HARDWOOD RECORD 



37 



because whether an association is oi" manufacturers or of sales managers, 

 the association as to its greatest strength may be measured from the 

 wealsest member composing it : that is to say, in any organization it there 

 are permitted to creep in very many members whose ideas of doing busi- 

 ness are not such as to bear the light of day, or whose notions of com- 

 petition are such as to prevent the man who wishes to do a legitimate 

 business from securing any business at all. then the association which 

 Is backed up in such a manner is of a weak character and will be of 

 short life. 



The primary object back of such an association as I have been de- 

 scribing to you has for its backbone the elimination of all members who 

 conduct their business in any manner objectionable to the firm or sales- 

 man who wishes to do business along businesslike lines. I hope that is 

 thoroughly understood. 



It is not the purpose of this organization to be a clearing house for 

 trouble, nor to furnish an opportunity where all defects in the lumber 

 trade can be sorted out and settled ; but it will very largely remedy those 

 things wliich come to us as being very objectionable. 



Gentlemen, the harmonious side of association work is another large 

 feature in the extension of sales as well as in the intelligent manufac- 

 ture of lumber. We learned a few moments ago from Mr. Greeley's 

 address that it takes three years to increase the diameter of a 13-inch 

 poplar tree one inch. I think in that fact is well exemplified the idea 

 that in an organization of men banded together to accomplish anything 

 that is going to be lasting we can not expect a mushroom growth to 

 develop sturdy business methods that clear open and daylight performance 

 of our trade practices will permit. 



I do not doubt that the members of this association every one of them 

 have come up against the fact many times that unless we exchange our 

 ideas with those who are in the same line of business with us, we do 

 not know how we are going to stand with our products nor where our 

 sales are going to land ; but the more we can follow up with organized 

 effort along the lines that are going to open up the largest field, and open 

 it up in the fairest, most honest and most honorable way, the more we 

 will achieve a permanent and most satisfying result. 



Gentlemen, come to Chicago the middle of February. 



Indiana Home of Inspection Rules 

 Van B. Perriue, president of the Indiana Hardwood Lumber- 

 men's Association, was called upon and spoke briefly on the sub- 

 ject of the Indiana Association being the parent of hardvsrood 

 inspection rules, and stated with great force that nothing would 

 give the Indiana association more pleasure than to see a unifica- 

 tion of the inspection rules of the Hardwood Manufacturers' and 

 the National associations. He believed that every member of the 

 Indiana association would work heartily to that end. 



Election of Officers 



C. L. Harrison, chairman of the committee on nominations was 

 called on for a report and spoke as follows: 



In determining upon a name to put before this convention as your 

 executive officer to succeed our present worth.y president in carrying out 

 the progressive and successful policy that the year's business shows up 

 for the fiscal year 1912. we think that we have made a selection that 

 will meet the approval of every one of the members of this association. 

 We have chosen a man who has been in this association since its incep- 

 tion, and who has been prominent in all the conferences that have re- 

 sulted in our present standards, which are being accepted all over the 

 country. We have chosen this gentleman because of his enthusiasm. 

 and because of his faithful service. We beg to present to this conven- 

 tion the name of ^Ir. W. E. DeLaney, of Cincinnati, as your president 

 for the ensuing year. 



On motion, the report of the committee was accepted, and the 

 secretary was introduced to announce the cast of the organization 

 for Mr. DeLaney for president. 



Eetiring President Townsend appointed a committee to conduct 

 Mr. DeLaney to the chair, and addressed him in a speech of con- 

 gratulations. 



In response the newly-elected president spoke as follows: 



In the selection of your president, as to whether or not you have 

 made a wise choice remains to be seen. 



In a business fight there are two types of men who are always difficult 

 to combat. One is a man who overwhelms you with his superior knowl- 

 edge, the other is a man who is so foolish as not to realize when he 

 is defeated. I belong to the latter class. 



I do not mean by that assertion that I shall, as your president, go out 

 of the way to pick up any fights, but as long as I am your leader, the 

 policy of the association shall be an aggressive one. 



I have been very much interested in association work ever since I 

 became affiliated with this organization, and while I have never had any 

 thought that I should ever become your leader, I would not be sincere 

 if I should make the statement that I am not pleased with the honor 

 which the associates and the members of this organization have con- 

 ferred upon me. 



