14 



THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 



resent such large business interests, men 

 who are wide awalce and up to date m tlieu- 

 business methods^will Uave no trouble in 

 "etting together at this time, that there 

 mav be made sure a set of rules that wd 

 not' only typify universal i"Slf t'tion, bu 

 will be permanent. It goes without saj lu^ 

 that the delegates to this convention are 

 here for the purpose of building up, not 

 tearing down. In the debates, no matter 

 how heated they may become, it this be 

 borne in mind, the result is absolutely sate 



"°Mv attention has been called to the niat- 

 ter of shipping lumber abroad on consign- 

 ment, and I have been requested to in- 

 clude the subject in my message. From all 

 the data I have been able to eollect, it 

 seems to me that this is a ver.v pernicious 

 custom and should be remedied. Ihis as- 

 sociation, if necessary, should take steps to 

 compel, klthough I d_. not like the word. 



greater value and more liable to damage 

 in transit. I would therefore recommend 

 that a oommittee be appointed at this con- 

 vention to take the matter up with the 

 proper heads of deparmeiits of the different 

 railways for ailjustnient.. 



I would further call your attention, gen- 

 tlemen, to the fact that this association 

 needs a first-class assistant secretary, who 

 shall be paid a salary commensurate with 

 his abilitv and adequate to the amount of 

 work done. The correspondence and other 

 work of the association has grown to such 

 large proportions that it is impossible for 

 the honorarv secretary to take care of it 

 in a proper manner without gi-eat personal 

 sacrifice. 



In this connection, I wish to say that 

 the gentleman who has acted as honorary 

 secretary since our organization has made 

 himself almost indisnensable to the execu- 

 tive cfflcer. and I take this opportunity of 



ALLEN U. VINNEDGE, KE-ELBCTED SECRETARY. 



the buyers on the other side to purchase 

 their lumber on this side in such a wav 

 as this association may point out to its 

 members as beng the best. I would there- 

 fore recommend that a committee on for- 

 eign shipments be appointed to collect in- 

 formation and to take such action as rhev 

 may think necessray to subserve the inter- 

 est of the members of this association. 



I would also call your attention to the 

 matter of classification of lumber for do- 

 mestic shipment. It is a fact, and a mat- 

 ter of published tariff, that grain can be 

 shipped from Kansas City to Boston for 

 ^0V> cents per hundredweight, while a car- 

 load of lumber, not nearly so valuable, is 

 made to pay .STV. cents. It is quite useless 

 for me to 'expatiate very largely on the 

 inequality of this. You will readily see 

 the reason why lumber should be carried 

 on a lower tariff. For instance, lumber in 

 a collision or under a leaky roof is seldom 

 damaged to any great extent, while grain 

 under similar circumstances is almost to- 

 tally destroyed. I therefore present the 

 proposition that lumber is classed too high 

 •IS compared with other commodities of 



publicly thanking him for l^is very efh- 

 cient service during my term of ofhce. i 

 wish also to make manifest my apprecia- 

 tion of the labors of the various commit- 

 tees in furthering the interests of the asso- 

 ciation. Their work has been eminentlv 

 satisfactory, and much good has resulted 

 from their efforts. 



In conclusion, gentlemen, permit me to 

 say that the immense amount of money 

 invested in their business by the members 

 of this association, with their high and in- 

 fluential standing in the business world as 

 individuals, coupled with the success of 

 this association as a body, gives a mighty 

 power, which, rightly wielded in the hands 

 of a careful executive committee, and its 

 subordinate committees, cannot fail to re- 

 dound to the benefit of all concerned. The 

 time is past when the individual is smarter 

 than an association. Let us, therefore, lay 

 aside our petty personal prejudices and 

 take a broad, comprehensive view of the 

 matter Let us not. by striving to secure 

 a little individual advantage, lose sight of 

 the greater advantages to be obtained 

 through harmonious organization. Our 



success is now demonstrated. Let us take 

 great caie to perpetuate it. 



Secretary A. It. Vlnnedge then read his 

 report, as follows: 



SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



To the Honorable President and Members 

 of the National Hardwood Lumber As- 

 sociation. .^ , 

 Gentlemen— For the fifth time it be- 

 comes my agreeable duty to submit to you 

 my annual report as secretary of this as- 

 sociation. 



As in my previous reports, 1 am able 

 to state that during the past year we have 

 made substantial progress. We have 

 oi-own stronger in memliership and mflu- 

 Snce, but what is better than all, we have, 

 I am sure, grown much stronger in the 

 good-will and esteem of the hardwood 

 trade. . , , 



When the association was organized and 

 began its campaign for better methods m 

 tlie hardwood lumber trade, many hard- 

 wood lumbermen held aloof and regarded 

 our attempts with doul^t. At that time 

 there was so much distrust and antagonism 

 between the various sections and factions 

 of the trade, that, although no fault could 

 be found with the avowed objects of the 

 association, a large portion of the trade 

 had little confidence in it. Little by little 

 the coldness and suspicions had evaporated, 

 and this year it vanished entirely. I have 

 felt the change in the correspondence at 

 my office, and I feel it in the numbers, in- 

 terest and enthusiasm of this great meet- 

 ing. 



The whole trade has awakened to a 

 realization of the power for good that is 

 in this association. Previous meetings 

 have engendered a respect for the motives 

 and sincerity of other members, and while 

 there is still much difference of opinion as 

 to matters of policy, the hardwood lumber 

 trade is united in the belief that the Na- 

 tional association may be made of great 

 practical value to its members and in faitn 

 that whatever policies the majority adopt 

 will be for the best interests of all. 



POLICY OF SECRETARY'S OFFICE. 



In promoting this meeting it was the 

 central purpose of the secretary's office 

 to secure a large and thoroughly represent- 

 ative attendance; and if there is a single 

 mpinber of the hardwood lumber trade who 

 has not been repeatedly and urgenOy in- 

 vited to attend, it was an oversight. It 

 was our earnest desire that every section 

 and department of the lumber trade should 

 be represented here and have a voice m 

 the proceedings. 



There have in past years been many 

 lumbermen who have failed to attend our 

 meetings, but have criticized our proceed- 

 ings In my opinion this is wrong. Only 

 after a lumberman has attended a meet- 

 ing has presented his views and failed to 

 receive courteous treatment, has he a right 

 to criticize the actions of this association 

 or question the motives of those who spend 

 their time and money in the work. So 

 ' we have used our utmost endeavors to im- 

 press uixm every member of the trade that 

 his presence was earnestly desired at this 



meeting. „„ 



OUR FINANCES. 



You will receive the report of the treas- 

 urer which will. I believe, show that the 

 association has been self-sustaining this 

 year upon the dues of $10 per annum. 

 More monev will be needed, for the work 

 is "rowing every day, out I believe it may 

 be obtained by increasing the membership 

 and keeping the dues at $10. 



There are at least 500 more lumbermen 

 in the ITnited States who shnnld be mem- 



