NKW VOUK 

 UREK. 



BABCOCK. PITTSBURGH, CHAIR- 

 MAN NOMINATING COMMITTEE. 



WALCOTT, PROVIDENCE. 

 TIRING PRESIDENT. 



ni:|iurtaDt matters brought to our attentlou by the Chamber of Commerce. 



We have had an efficient forestry committee, the chairman of which 

 takes a deep Interest in the forestry question. We were ably represented 

 at the Conservation Congress at Washington, D. C. 



Vour car stake committee has held one or more meetings and its report 

 will show what was done at these meetings. 



The terms of sale and trade ethics committee has had some troublesome 

 problems this year and the chairman of this committee will no doubt 

 'iirbody same in his report. 



In reference to your several other committees, I will make no special 

 1' in)rt, as these you will receive later. I believe that these committees 



VI' given their careful thought to the various subjects connected with 



' ir work and you will be interested in their reports. 



In regard to further work in our association, I have tried to think of 

 >i>iiie broad line to add to our usefulness. While our association is national 

 ir name, and I believe more of a national association than any other 

 liirnl)cr organization, at the same time I feel that it should be a national 

 a^.snciation in fact. 



We have a large number of lumbermen's clubs and associations that 

 Mil- all doing good work along their particular line, hut the national ques- 

 tions, like forestry, insurance, both fire and marine, freight rates and 

 li gislation that affects the manufacture, transportation and sale of lumber, 

 wi' have no association that can register the opinion of the lumber trade 

 as a whole. 



The National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association is one of the oldest, 

 and a national organization not governed by local conditions, or one line 

 effort, but whose membership consists of wholesalers, manufacturers in 

 all branches of the 'lumber business throughout the United States and 

 Canada, and could best speak for the entire lumber interests and in no 

 way Interfere with the work of the various associations. This work might 

 be carried on in the same manner as in the National Chamber of Commerce. 



To illustrate. — How does the lumber trade feel in reference to the con- 

 templated advance of five per cent in freight rates? Possibly some lumber 

 organizations arc against any advance and will pass resolutions to this 

 eflect, sending same to the Interstate Commerce Commission. Others are 

 ir favor of some advance, but take no action. The Interstate Commerce 

 iVimmlssion is left with the impression that the lumber trade is against' 

 iry advance to the railroad, while the facts might be entirely to the 



• iiiitrary. 



.An association like the national could take this up with every lumber 

 association and get Its vote on the subject, which would be duly recorded 

 with the Interstate Commerce Commission. 



It seems to your president to be a very Important proposition, and 

 whether it Is our association or some other, I would like to see one asso- 



• i.itlon that" would be the mouthpiece for the entire lumber trade on these 

 tiMllonnl questions. I believe it is worth considering. 



It Is a pleasure to extend our hearty welcome to the delegates of sister 



relations. May Jhelr visit with us be pleasant and profitable. Our 



:itlons with all are most friendly, and we trust will always be the same. 



It has been a pleasure to serve .vou and I desire to thank the executive 



'■'►rnmittee, the board of trustees and the committees and their chairmen 



I'll the great as.slstance given us, also our secretary and department man- 



a^'crs for the very courteous treatment extended to me. 



We have a good, clean, cfBclent organization. We have faithful board 

 of trustees, the attendance at our trustees' meetings has been large. All 

 of the efforts of this association have been for a better association and to 

 elevate the lumber business to the highest plane. 



I have purposely omitted from this paper more detailed account of the 



work of our association, as this will be presented to you in the numerous 

 reports by the chairmen of our committees. We hope our meeting will 

 prove to be a profitable one. 



I want lO take this opportunity to thank you all for the assistance that 

 has been extended to me during the year. 



Secietary E. F. Peiry read a very comprehensive report in which 

 he touched upon the various phases of the association's work during 

 the past year. He said it was his seventeenth annual report and that 

 the past year had been one of great activities along the many 

 diversified lines of association work, which unusual activities had been 

 brought about by the unrest and uncertainties in the business world. 

 He expressed himself as believing that the lumber business is erratic, 

 responding to changing conditions seemingly without regard for 

 scientific reasons, and consequently is slow to readjust itself to 

 right levels. 



He said the possibilities for co-operating among lumbermen are 

 great as a result of their close association work; that the lack of 

 efficient co-operation is astonishing; that it is diiBeult to determine 

 whether they feared co-operation or were not yet suiBciently reduced 

 in finances to realize the serious need of co-operation and the conse- 

 quent saving in time and money by adopting as a body the valuable 

 suggestions which have come through experience to other mercantile 

 associations as a body. 



The secretary stated that problems which have come up during 

 tlie past year have been broad and diflicult of solution. Ho said he 

 would leave the detailed discussion of these problems to tlie report of 

 the various committees. 



The secretary said that one of the principal efforts during the past 

 year had been work, backed up by the prestige of the association, 

 tending to effect the proper adjustment of the selling and handling 

 of shingles in New York state. The main objection was to get the 

 regulation properly fixed, the state having elected to adopt the regu- 

 lation. Mr. Perry said that he was informed that during the next 

 couple of years many states will follow New York's example and 

 regulate not only tlio sale of sliingles, but of other commodities which 

 are not defined on a regular basis, such as numercial count, bundling,, 

 inspection, etc. 



The speaker mentioned the New York building code, stating that it 

 will undoubtedly be passed tliis year and will be copied by many 

 otlier large cities, thus seriously affecting tlie lumber trade. 



Mr. Perry also said that a great deal of work had been done in 

 connection with the New York state workmen's compensation law 

 effective July 1. He said there is considerable adverse sentiment 

 among millmen and dealers, but that it developed that the law has 

 been fully discussed by a large number of insurance concerns of the 

 state and that it has been stated it will undoubtedly be used as tlio 

 model compensation law. It has the support of the labor unions and, 

 according to the secretary, while the New York law may be too lib- 



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