HARDWOOD RECORD 



31 



lor tin- Mlsslssliipi rlviT from St. I.ouls to the (iulf of Mexico. . lO.OOO.OOO 

 For the rtralunge of the Missouri river anil of the other rivers. . 10,000,000 

 For the territory lucludiQg the drnlnnttc baslii of the Colorado 



river 5,000,000 



lor the draluage basins of the rivers tlon-lug through or Into the 



Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys or Into the Pacific ocean 5,000,000 

 I or the drainage basins of the Columbia and Snake rivers and 



other rivers flowing into the Pacific ocean In Oregon and 



Washington 5,000,000 



Making a total per annum of $60,000,000 



This Is, as can easily be comprehended, a far bigger, a far fatter and a 

 fai juicier piece of pork than that dangled annually in the rivers and 

 hnrbors appropriation hill, did people but know it and thoroughl.v^under- 

 -tand it. .\nd if they did hut understand it they would throw overboard 

 le old ways of ■'improving" rivers so quickly and set the reluctant Army 

 Kiiglneers to work on the new system so rapidly that those surprised 

 'ilielals would hardly know on which end they were sitting. 



Senator Xewlands in the Congressional Record tells the people of the 

 nation what the bill is and what it will accomplish and the forces opposed 

 'o It. This Is his own language : 



.\ comprehensive, practical "and efficient measure is the Xewlands bill 

 ■r the control of the floods of this great valley, and it is growing more 

 rid more In public favor as it is better understood. Tlie makeshifts and 

 latrhwork efforts of less comprehensive measures are falling more and 

 more into disfavor, particularly when the secret forces opposing the 

 Xewlands bill are discovered. The public is rapidly learning that the 

 <:ime influences that delayed the openin;; of the I'anama canal for more 

 thnn a iiuarter of a century, plus the railroads, which oppose revival and 

 • vpansion of inland waterways competition, politicians who do not de- 

 sire the elimination of the politically powerful levee boards, power-site 

 -l-eculators who do not desire the federal government to survey and 

 veal the reservoir and power sites in the source-stream country, those 

 .nanciers who do not desire the internal development work of the gov- 

 inment co-ordinated and made fully eflicient. and those national politi- 

 iiins who desire to retain power to choke off executive initiative, have 

 [brown every possible obstruction in the wa.v of progress in the cam- 

 paign for tlie passage of the Newlands river-regulation bill. But their 

 labors are in vain. The Xewlands bill is really the river plank of the 

 national platform of the Democratic party translated into legislative 

 form, .'ind it is so designed as to ultimately solve all the great problems 

 Incident to the now uncontrolled drainage of the country in such a way 

 as to rehabilitate the navigable waterways and put an end to waste of 

 water, which means a waste of wealth. 



Vour committee recommend that this association go on record in 

 'i| position to this bill, that it is adding too heavy financial burdens on 

 ti.( nation. 



Xo estimate has been made of the cost of investigation of the probability 

 ■ 1 benefits derived. When the Army Engineers do not look favorably ou 

 >uch a scheme there is the best of reasons for waiting. In the present 

 liuancial and business conditions of the country there should be a pay-as- 

 yrugo policy and no new projects undertaken that involve large expendi- 

 tures. At the Xational Conservation Congress held in Washington the 

 ■re-stry section presented a large number of valuable reports; eleven 

 ' "mmittees of from five to ten each, submitted valuable facts and data 

 iljat has been put in book form by the American Forestry Association 

 ihrough E. .\. Stirling, 1331 Real Estate building, Philadelphia. This 

 .i-iety has but little funds and we understand these reports are free to 

 iiir members. We respectfully recommend that the sum of fifty dollars 

 : ■ donated to help pay for the printing of those reports. 



Upon motion of E. V. Babcock, suggestions to appropriate $50 to 

 aid the American Forestry Association in publishing reports was re- 

 ferred to the new board of trustees for final action. 



Secretary Perry read the report of R. C. Lippincott of Philadelphia, 

 chairman of the advisory committee to the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation. The report said that that association has been more active 

 .md interested in this work during the last year than ever before. 



The annual meeting was held in connection with the fifth National 

 Conservation Congress at Washington recently, and was one of the 

 most importiint of any for several years. Mr. Lippincott 's report 

 stated that the reports of the eleven sub-committees which had spent 

 nine months previous to the meeting collecting data and informa- 

 tion on special subjects were very able, and had been printed through 

 the efforts of the American Forestry Association. These referred 

 to the possibility of forest planting, state forestry policy, forest tax- 

 ation, forest investigation, school taxation, utilization of federal 

 forest policy. 



The report paid a high tribute to the work of the American For- 

 estry Association and recommended continued support on the part of 

 the national wholesalers. 



J. E. Williams, Jr., of Philadelphia urged individual membership 

 on the part of the members of the National Wholesale Lumber Deal- 

 ers' Association. 



