Hardwood record 



19 



Handle Manufacturers Organize, 



In aiiiiiihiiii'c with roqiie-sts rivoiveil frcnii 

 aiiiiin'riui.s ))iM>()le |ironiiiuMit in the trade, the 

 IHardwood Hecjrd ealled a meeting of the 

 Ihandle manufacturers of the country at t'hi- 

 icago October 8. At that time the chaotic 

 'Conditions SMrrounding certain phases of the 

 industry, nr.tably f»iadiug, were discussed, and 

 :it was dcided that a good strong organiza- 

 tion, covering all branches of the handle 

 trade, v.ould be of vast benefit to manufac- 

 turers in that it would promote better ac- 

 quaintance and confidence among them, and 

 enable them to "get together" on uniform 

 syste nis of manufacture, grading ami market- 

 ing stock. 



7 this end a Committee on Permanent 

 Oi ganization was appointed, to consider all 

 ■Odes of the matter carefully, draw out a con 

 mnksw! of opinion regarding the value of a 

 general handle association, and work up in- 

 aerest along the various lines embraced in this 

 a;reat branch of the hardwood business. Tlie 

 •I ciinniittee was instructed to report at a meet- 

 .111.; til be held in Indianapolis, Ind., Wednes- 

 "iay, November -H, at which time definite 

 :>««tion would be taken in regard to forming 

 SI permanent organization. The committee 

 ■ consisted of P. C. Scott, Keller & Tamm 

 .Manufacturing Company, St. Louis, chairman ; 

 I". R. Clenilinen, .Jackson Woodenware Com- 

 pany, Atchison, Kan., advisory mejnber; Wni. 

 Cook Kogers. Piipia Handle & >[anufacturing 

 CompaJiy. I'iipia, (). ; A. W. Newark, Cadillac 

 llandlp Company. Cadillac, Mirli. ; 11. B. .\lex- 

 amirr, Hillsboro Novelty Works, Hillsboro, 

 InL; Chas. D. Gates, Turner, Day & Wool- 

 Biith Ilanille T'ompany. I^ouisville, Ky. 

 The Indianapolis Meeting. 



The meeting held at Indianapolis Novem- 

 ber 20 was a most enthusiastic and har- 

 ' inious one, and while not large in jioint of 

 numbers, was nevertheless a notable gathering 

 •considering the recent origin of the niove- 

 ;ment, and the fact that ninety per cent of 

 the hickory handle output of the country was 

 represented, as well as a large percentage 

 ■of the output in other linra. The utmost good 

 feeling prevailed, and the proceedings were 

 ■characterized by a fraternal feeling and 

 :8pirit of enterprise which cannot fail to carry 

 the new association on to the accciniplishiiient 

 of great good for its members. 



Chairman P. C. Scult called the first ses 

 siiin to order at 10 a. m., reporting the work 

 which had been done in sending out more 

 than 2,000 letters and cards for the purpose 

 of working up interest and securing financial 

 support for the movement. 



Mr. Scott was followed by II. II. (Jibsoii, 

 who has been acting as temporary .secretary, 

 and who stated that he considered the handle 

 manufacturers had an excellent start toward 

 a very strong organization, and hoped that 

 they would form the association on a good 

 working basis, attempt to reorganize in- 

 spection methods, etc. Mr. Cilbson further 

 stated that in his long experience in work 

 of this kind he had n«;ver seen a new inove. 



ment start olT so auspiciously, both with re- 

 gard to number of members and enthusiasm. 

 He reported checks for nu'mbership dues re- 

 ceived up to date from more than twenty-five 

 handle concerns, and expressed the opinion 

 that with the formation of a permanent or- 

 ganization a inendiership of a hundred could 

 easily be realized by the first of the year. 



Mr. Alexander : (Jentlemen. I move you, after 

 conslilcratlon of the data presented here by our 

 chairman and secretary, thai we na ahead and 

 form a permanent organlzuHun while we are 

 gathered here this luoruing, 



Mr. KnsiKU ; This Is the only meeting I have 

 attenileil so far. liut I have been interested. Our 

 company wants to mv the work go on. It Is my 

 mission here liida.v to help the thing along and 

 be one of the clmricr members. It the secre- 

 tary will cuhli tills way, I will be glad to pay 

 Illy dues. 



.\Ir. Scott put Mr. Alexander's motion re- 

 garding pernmnent organization before the 

 meeting, and it was seconded and unani- 

 mously carried. 



T. U. rLKNniM^:N. .\TCIIISOX, KAX., 

 I'UKSIKK.VT. 



Chairman Scott read the proposed consti- 

 tution and by-laws, which had been sent out 

 to jirospective members, and called for dis- 

 cussion upon any parts of them which might 

 require alteration or improvement. 



Discussion. 



