26 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



.Innc in. Ill:; 



CHART 



I 1 



The white areas represent the relative amounts of freight wastes involved in shipping the four standard grades 

 of hardwood lumher, as compared with the black areas which show the freights paid on stock usable for such pur- 

 poses as fiirniture, wagons, and wood turning and shopping. Regarding the total freight as 100 per cent, the freight 



waste is closely 47 per cent. 



the best of the argument. Without hesitation, the issue is left to 

 the tender mercies of the parties at interest. 

 How About the Price? 



Somewliat witli trembling and fear we approach this sub.ject. 

 But we have to admit that this thought is in the minds of all. 

 What shall we pay for Standardized Dimension Stock? Or, to put it 

 another wa.y, What price has the producer a right to charge? 



Without any question, eventually the price of Standardized Di- 

 mension Stock will be determined by the two factors of supply and 

 demand, and its relative advantage to woodusers as compared vidth 

 commercial lumber. The usual sparring for price advantage is to 

 be expected. Sometimes the market will be a buyers' market and 

 sometimes a sellers' market. No sensible business man would want 

 anything different under existing conditions. 



Probabl.v it would be a jiure guess to make a suggestion for a 

 basis, so to speak, a place to start from. Looking over past history; 

 considering the parit.y of advantage that is likely to accrue both to 

 producer and user of standardized dimension stock; having due 

 regard for the ominous outlook for future forest resources; realizing 

 that almost to a certainty the producer will protest "too low" and 

 the user will retort "too high," and unitedl.v chase the writer to 

 the tall timber; nevertheless said writer — speaking for himself only 

 — elects to suggest this basis: "Let the parties at interest start 

 the discussion on the basis of a parity in price between No. 1 

 Standard Dimension and combined First and Second Grades of com- 

 mercial lumber, applicable at the outset to the following indus- 

 tries: FURNITURE, AUTOMOBILE, WOOD TURNING, WOOD 

 SHAPING, AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS." 



yCtmtluuiil innn inuh -'^^ 



itulispiitiilile evidence of the progress toward uniform inspection. It is not 

 pnssible to doteriniuo with accuracy what percentage of reinspections 

 ilcmiiiidi'il were influenced by the rapid decline in prices and general 

 (li'monili/.i'd ciinilitions which have obtained during many months of the 

 year wliuli closes with this meeting, but it is certain the rather general 

 tendency to undervalue de.i;rade stock has adversely affected the net show- 

 ing in reiuspeetion adjustments. 



Proposed By-Laws Change 



In conformity with -VrticU' .\ uf the liy-I.aws, the following change is 

 suggested in Article VII under the heading of "Meetings." Section 1. 

 paragraph 1, add: "or by the E.xecutivc Committee." If adopted, this 

 sentence will rend : "The place and date of the annual meeting of this 

 .\ss(K'iation shall be selected by the Board of Managers or by the Executive 

 I'ommittee of the Association." The suggestion for this change is in the 

 interest of economy, as during one or two recent years the entire Board 

 have been called to meet, when, aside from the selection of meeting place 

 .■Hid date for the meeting, there has he<'n practically notliin.g demanding 

 their attention, and under such conditions the Executive I'lmnnittee ot 

 seven, by correspondence with the members of the Board of Managers, can 

 easily ascertain their views and decide according to majority idea. 



In every Industry the unscrupulous operator will, if detcrmintti. Hud 

 means to acc(unplish his ends, but, fortunately for us, the percentage of 

 such people in the hardwood industry is unimportant, and each year sees 

 further reductions In their ranks. There Is much evidence at hand that 

 the Natinnal Hardwood Lumber Association, as now conducted, has lieen 

 the most powerful agency nt work in the discouragement of unfair 

 methods in our industry, and positive evidence is not lacking that serious 

 diflferences and disputes, involving litigation, are fewer in. number as a 



direct result of the effectiveness of the National Association plan of 

 al>solutely fair and impartial handling of disputed shipments through the 

 agency of its Inspection Bureau. 



With the friendly relationship that has been so firmly established by the 

 National Hardwood Lumber Association with practically all buyers of 

 hardwoods, and a continuation of the loyal and unselfish support of this 

 membership, it is my belief that this association will continue in its progress 

 each year and he able to maintain its present position as the strongest 

 and most influential trade association in existence. 



-\nd now, in closing, I desire to briefly call attention to the social side 

 of our associate activities. It has always been a cardinal principle of this 

 membership that these annual meetings should afford the highest expres- 

 sion of good fellowship, under the belief that men possessing common 

 interests cannot know each other too well, and under the further belief 

 that aequaintance ripens into genuine friendship more quickly and more 

 surely under the spell of social concourse than under any other condition. 

 Hence, much effort, time, and money have been expended to make of these 

 meetings the outstanding social events wliich have ever characterized the 

 annual assemblages of this membership. 



The entertainment afforded at these meetings does not just happen, but 

 instead, it is the product of weeks of constant and careful effort on the 

 part of the office of the Secretary, and I should be amply paid for all this 

 effort, if there were no other compensation than the sincere appreciation 

 of the members in attendance of the results attained. 



Without doubt this is to be the very best meeting we have ever attempted 

 and my parting word to all of yon is, to forget your business worries for 

 the time being, let down from your nerve strain, and go in for the best 

 time you have ever had. 