The resolution committee then reported, offering the following 

 resolutions: 



Report of Committee on Resolutions 



WIIEIIF.4S, the Interstate Commerce Commission having given notice of 

 its intention to consider the advisability of the railroads making some 

 charge In addition to freight rates for special services performed on behalf 

 of shippers who have private tracks : and, 



Whkkeas, lumber moving In carloads Is a very desirable commodity for 

 tht railroads to handle, being loaded by the shipper and unloaded by the 

 consignee, thereby relieving the carriers of labor cost and the maintenance 

 of warehouse facilities ; and. 



Whereas, shippers and consignees having sidetracks, having stood the 

 expense of the installation of same ; and, 



WnEUEAS, the use of such private tracks increases the facilities of the 

 railroads by relieving the congestion which would otherwise occur at 

 terminals and public team tracks, and reduces the demurrage charges and 

 railroad per diem charges by more promptly returning the cars to the rail- 

 road service than can possibly be done where lumber is to be hauled to or 

 from public team tracks : 



Resolved, That the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association, 

 with a membership of over four hundred wholesale lumber dealers and 

 manufacturers, in convention assembled, petition the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission tliat no additional charges be granted the railroads for spot- 

 ting lumber cars on such private tracks until after- such private track 

 owners and shippers may be fully heard in defense of the present custom. 



Whereas. There is now, and for years jas been, a large net profit on 

 first-class mail, and whereas such profits have been entirely dissipated 

 by the losses Incurred in handling other classes of mall at less than cost 

 of service, thus working an injustice on all users of first-class postage, 

 therefore be it 



Resolved, That a one-cent rate for ordinary letters should be accorded, 

 at once, to all users of the letter mail, and we. therefore, ask members 

 cf Congress to support Senate Bill Xo. 152. introduced in the United States 

 Senate by Hon. Theodore E. Burton, and House Bill No. 4322, introduced 

 in the House of Representatives by Hon. Charles L. Bartless for one-cent 

 letter postage measures, and to use their efforts to secure the passage of 

 these bills with as little delay as possible. 



The secretary of this body is hereby instructed to send copies of this 

 resolution to our senators and representatives, and also to do everything 

 within his power, by correspondence, publicity, etc., to accomplish the 

 results which the Xational One-Cent Letter Postage -\ssociation is endeavor- 

 iup to secure. 



Whereas, there will be held in the Coliseum of Chicago, 111., from 

 April 30 to May 9, and in the Grand Central Palace of New York, from 

 May 21 to 30, inclusive, the Forest Products Exposition which is being 

 promoted by co-operative effort for the exhibition of forest products of 

 all kinds, and 



Whereas, the Forest Products Exposition will be held for the purpose 

 of showing the public the magnitude, importance and infiuence of lumber 

 industry, in all of its branches, as well as for the purpose of advertising 

 the merits of wood as a building material and all other purposes for which 

 it is suitable, and 



Whereas, the Forest Products Exposition will have a great popular 

 educational value that will be of direct benefit to the manufacturers and 

 producers of forest products of all kinds, be it therefore 



Resolved, that this association, in annual meeting assembled, heartily 

 approves of the objects of the Forest Products Exposition, and that we 

 urge our members and all others interested in the welfare of the lumber 

 and allied Industries, to support the exposition by active participation 

 therein, and by attending the same personally, and urging their associates 

 to do so. 



Death has removed during the year three of the founders and early 

 officers of this association. Alfred C Tuxbury, William A. Crombie and 

 William B. Millard. These men gave freely of their time and service In 

 the interests of organized lumber trade. They were honored by all, and 

 their passing is noted here with sorrow and a keen sense of our loss. 



Resolved, that the president and secretary of the association convey 

 to the members of the families of the deceased this minute, and express 

 tc them our deep sympathy. 



Whereas, it appears to this association that inexact and unreliable 

 statistics regarding insurance and substitute material tor lumber are 

 being compiled and published to the hurt of the lumber trade, therefore be It 



Resolved, that this matter be referred to the trustees with power to act 

 alone or along with other associations with a view of placing both properly 

 before the public. 



Whereas, the railroads are asking of the Interstate Comnocrce Com- 

 mission an Increase of five per cent in freight rates and claiming urgently 

 the need of same ; and. 



Whereas, tue members of this association are interested In a large way 

 in the right and prompt adjustment of this claim ; therefore be It 



Resolved, that we join in asking the commission to render at as early 

 a date as possible its decision in the matter In the Interest of the railroads, 

 the lumber shippers and the commerce of the country in general. 



Whereas, i.ie tendency of the general property tax in its application 

 to timberlands is inequitable in its results because it forces rapid wasteful 

 cutting and threatens confiscation ; and, 



Whereas, a yield tax on timber is equitable to all, is definite and easily 

 administered and correct in principle because the tax Is taken when the 

 Income is realized, therefore be It 



