32 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



timber for less timn two or tlirce times that 

 iimount. Why docs Wisconsin ii'poit a value of 

 $2 to $.■) for soft elm stumpatic. when the aver- 

 age oblaincd by the manufacturers of lower 

 Michigan was over $8V 



These (luestions are worthy of study, but the 

 figures given show plainly that these lower 

 prices represent the net stumpage returns for 

 timber cut under adverse conditions, causing a 

 destruction of a part of its real value. Thus we 

 often sec $12 stumpage reduced to $2 stumpage 

 merely by saw-ing it down, for when (be timber 

 Is once cut it becomes subject to the uncertain- 

 ties of the cost of logging and manufacturing 

 and of selling prices governed by the current 

 market conditions: but the value of the timber 

 that is still on the stump is limited only by the 

 future growth and prosperity of the country. 



Kach of us being governed by individual cir- 

 cumstances must sacrifice for our immediate 

 needs a part of the ultimate and sure returns 

 from our standing timber: but have we in the 

 past done any better with the net stumpage re- 

 turns from our operations than the trees would 

 have done for us? lias the money we look out 

 of the timber grown faster than the money left 

 in it? 



Taxation of Timbeklaxds. 

 All over this continent the forests are now 

 receiving a great share of public attention. 

 Reservations are being established ; estimates are 

 being made of the timber supply and how long 

 it will last and each tree that is cut is chocked 

 off the list and an added value attached to those 

 remaining. New laws governing land and tim- 

 ber will be passed and in these we must take an 

 increasing interest. The question of taxation 

 of timberlands is of growing importance. Our 

 state and national governments are trying to de- 

 vise plans for the reforestation of lands once 

 covered with timber. This work is necessar.v 

 and a large amount of public money will be re- 

 quired to carry it forward. At the same time 

 large amounts of timber are cut every year on 

 account of excessive taxation. Why should tim- 

 ber now standing be taxed out of existence and 

 the money so secured be used in reforesting the 

 same lands? Here in Wisconsin we have one de- 

 partment of the state government seriously en- 

 gaged in arousing sentiment favorable to the 

 preservation and increase of our forest area and 

 in framing laws to carry these plans into effect. 

 On the other hand, another department of onr 

 state government is making strenuous efforts to 

 increase the valuation of taxable property, which 

 has been especially felt in the northern coun- 

 ties of the state. The tendency of high taxes 

 on forest lands is to compel the immediate cut- 

 ting of timber which should remain standing for 

 many years. Considering even the sole question 

 of revenue, it should be evident that the longer 

 the timber remains on the tax roll the greater 

 returns it wii! make In taxes, and that the rapid 

 reduction in revenue due to the enforced re- 

 moval of timber must be made up by increased 

 assessments on other property. The <iuestiou of 

 reforestation is simply one of taxation. The 

 increasing knowledge of practical forestry is 

 demonstrating the possibility of creating new 

 timber growth at a profit under proper condi- 

 tions. If this can he done on public lands, it 

 would seem to be public policy to regulate the 

 taxes on private lands so as to encourage the re- 

 foresting of such lands already cut over and to 

 make possible a more conservative and econom- 

 ical cutting of the timber now standing. This 

 will come in time, but it will take much 

 thought and work in the way of public education 

 on the subject, and we who are interested 

 should not leave it entirely to the politicians to 

 work out for us. 



I think we all realize that the questions being 

 taken up by this association are the best inter- 

 ests of each manufacturer, and the liest results 

 can be obtained by the combined efforts of all 

 of our members acting with the association. 

 Referring again to our own particular prod- 



uct, it would seem to me that in every way we 

 should endeavor to promote the knowledge and 

 use of the various hardwoods in which this ter- 

 ritory is pre-eminent and to make them a staple 

 commercial product not subject to the extreme 

 fluctuations in price from which they have suf- 

 fered to a greater extent than almost any other 

 commodity and which I think is largely an un- 

 necessary evil. In all the work of our associa- 

 tion we are in harmony with the Interests of 

 the lumber trade and of the public, and with 

 earnest and united effort our success should be 

 assured. 



Treasurer's Report. 



Treasurer B. W. Davis' report showed 

 that the association was in especially good 

 financial condition. Last year's assessment 

 was based on 5 cents per M feet cut, but 

 he expressed an opinion that a 4 cent basis 

 for 1908 would be sufficient. 

 Secretary's Report. 



The report of Secretary Chapman was 

 most encouraging. He stated that the nieni- 



B. W. DAVIS, PHILLIPS, TREASURER. 



bership this year would approximate fifty, 

 representing mills with a yearly outiuit of 

 125,000,000 feet. 



The teport of Assistant Secretary C. F. 

