66 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



that the barriers are ijulli'il lUnvii liy the tariff convention with 

 Canafla which will sweep away l)iirileiisoine duties. Lumber and 

 food are now to cdmu' Iti tree, witli wood pulp and paper to be 

 admitted later. Bid ymi Tiotice it.' President Taft sends a mes- 

 sage to Congress at the same time announcing the fact, but there 

 is not much chance that living will cost less. 



J thinli this was a general surprise. Most every one knew that 

 there was a commission appointed by the two .governments, the 

 Dominion of Canada and the Tnited States, for the purpose of 

 adjusting the trade relations between the two countries, but no 

 one knew that it was conrng out until the message conveying 

 it on Friday last to the Senate and House. Not until then were 

 any of ns that I know of av.are of it, nor had wr discussed the 

 suli.iect or its possibilities. 



The idea, gentlemen, is to ad.just the relations between the 

 countries in some harmonious way. It seems that the com mis 

 sioners have evidently agreed upon this subject, for tliry liave 

 •allowed certain commodities which we are interested in to be 

 interchanged between the countries on certain conditions. The 

 principal thing that I observe in here is the fact of the food 

 products, so far as Canada is concerned, wheat and other grains, 

 dairy products, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, eggs and poultry, 

 cattle, sheep and other live stock, are placed upon the free list. 

 Now, that is a pretty astounding statement — the free list for 

 Mr. Farmer! 



Now, gentlemen, I .iust want to call the attention of the hard 

 wood operators to the fact that each and every one of them 

 are farmers. In the majority of eases our lands which produce 

 hardwood are valuable lauds for agi-ieultural purposes. Taking 

 the district which I am particularly familiar with — the Missis- 

 sippi valley — it. is the most productive territory in the United 

 States or the world, more valuable for agricultural purposes than 

 for timber, and the instant that they do anything to interfere 

 with the development of the agricultural interests of this country 

 it will affect the members of this association. 



We have all been in the habit of boosting the farmer, and T 

 think he needs it. As far as the high cost of living is concerned, 

 I do not think that the farmer gets any more than his just 

 deserts out of it. Any man that goes out and runs a farm, an 

 operation with which many of you are familiar, needs all he gets 

 out of it. The high cost of living which we have heard so 

 mucli al out nuiy posssibly be due, as illustrated in the statement 

 made by the seci'etary of agriculture recentl.y, not to the fact 

 that the farmer gets it all, but some one else between him and 

 us, because of our system. Secretary Wilson did not attack the 

 farmer — he attacked the system. That is the condition that I 

 believe exists today. 



If you will notice — f refer again to the beautiful headlines 

 on all these papers that have come out on it — they are di'ad will 

 ing to gain their point as to the introduction of wood pulp and 

 pulp papers — |)ardon me, gentlemen of the ])ress that use Ameri 

 can paper or others here — and in referring to it they say that it 

 is through the persevering efforts of the newspapers and maga- 

 zines of the United States that the endeavor to get free paper 

 will lie crowned with success, provided Congress ratifies this 

 agreement. 



GentU'men, I th nk it is a |iretty severe case when the ncws- 

 ])a]jcrs of tills country — tlic daily papers, I mean — are willing 

 for the purpose of gaining their ends to prostitute and sell out 

 the farming and agricultural interests of this country, and, in 

 the words of Henry Wallace, as stated by him not over three 

 or f(nir days ago, llie iiiaii from Iowa who 1 think is the big ■uaii 

 of the West; the man who is the (diairman of the Conservation 

 Committee; who on reading tliis declaration said: "Gentlemen, 

 I for one will lead one million farmers, figuratively speaking, to 

 Washington to show that this is not a popular move with the 

 farmers of the West. 



