18 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Jun<- ID, ID^il 



on property valuation lias fallen sln.ii ■■! iiilfillnicnt, by virtue of 

 the fact that it proved tlie greatest factor in retarding and sup- 

 [iressing business; and 



"Whereas, after a series of conferences lield in \V:isliiii^.'tiiii 

 June 2 and 3 between tradic executives of inijjortant rail carriers 

 and representatives of the Southern Hardwood Traffic Associations 

 and shippers interested in the movement of lumber, anil ]iractically 

 all building materials, the carriers announced on June S their 

 refusal to reduce freight rates, based on their statement that they 

 can not reduce rates so long as there is no reduction in operating 

 costs and insufficient increase in business to restore the proper 

 relation of net to gross earnings; and 



"^yherea3, the facts remain unquestioned tliat the railroad ties, 

 car material and practically all supplies have declined to utmost 

 pre-war levels, and with particular respect to lumber, which is 

 quite so or below such pre-war levels; and 



"Whereas, through influence of public sentiment, the railroads 

 liave bpen granted permission to reduce wages twelve per cent and 

 abolish the so-termed National Agreement, which in a large meas- 

 ure liquidates the abnormal cost which justified the increase in 

 rates granlcd lln'iii last August by the Interstate Comnu'rcc ('(jm- 

 inission; ami 



"Whereas, the lumber industry has reduced its cost of manu- 

 facture to the very minimum and is getting less for its jn-oiluction 

 in the open market today than the cost of production; and 



"Whereas, practically all building products have been reduced 

 with consequent reduced cost to the consumer, to as low level as 

 excessive transportation charges will permit; and 



"Whereas, the crying need of tlie hour is for more homes for 

 |)i'ople to live in, more homes for business, more homes for churches, 

 more homes for schools, more homes for hospitals, more homes for 

 jmblic buildings, more homes for hotels, etc., etc.; and 



"Whereas, trainmen of the country at large are sounding a 

 strike note to become effective July 1; and 



"Whereas, public opinion will favor the strikers, whose cry will 

 be ' our pay must not be reduced unless the railroads help to reduce 

 the cost of living by reducing their rates'; and 



"Whereas, the lumbermen of the United States have done their 

 part in deflating and are anxious to help others do likewise that 

 luisiness may move forward without strife, strikes and further 

 suffering. Therefore, be it 



"Resolved by the National Hardwood Lumber Association, 



"That the rail carriers of the country be earnestly implored to 

 quickly reconsider their announcement of June 8, refusing to 

 reduce railroad rates and that before July 1, say to the suffering 

 public they, too, will do their part to restore business; thus assur- 

 ing the railroads a continuance of that friendly feeling of the 

 public that is so essential to their welfare. 



"Resolved, that it is the sense of this convention that tliere 

 should be a general reduction in rates, not alone on lumber, but on 

 all commodities, and that we believe when such reductions are 

 made there will shortly come a revival of business that will give 

 to the railroads the necessary financial return. 



"Eesolved, that this resolution be presented to the executive 

 of the various transportation lines at the earliest po.ssible moment 

 and that they may be urged to take prompt action, and that same 

 also be presented to the President of the United States, Secretary 

 of Labor and the Interstate Commerce Commission." 

 Capper and Snell Bill Opposed 



The Convention also went on record as favoring fair insurance 

 and opposed to the action of insurance companies in fighting 

 reciprocal insurance, praised the work of the Constitutional League 

 of America and indorsed legislation to protect the forests. 



The last measure recommended: Adequate fire protection of 

 forests land classification and forest survey, reforestation, ex- 

 tension of public ownership, and opposed the Snell and Capper bills. 

 "The former upon the ground that it proposes regulation of private 

 imlustry and delegates legislative i)Ower in ambiguous terms; and 

 the latter, because of its plain violation of the Constitutional 

 provision against taking private property for j)ublic purposes 



without compensation and because of its wlmlly impractical 

 economic features.'' 



