W. W. KNIGHT, INDIANAPOLIS. FIRST GORDON C. EDWARDS. OTTAWA. ONT.. E. F. PEKRY. NEW YORK, N. Y., SECRE- 



VICE-PRESIDENT. 



PRESIDENT. 



National Wholesalers' Annual 



The serious derangement in train schedules, and in fact, in some 

 cases the entire tying-up of traffic, seriously affected the attendance 

 at the twenty-second annual meeting of the National Wholesale Lum- 

 ber Dealers' Association held at the Iroquois hotel, Buffalo, on 

 Wednesday and Thursday, March 4-5. As a matter of fact, there 

 were only 200 in attendance at the opening session, and some of the 

 regular attendants did not succeed in reaching the convention at all. 



The convention was called to order at 10:30 a. m. on Wednesday 

 by President N. H. Walcott. Mr. Walcott opened his remarks with 

 an expression of appreciation of the efforts of the respective com- 

 mittees of Buft'alo lumbermen and those representing the city of 

 Buffalo. He introduced John Sayles, personal representative of the 

 mayor, who extended the usual welcoming address. Mr. Sayles said 

 that they had various kinds of conventions, but that the National 

 Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association was an organization which 

 the city was especially glad to welcome within its boundaries and 

 that they were very much gratified to have the opportunity of extend- 

 ing the full hospitality of the city. He paid a distinct compliment 

 to the mayor, and then in turn to the lumbermen in general, who, he 

 said, have shown themselves to be the most liberal, broad-minded and 

 clean-cut of business men and that they have always stood for the 

 best in public work, both municipally, state and federal. 



Mr. Sayles then went on to describe the various features of Buffalo 

 which make it a desirable city in which to hold a convention. He 

 told of its libraries, its churches, its parks. He described the popu- 

 lation of the city and said it has great possibilities for development. 

 In closing he urged those in attendance to enjoy their stay to the 

 utmost. 



John N. Scatcherd of Scateherd & Son, lumbermen of Buffalo, was 

 next called upon by President Walcott. He delivered a very satis- 

 factory address of welcome in behalf of the Buffalo lumbermen. 

 Mr. Scateherd was formerly president of the wholesalers ' association, 

 and in fact was one of its originators. He expressed himself, in 

 speaking for the local lumbermen, in being very much pleased in 

 showing what Buffalo and the Tonawandas can do by way of enter- 

 tainment. Mr. Scatcherd recalled to mind the last convention of 

 wholesalers held in Buffalo twenty years ago, and said it was the 

 second in the history of the association. He said that recollection 

 of that convention brought to him memories of the many faces which 

 are now removed for all time from the convention floor. 



After discussing the value of the association work and its possible 

 accomplishments, he also paid a tribute to the aims and purposes 



of lumbermen, and expressed the hope that those in attendance would 

 enjoy their stay to the fullest. 



President Walcott called upon Vice-President Gordon C. Edwards 

 of Ottawa to respond to the address of welcome. Mr. Edwards ex- 

 pressed himself in very satisfactory terms. 



President Walcott then delivered his annual report, which in part, 

 is as follows: 



Address of President 



As is usual custom, the president gives an account of bis stewardship 

 and the progress made by the association during the year. 



I think that but few of the members, who are not intimately connected 

 with the details, realize the magnitude of the work of the bureau of 

 information. To handle same properly, wc occupy a suite of nine rooms, 

 employ from seventeen to twenty-three stenographers and clerks, in addi- 

 tion to our secretary and department managers. In connection with col- 

 lections and revisions of reports, we have corresponded with at least 2000 

 attorneys during the past year. We have at our. command attorneys in 

 n( arly every large town and in every city in the I'nited States and in 

 most cities in Canada. 



The year 1913 was a very trying one. Our bureau of information and 

 our legal department had a busy year. I wish that our members, who do 

 not subscribe to our bureau of information, were more conversant with 

 our work in this department. 



As our transportation bureau grows in experience it increases in useful- 

 ness, and I have received letters congratulating us on the good work done, 

 pnrticularly for our members in the mountain country on the line of the 

 Southern Railroad, where there has been a fight made in the last year over 

 the unjust discrimiuation in rates. 



I cannot go into too much detail, as I would infringe on the reports 

 of our department managers, and the chairmen of our various committees. 



The departments referred to above require the most attention, and this 

 association has been fortunate in having members who have been willing 

 to give their time and talent to the supervision of this important work. 

 The thanks of the association are certainly due the chairmen of these 

 important committees. 



I regret very keenly no gain in our membership. This has been of con- 

 siderable moment to the chairmen of this committee, the executive com- 

 mittee and the board of trustees. 



We do not know of any withdrawals on account of dissatisfaction with 

 our association work, but the financial mortality was large during 1913 

 and the changes in business many. Nearly every member we have lost has 

 been on account of going out of business, consolidation of business, or 

 failures. It is just such times as existed during 1913 that require more 

 work and more co-operation among our members. 



We have saved many thousand dollars to our members this year and 

 could the wholesale lumber dealer, who is not a member of our association, 

 see the work as your executive committee and board of trustees see it, 

 there would be no question regarding the membership. 



We have been ably represented in the National Chamber of Commerce. 

 Your board of trustees has taken action and recorded its vote on several 



