent ball room of the Bellevue-Stratford. 

 There were about 400 guests seated at the tables. 



The banquet hall and tables were most elabo- 

 rately decorated with flowers and much eclfit was 

 given the occasion by the presence of many hand- 

 somely gowned women, the wives and lady guests 

 of the banqueters, in the surrounding white and 

 gold boxes of the gallery. The music was superb 

 and the dinner was in most excellent taste. The 

 [irincipal after dinner speakers. on this occasion 