 Lusk fivers the organization of the asso- 

 ciation «it its first meeting, Dec. 15, 1906. 

 He announced that the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association rules had been adopted 

 and that a Bureau of Grades had been 

 established. 



Assistant Secretary Lusk's Report. 



A year ago the 2Sth of November a conference 

 of hardwood lumber manufacturers was held at 

 the Hotel Pflster. Milwaukee, for the purpose of 

 forming an association to be composed of manu- 

 facturers only, its main object being to concen- 

 trate the interests of manufacturers more par- 

 ticularly to the rules of grading, with a view of 

 cooperating with the manufacturers of Michigan 

 in trying to establish a uniform grade of hard- 

 wood lumber. 



At this meeting a committee was appointed 

 to draw up a constitution and set of by-laws, 

 and at a meeting held at the same place on De- 

 cember 15, 1906, the copy of the constitution 

 and by-laws as submitted by this committee was 

 adopted by the twenty-five different manufac- 

 turers present. At this meeting the following 



otlicers were ' elected to serve during the year' 

 11)1)7 : 



President- ('. A. Uoodnuin. 

 Vice President — George II. f'bapman. 

 Treasurer - I!. W. Davis. 

 Secretarj' — Oeorge II. <'hapman. 

 Directors — W. ('. Landon, Eugene Shaw, U. TV. 

 lirigbtman and C. K. Ellison. 



liurcau of (iradcs— S. W. Ilollister, A. R. 

 Dwen, (;. E. Poster, E. P. Arpiu and V. H. 

 I'ardoe. 



.\t a special meeting of the Poard of Directors 

 and Hurcau of <;rades, held at Chicago ^ui ,luDe 

 111. 1!)()7. the rules of the Wisconsin Hardwood 

 -Association were adopted as the ofliciai rules of 

 this association. On .lune 2(> the rules as 

 ailopted by the National Association to go lnt» 

 effect December 1, IflOT, were approved and 

 adopted by this association with the exception 

 of the cover. Realizing the fact that we and 

 all other manufacturers will derive more benefit 

 from official rules if they were national, it was 

 decided after full discussion to get our rules 

 from file National .\ssociation, providing that 

 they would issue them with a cover that was 

 satisfactory to us. We were willing that the 

 .National Association should have the most 

 credit, but we insisted that upon the cover 

 should appear the name of our association as 

 well as all other associations that had adopted 

 tliese rules. The executive committee refused to 

 issue these rules as we suggested, and for that 

 reason more of the copies have not been sent 

 to you. It is the desire of the officers of this 

 association that we get this little point settled ■ 

 as soon as possible and then work in conjunc- 

 tion with the National Association in the en- 

 forcement of these rules and make them Na- 

 tional in effect as well as in name. ■ 



Tlie lumber exchanges of Buffalo and New 

 York and of some of the other eastern paints 

 are trying to knock out these rules. In most 

 cases it appears that the men that are doing 

 the kicking are jobbers and not manufacturers. 

 The National Association is trying hard to con- 

 vince these associations that they are doing 

 wrong, and they certainly are having a hard 

 tight on their hands. We believe that these 

 rules are absolutely fair and just, though as 

 radical as some of the changes may seem, and 

 as we have adopted these rules as our rules or 

 rules that are identical with them as our rules, 

 we should give the National Association all the 

 support that we possibly can in trying to make 

 those fellows see that they are a step in the 

 right diiectiou. The Bureau of Grades strongly 

 urge you to begin using these rules on your new 

 sales and shipments. 



A great deal of work has been accomplished 

 by your Bureau of Grades under the super- 

 vision of its chairman, Mr. A. R. Owen. A de- 

 tailed report will be given later on. The mem- 

 bership during 1907 was forty-six firms, repre- 

 senting a total production of 100,000 feet. This 

 entire product has been graded under the super- 

 vision of the Bureau of Grades. 



From the secretary's office you have receTved 

 several reqtiests for reports on logs, lumber, etc. 

 Tliese requests were sent to you because we 

 I bought that the compiling of such information 

 would be of interest and benefit to all of our 

 members. It is the intention of the Bureau of 

 Grades to send out these reports frequently dur- 

 ing the coming .year, and it is earnestly desired 

 by the secretary that in filling the same out you 

 will be careful and get them as near accurate as 

 possible, otherwise the work will be of no ac- 

 count and consequently we will be unable to 

 give our members a correct statement regarding 

 the statistics called for. Much time and ex- 

 pense has been spent on the preparing of the 

 lumber report sheets that .vou are at present 

 filling out. We have tried to make these sheets 

 as complete as possible so that no mistake could 

 be made, it thereby enabling us to give you a 

 correct statement of the amount of lumber which 

 is on band and the percentage of it that is sold. 



