II VAXSANT. ASHI.A.MJ, KV. 

 EXECUTIVE BOARD 



MEMBER 



M. RITTER, COLUMBUS. O., MEMBER 

 EXECUTIVE BOARD 



B. BURKE, CHARLESTON, MISS. MEM- 

 BER EXECUTIVE BOARD 



action, it bein^ necessary for them to authorize or empower us to go 

 ahead. In order to bring back to .vour recollection our recommendations, 

 I want you to read them. 



The speaker then read the list of recommendations and con- 

 tinued: 



The second clause of these recommendations, referring to the execu- 

 tive committee being composed of five members, has been acted upon by 

 President Griggs, and the five gentlemen whose names Mr. Bronson gave 

 yon represent as to each of them a separate department in the lumber 

 line. 



The fourth clause in these recommendations has received the approval 

 of the National board of governors. I might state very frankly — and 

 while I am stating it as my own position, I believe that 1 am also 

 stating it for all the members of the committee — that if we are em- 

 powered to go ahead with this advertising campaign, we expect to run it 

 In a businesslike manner. We are perfectly willing to receive and we will 

 expect the aid and assistance ot every lumberman in the United States. 

 and we will feel free to call upon him at any time to help us : but as we 

 win be responsible to the lumber trade in general for the success of the 

 campaign and for the expenditure of this money we tell you very can- 

 didly that we expect to run that campaign upon ideas of our own, and 

 not somebody else's. 



The next clause says "That the Secretary of the National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association shall collect all funds, etc." That means 

 that George R. Smith, of St. Louis, will be the man to collect the money. 

 That is in exact accordance with the now present rules of the National 

 association. It was arranged at the board of governors' meeting that 

 this committee would notify the secretary, Mr. Smith, of the anticipated 

 expenditures for the month, and would receive a check from Mr. Smith 

 with the signature of Mr. Griggs for that amount ot money : that the 

 entire fund would not be placed at the disposition or In the possession 

 of the committee, but will at all times remain In the possession of the 

 National Lumber Manufacturers' Association tmder Its present rules, so 

 that while not one of the committee might want to take a trip to Canada, 

 the committee simply have a month's expenditures provided for, and you 

 will know just how far they can go. 



Now I didn't anticlpat.-^ being called on this afternoon and had in- 

 tended to do a little night work on this, gentlemen, to get It whipped 

 around into a little better shape; but If you will just bear with me I 

 will try to put the matter In addition to these reports and place some 

 other Information before you. 



In the two reports submitted by the advertising committee of the 

 National I,umber Manufacturers' Association, relative to the Inroads 

 which arc being made upon the demand for wood by the forcing of a 

 market for the use of substitutes for wood, it was fully demonstrated 

 that the methods used for producing a market for these substitutes was 

 not only efficient in making a market for such products but that It 

 seriously Interfered with the market for wood. 



It has been argued that this propaganda has not and cannot conflict 

 with the Interests and market of the hardwoods, on the ground ihat the 

 promotion methods used are for wood used In building construction In 

 which, of course, comparatively little hardwood Is employed. 



Any Investigation of this subject, however, immediately discloses Ibal 

 the same methods of promotion for substitutes for structural woods have 

 also come Into vogue for substitutes for hardwoods, and that these 

 methods have met with success and are having more success. 



Not only have the same general arguments been used by the Interests 



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back of the promotion of substitutes for hardwoods, such as the supposed 

 "trust" control over hardwood supplies, the comparative scarcity of hard- 

 wood and the tremendous advance in prices ; but the propaganda which 

 has been made for substitutes for structural timbers has been taken 

 advantage of and carried to what Is considered a logical conclusion in the 

 promotion of substitutes for hardwoods. It is true that the campaigns 

 for wood substitutes competing with the hardwood market have not been 

 of the volume nor have they been so long continued as the campaigns 

 for substitutes for structural woods. 



This is perfectly natural when the magnitude of the different markets 

 is considered. 



These campaigns, however, have been constantly increasing and have 

 met with fully as much, if not as yet so observable, success as in the 

 case of substitutes for structural woods. 



That they should have met with such success is not surprising when 

 the efforts that have been put forth for them are considered, as com- 

 pared with the total lack of effort for the developing of a market for 

 hardwood products. 



In other words, the manufacturers of the substitutes are being left 

 with a clear field and are reaching the consumers of their products, who 

 might and should be consumers of hardwood products, without challenge 

 or contradiction for any of their statements or claims. 



'Under such circumstances it is only natural that the consumer will 

 accept the goods which he has been educated to believe arc the best for 

 his purpose, when he has not in any way been advised to the contrary 

 and has no knowledge which can lead him to believe that there is any- 

 thing of equal value to the substitutes which have been urged upon him. 



The extent to which a propaganda for hardwood substitutes is going 

 on may be faintly appreciated from the fad that a single company in 

 New York State, manufacturing metal doors and interior trim for build- 

 ings, is spending In advertising to reach the consumer, upwards ot ?75,000 

 per annum, l^lck up any leading magazine reaching the consumers of the 

 country and you are almost certain to find anywhere from one to ten ad- 

 vertisements of products made of metal to serve purposes for which hard- 

 woods have heretofore been employed. This is particularly true of 

 periodicals reaching the fields of business for business furniture. 



That Is not a large amount of money, yet that amount of money is as 

 nincli as the entire lumber I'rateniity is spending today In try to keep 

 the trade that they have got. This one firm that is making metal doors 

 and metal Interior trim is spending as much money on its advertising as 

 the entire lumber fraternity. The cypress people spend .$40,000 ; the 

 yellow pine $20,000: the hardwood people have spent about $10,000; the 

 white pine people have just started in and have spent $4,000 or $5,000 ; 

 so that there is $75,000 spent in bringing your business to the public, 

 and this one firm In New York Is spending that nmch money Itself In 

 advertising a competitive product to yours. There are today tbirly-three 

 firms advertising metal construction in place of hardwood. We can keep 

 track of the amount they spend because we see their advertisements and 

 can measure them, and know what the advertising costs for space. 



In the current (.Tanuary) issue of System, a publication reaching 

 manufacturers, etc., there arc five advertisements of this character ; one 

 on typewriter desks, three on filing cases and one on filing cases and 

 office furniture In general. In the current Issue ot Eactory there are 

 three advertisements on metal clothes-lockers from one of which we quote 

 as follows: "No other change in your factory will show mure Imniedlnle 

 results than the replacement of the dirty, unsanitary, disease bearing 

 lockers with • • • steel lockers. Is it scientific to Invest In equip- 

 ment which Is subject to such rapid deterioration (as wooden lockers)?" 