.Mr. l.i-iinai'fi : 1 am a liiiniilr mal<i>r ami liave 

 licen for twenty-four years, and there is a spot 

 tliat is not toadied in tlie rules as read. The 

 territory I first started In was a great hickory 

 lountry. Tlie iilg peopie got after me and llnaily 

 got jiil the hickory out tliere. or put the prices 

 so liiuli I can't toiicli it. Of course I Iiad to do 

 Ihc next best tliiiig and I am now making some 

 liackiierry. sugar-tree and a few walnut iiandles. 

 We have never been meuiliers of an association. 

 I would like to know wliere I wouid come In if 

 I were to get into an association and make sugar- 

 ti'o and lieecli iiandles. 



Mr. Peters ; \Vc don't care wliat a iiuin makes 

 Ills handles out of. lie <an make them out of 

 pumpkins if lie wants to. 



.Mr. I.cnnard : With the way tlic handle busi- 

 ness has been, especially from 1892 to 1896, 11 

 man could not keep la the handle, b.y.s'.iiess 



twenty tiiree years and go 'round deceiving the 

 public. I tell Hum Just what I've got to sell: 

 in all tills time when I have gone Into trade I 

 flldn't say that tlie sugar l)andl(> I am selling Is 

 swamp asli or hickory. I tell them Just exactly 

 wliat I liav*'. If It won't' serve the purpose, all 

 right. I don't misgrade them or anything of the 

 kind. As far as misrepresenting. I don't do 

 liiat. I don't want to go Into this association, 

 either, and sail under false colors. If you are 

 going to estiiiiiipiii grades, why I want to live up 

 to them as long as I am a member of the asso- 

 ciation. If I cunt better myself by Joining your 

 association 1 don't want to get into It That is 

 what we are ail here for. 



Mr. (iilison : Aiiout ail you can do Is to mu- 

 tually help each other in this enterprise, .saying 

 what is fair in grading, how to manufacture 

 well, and possibly what arc fair and Just values. 

 You can assist each other In production and 

 help each other in different lines of work, and 

 make a sort of fraternal organization to heli> 

 tills great lilg Industry. If you gel acipialnted 

 with each other and Ibresli tliis tiling out among 

 yntirseives. you will lind you are not sucli liad 

 peopie as you thought you were. I think you 

 will do yourselves .some good if you meet on 

 good, friendly lines and say. "Boys, let's get 

 together along these lines and talk it out." Per- 

 sonally, I have no interest in this thing at all, 

 except that some of my frieuds — patrons of my 

 newspaper — asked me to get you peopie together, 

 and that is all the interest I have in It. The 

 association will grow. You have a better start 

 than any association I have been connected with. 

 light today. Be fair and square and open wiili 

 ■ ■Mill other, and the association will he all riglit. 



Constitution and By-Laws. 



.Mr. liartwell: 1 move that the 1 onsiitiitiou 

 and by-laws lie adopted as read, witli the excep- 

 tion of the phrase that ail bills against the as- 

 sociation be approved by the president lietore 

 Ijeing paid : this should lie done by an Executive 

 Committee, 1 believe. I also think "D" handles 

 should be included under the ash and oak divi- 

 sion of the organization. 



I'pon being s'?coudcd and put to vote the mo- 

 liciii WHS carried. 



Election of Officers. 



cbairiuau Scott; A permanent organization, 

 witii constitution and by-laws iiaving lieen ef- 

 fected, we will proceed to the election of otHcers, 

 according to tiie mctiiod specified. Nominations 

 for president are in order. 



Mr. Gates : I nominate Mr. Scott. 



Mr. Scott : (ienticmen, I appreciate the hcuior. 

 liut it is absolutely impossible for me to ac<'ept 

 it. I would not be aide to give the matter the 

 time and attention I should. There is no one In 

 my ofHie whom I can leave In charge, and It 

 wouid he iiupossible for me to accept the honor 

 because I simply cannot take the necessary time. 



Mr. Peters was nominated. 



Mr. I'eters : I'll have to decline to serve on 

 similar grounds. I play tlddie for all the mon- 

 keys. I have to do everything there Is done 

 around my place, and this is sometiilug that rc- 

 iiulres close attention. And I like to be on the 

 outside where I can spout. Y'oii can't do that 

 so well when .you're In the chair. I nominate 

 Mr. liartwell. lie never says much and what 

 he docs say doesn't last long. He'd lie a good 

 iiiau for the chair. 



.Mr. liartwell: I supiiose t niusl ilccilne with 

 the rest of yiai people, because I'm pretty Ijusy 

 myself. 



Mr. Cates : 1 think we ought to stop right here 

 and congratulate ourselves tiial we are all so 

 busy : It was my impression when we came hero 

 liiat the liandie business was somewhat dull, but 

 I don't know anything In the country more nitlvii 

 right now than tlie handle business I 



It was moved, seconded and carried that 

 A committee of three bo appointed by ibe 