I can easily fight the battles of this organization on account of a 

 thorough and sincere conviction that the principles upon which it is 

 founded are correct ones. Furthermore, I am firmly convinced that this 

 organization is absolutely essential both to the manufacturers and con- 

 sumers of hardwood lumber of this country. 



I am not egotistical enough to think that as your president I can 

 unaided solve the problems which may confront our organization during 

 my administration. I am depending upon the co-operation, advice and 

 hearty support of every member of our association. With if I assure 

 .vou that the results will be pleasing and entirely satisfactory ; without 

 it there will be nothing but failure. The word "failure" is not in my 

 vocabulary. I know I can procure co-operation and support if I give you 

 the opportunity, and that is my intention. 



I naturally hesitate to accept the honor which you have conferred upon 

 me when I permit my thought to revert to those who have preceded me 

 in this position. This organization is proud of them, every one, and I 

 shall be satisfied if history in the lumber world will see fit to link my 

 name with theirs. In the matter of inspection, I shall follow the ambi- 

 tion of my predecessors, and strive to carry forward the work they have 

 done in the effort to obtain universal inspection of hardwood lumber. I 

 want to assure you, gentlemen, that my every effort shall be to accom- 

 plish that one thing, to my mind the greatest problem that confronts us 

 today. 



I ask your loyal support. I will give you the very best that is in me 

 for one year ; make or break, you have got it. As to whether or not 

 my administration this next year is successful does not entirely depend 

 upon me : I have some egotism in my system, but not that much. I must 

 have the co-operation of every man, and I believe that I am going to 

 get it. 



The remainder of the nominating committee 's report was then 

 offered which recommended the re-election of J. H. Himmelberger 

 of Morehouse, Mo., as first vice-president; B. B. Burns, Hunting- 

 ton, W. Va., second vice-president, and an executive board to con- 

 sist of: 



R. M. Carrier, Sardis. Miss. 

 Clinton Crane. Cincinnati, O. 

 W. H. Dawkins. Ashland, Ky. 

 F. F. Fee, Little Rock. Ark. 

 W. A. Gilchrist. Memphis. Tenn. 



E. A, Lang, Chicago, III. 



.1. W. Oakford, Scranton, Pa. 



A. B. Ransom. Nashville, Tenn. 



W. M. Ritter. Columbus. O. 



W. B. Townsend. Townsend. Tenn. 



Geo. E. W. Luehrmann, St. Louis, R. H. Vansant, Ashland, Ky. 



Mo. 



W. B. Burke, Charleston, Miss. 



Provision was made for members of the executive grading com- 

 mittee, of which E. H. Vansant of Ashland was elected chairman; 

 and for sundry state vice-presidents of the association. 



The report of the committee was enthusiastically accepted, and 

 the various nominees were elected. 



Both the newly elected vice-presidents were called upon and 

 briefly responded. 



On motion, a rising vote of thanks was tendered to Retiring- 

 President Townsend for the faithful and able services he had 

 performed for the organization. Whereupon the convention ad- 

 journed. 



CONVENTION NOTES 



On Tuesday evening an elaborate banquet was served the mem- 

 bers and their friends in the banquet hall of the . H,qtel Sinton, 

 which was delightful in all respects. The banquet was followed 

 by a vaudeville entertainment.- 



H.iRDwoop Eecokd regrets its inability to publish the full text 

 of the speech of Leonard Bronson, manager of the National Lum- 

 ber Manufacturers' Association, which analyzed in a very com- 

 prehensive way many of the important phases of lumber affairs. 

 The Hardwood Manufacturers ' Association is afBIiatod with the 

 organization which Mr. Bronson represents. Last spring the of- 

 fices of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association were 

 removed to Tacoma, Wash., on account of that being the home of 

 its president, E. G. Griggs, but it is decided to hold the next an- 

 nual meeting of the association in the East, and Cincinnati has 

 been selected as the place, with May 7-9 for the dates. 



One of the best addresses of the meeting was that of Herbert 

 E. Sumner of the Sumner Lumber Company, which is reproduced 

 in full in this issue. Mr. Sumner discussed in an admirable way 

 the philosophy of scientific lumber exploitation. Mr. Sumner is the 

 puthor of some of the most forceful advertising copy that has 

 ever been isstied by any lumberman, and he is an expert in that 

 Hue of worlv. 



The address of A. T. Gerrans, chairman of the advertising com- 