Our interests are in the South. We have agricultural interests 

 in all our business. We say that jiossibly the introduction of 

 food products from Canada will not affect us competitively, yes. 



but food products will affect our rice and corn production in 

 the South. One-third of the corn produced in the countr.v is 

 produced in the South. This year there is more interest being 

 taken ill the South in the diversification of crops than ever be- 

 fore. You liet we are interested, every one of usi 



Going a little further into this subject, gentlemen, I think that 

 the matter is not generally understood. We are not asking it 

 alone from the lumber standpoint, we are asking it because of 

 the value of our lands as an agricultural proposition, and I see 

 no occasion for us to be held up here for ridicule and be singled 

 out in here to be bartered and traded in our industrial line, 

 whether it be forest products or agricultural; they are both 

 jiroducts of the soil, and I believe sincerely, gentlemen, that the 

 South is more interested or as much interested as any other sec- 

 tion of the country. 



You understand tliat this thing has all come like a thunder- 

 cloud in a clear sky. None of us were prepared upon this mat- 

 ter and only learned of it through the press report. We were 

 unable to obtain information covering this subject. There are a 

 niimber of other interests that are to be looked after. Certain 

 Ohio interests will lie pleased with the reduction of the duty on 

 iron ore from fifteen to ten cents a ton to this country. Well, 

 I guess that was looked after all right, that is just about the 

 size of it; but when it conies to the lumber interests we iiave 

 not received our share, I ilon 't think, gentlemen. We have not 

 loiiked for it, but liecause we had no knowledge 1 am going to 

 otfer the following resolutions: 



Eesclutions on the Proposed Reciprocity Treaty with Canada 



Wliricfis. Tlw Ilaiilwocid Manufacturers' Association ul' I lie United 

 States, wliusc inc'iiilicrslii|) < unslsts of individuals and linns nlio are in- 

 terested In llie niaiiiifaeliire uf forest products produced In ilie southern 

 states : 



Whereas. The nia.ior portion of the lands from which these forests are 

 removed are iiiore suited and valnablc for agricultural inirposes than for 

 reforesluliiiii ; 



Whi'ieas. The |ir(ipesed leiipniiily ti-eat.v Willi llie Doniiniciu of Canada 

 puriHisps the renidval nf llie Inriff iiu products of the soil, lioth forest and 

 agricultural ; 



Whereas, This action would be inimical to the Interests of the mem- 

 liership of this association who are the possessors of these lands, and 

 would retard tlieir developments li.v settlers, farmers and agriculturalists; 

 therefore, lie it 



liesolved. That this association is uualteralil.v opposed to an.v form of 

 leeipioeity that singles out for a reduction of tariffs the products of 

 the soil ; 



Kesolved. That the elToils of each member lie directed to protest against 

 the infliction of an iu.iury to our section, so vilally interested in the 

 agricultural developments and progress : 



Resolved, That the secretary of this association lie. and is hereby in- 

 structed to convey copies of this resolution to the members of Congress 

 and senators of the United States. 



Mr. Chairman, I move the adoption of these resolutions. 



The ^notion was seconded and carried. 



A rising vote being called for by Mr. Delaney showed the 

 same result. 



President (farrier: Are there any further resolutions to come 

 before this meeting? I have just noticed that we have with us 

 this afternoon Mr. F. L. Brown, president of the Chicago Hard- 

 wood Lumber Exchange. We would like very much to hear 

 from Mr. Brown. 



Remarks of F. L. Brown 



Mr. Chairman ami gentlemen of Ibis institution : I am very much 

 surprised at the nerve of .vour president in calling upon a mere stranger 

 who has dropped into your convention here today, having come from the 

 Windy City. 1 am not necessarily tilled with ■'hot air" to explode bere 

 nt this time. 1 wish, however, to say .lust this one thing which I have 

 gathered while sitling here this afternoon. I was not favored by being 

 lireseiit yesterday to bear the repiu't of your distinguished president, but 

 1 got this one idea which seems to me is one of the largest things for 

 Ibe hardwood business in the United States — that is, furthering the 

 project of universal inspection. [Applause.] I do not stand here as an 

 exjioneul espcciall.v representing anything. However, 1 am a member 

 of another association and am glad to say that it is a pleasure to be 

 welcomed in your camp. 



Now thi' iinportnnee of llie ipieslion is fully indicated by your president 