Secretary of Labor Speaks 



Oi)timism for the future and a word of warning for the present 

 were the keynotes of the address of James J. Davis, Secretary of 

 Lalior, who was the principal .speaker at the first day's session of 

 the convention. 



The morning and afternoon sessions were full of life and vigor, 

 but the lumbermen were electrified when the Secretary of Labor 

 spoke right out from the shoulder. 



So vehement did he become that he knocked the ])itcher of ice 

 water from the table in front of him. It fell to the floor, smashed 

 into a dozen pieces, and the ice water drenched the legs of some 

 very prominent lumbermen on the front row. 



"To some of the big employers of labor," said the secretary, 

 "this seems to be a time to smash the labor unions, now that .jobs 

 are scarce and labor is weakened. They are all wrong; it is neither 

 possible or safe. 



Crusli the unions ami .vou will Iiave secret organizations of the wihlcst 

 most radical Type in their place. Ucnioml)pr, new hopes have been raised 

 liy tile war in Europe and here. In many places in Europe these hopes 

 luive led to Reel Revolution. Here they are working out in the orderly 

 American fashion. But crush the unions and you will have Rod Revolu- 

 tion. It is harmony we need, not fighting. 



Tliere are, however, countless employers putting good fellowship into 

 use, and this gives botli sides coutentnient in their work. We cannot be 

 a successful business nation without it. We hear little of the harmony 

 about us because of the noise of occasional strife among us. It is a pity 

 we hear so little of the fair-minded employers and of their contented men, 

 and we forget the kind employer and the happy workmen who go about 

 their work without turmoil. 



Behind all this turmoil, however, the fair-minded employers and em- 

 plo.ves are working out harmony. There is a new principle in industry, 

 and this is responsibilit.v. Responsibility of both sides to the pul)lie and 

 to each other. In the long run. you know, we are all working for our- 

 selves, and harmony mokes dollars, while discord causes loss. 



This is, however, no time for loafers. I'm opposed to the rich loafer 

 and to the poor loafer. The loafer is a thief. I am a trades union man 

 myself, and I say this to the trades unions : If they want to make good 

 in America they must clear out the loafers. Let the trade unionist say 

 he will not work alongside a shirker, a man who is robbing his employer 

 and his fellow workmen. If the unions were more shot through with that 

 principle antagonism to unions would soon lag. If unions penalized the 

 shirkers employers would cry to them to unionize their plants, for a union 

 card would be a guarantee of efficiency. 



The delegates were welcomed to the city by Director Ernest L. 

 Tustin of the Department of Welfare, who was replied to by Mayor 

 E. V. Babcock of Pittsburgh. Mayor Babcock expressed confidence 

 that the next year or two would show vast improvement in the 

 lumber industry. He said he was not optimistic enough to predict 

 that the betterment would occur right away. 



Gotham Leads Anti-Code Forces 



Strong opposition to the proposed "sales code"' developed during 

 the day. A committee of New York members of the association 

 expressed their views against the code as follows: 



1 — A sales code has no place in the inspection rules of the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association. If considered at all, It should be entirely 

 divorced therefrom. 



2 — A sales code should not in any way change, modify or interfere with 

 the rules of the National Ilanhvood Lumber .\ssociation. 



3 — That a sales code should not attempt to enunciate common law cover- 

 ing contracts. 



4 — That the proposed sales code is impossible of common application 

 and can therefore serve no good purpose. 



It is upon this platform that the fight on the code was planned. 



The secretary of this committee was H. B. Coho, other membfrs 

 being J. O. Stewart, C. A. Moore, Jacob Bayer, Stephen L. Taylor 

 and C. F. Fischer. 



The following are the changes in National Inspection Rules, 

 which were recommended by the Inspection Rules Committee headed 

 by John W. McClure, and which were adopted, as stated above: 



PART I 



FOB CLAKIKTIXG PRESENT BILES 



Paragraph 1 : 



Measurement of the Grade of Shorts in Mahogany. 

 (See page 53 of present rules.) 

 The following change in the method of measuring and tallying the grade 

 of Shorts in Mahogany is recommended by a number of mahogany produc- 



