32 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Kesolved. tbttt this association endorses the principle of a yield tax on 

 timber and urges It as the correct policy toward tlmbcrlands in all states 

 bavlug forest Interests. 



Kesolved, that the members tender to President Walcott and his asso- 

 ciate executive ofDcers appreciation of the faithful services and cfflclent 

 handling of the association interests during the present year. 



Kesolved, that we appreciate the very kind invitation extended to have 

 us come to Buffalo, and desire to thank the Buffalo & Tonawanda Lumber 

 Association for their care and oversight of our members while visiting 

 Buffalo. 



Kesolved, that we desire to express to the Iroquois Hotel Company our 

 appreciation of Its very generous treatment during this meeting which 

 has added materially to the success and pleasure of our convention. 



Following the report of the committee, there was a heated 

 discussion again regarding the proposed five per cent increase. Tlie 

 resolution on this subject simply urged prompt and rightful decision 

 in tlie matter on the part of the Interstate Commerce Commission, in 

 the interest of railroads, lumber shipments and general commerce of 

 the country. Some expressed themselves as believing that the resolu- 

 tion should be couched in more forceful language. It was sug- 

 gested that a substitute resolution be offered asking for immediate 

 decision in favor of the proposed increase. This was strongly ob- 

 jected to by others. Finally the convention adopted the resolution 

 as offered by a majority vote. 



E. V. Babcock of Pittsburgh, chairman of the nominating com- 

 mittee, presented the following names as trustees for three years and 

 they were duly elected: 



W. W. Knight, Indianapolis; Alexander Willson, Pittsburgh: C. F. 

 Treadway. New Haven, Conn. : A. L. Stone, Cleveland, O. ; C. H. Hershey. 

 Newark, X. J. : M. E. Preisch, North Tonawanda, N. Y., and B. F. Belts. 

 Philadelphia. 



F. E. Babcock of Pittsburgh then opened the nominations for oflB- 

 cers, and speaking in glowing terms of the unusual loyalty, ability, 

 excellent judgment and generally high character of Gordon C. Ed- 

 wards of Ottawa, Ont., presented his name for nomination for presi- 

 dent for the ensuing year. 



The nomination was seconded by C. H. Prescott of Cleveland, O. 

 Mr. Prescott in seconding Mr. Babcock 's nomination stated that Mr. 

 Edwards had never missed a meeting of the board of trustees or 

 the executive committee. The election of Mr. Edwards was unani- 

 mously recommended by the association. 



Thus, for the first time in its history, the association has a presi- 

 dent whose residence is without the boundaries of the country. His 

 choice is unquestionably an unusually popular one, as he enjoys the 

 full confidence, entire respect and the deep affection of all of the 

 members. 



Mr. Walcott appointed F. R. Babcock and C. H. Prescott as a 

 committee to escort Mr. Edwards into the convention hall. He was 

 brought in in a rather tmusual manner, on the shoulders of the re- 

 ception committee, and was greeted with tremendous applause from 

 the members. 



Mr. Edwards expressed himself in a fitting way as appreciative 

 of the honor, and also stated that he was confident that the Canadian 

 trade would be fully appreciative. In bis talk Mr. Edwards was so- 

 licitous of the co-operation of the membership and also dwelt upon 

 the importance of building up that feature of the association. 



M. E. Preisch of the local entertainment committee then spoke a 

 final word of appreciation for the convention, after which the session 

 adjourned. 



The trustees met following the adjournment and the following 

 officers were elected : 



PaESiDENT — Gordon C. Edwards. Ottawa. Ont. 



First Vice-President — W. W. Knight. Indianapolis, Ind. 



Second Vice-President — .\. L. Stone. Cleveland, O. 



SECEETAE.Y — E. F. Perry, New York, N. Y. 



Treasueee — Henry Cape, New York, N. Y. 



THE ENTERTAINMENT 



The annual banquet held in the Iroquois hotel on Thursday even- 

 ing, at which both the men and attending ladies were present, was an 

 unusually brilliant affair and 300 members, guests and ladies were 

 present. 



Retiring President Walcott delivered a final message to the asso- 

 ciation on this occasion. He outlined the excellent results obtained 

 through the association efforts in the past years, and predicted that 

 the future of the association could be nothing else than brilliant. 



Mr. Walcott introduced Gordon C. Edwards, the newly elected 



president. Mr. Edwards responded with a brief acknowledgment 

 of the honor of the election. 



John Archdeacon Murphy of Buffalo was introduced as toastmaster. 

 Those wlio responded to toasts were: Hon. John V. Sisson, congress- 

 man from the fourth Mississippi district; Hon. Eodolphe LeMieux, 

 former postmaster-general of Canada; Edward F. Trefz of Chicago, 

 field secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. 



On Wednesday night a well arranged and unusually successful 

 smoker was given for the benefit of the men, wliile a musical program 

 and reception were provided for the ladies, in the parlor of the 

 hotel. In both cases suitable light refreshments were served. 



Hugh McLean, prominent in Buffalo lumber circles, tendered a 

 luncheon at the Buffalo club at one o'clock on Thursday, at which 

 the Hon. Rodolphe LeMieux, former postmaster-general of Canada, 

 was the guest of honor. 



The entertainment committee in charge of the local arrangements 

 was composed of: M. E. Preisch, M. M. Wall, John McLeod, C. W. 

 Betts, Henry J. George, Isaac N. Stewart and Arthur W. Kreinheder 

 of Buffalo, and James L. Crane and R. T. Jones of Tonawanda. 



Action on Through Bills as Affecting Demurrage 



Much interest is manifested among lumber exporters here in the 

 report of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 which has just been submitted to the House and which recommends 

 legislation bringing water carriers that do an interstate business 

 and foreign steamship lines entering American ports under the 

 supervision of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The committee- 

 engaged in an extended investigation of steamship combinations, 

 and the report is at least in part based upon the facts learned ia 

 the course of this investigation. The proposed legislation would 

 give the Interstate Commerce Commission the same complete authority 

 over the American domestic steamship companies, with the power 

 to regulate rates and determine maximum freight and passenger 

 charges, as it now exercises over lailroads. It is further proposed 

 that the foreign steamship Lines be required to file their agreements 

 and understandings with other companies; that the commission be 

 empowered to make investigations into unreasonable rates; to inquire 

 into unfair practices, with authority to compel their discontinuance, 

 and to prohibit the use of fighting ships and deferred debates. The 

 investigation made has shown to what a large extent agreements 

 to divide traffic and to apportion returns as well as to fix rates 

 arbitrarily are entered into by the foreign steamship lines, competi- 

 tion being practically eliminated. The matter of special interest 

 to exporters, however, is the refusal of the steamship lines to accept 

 through bills of lading unless the lines are exempt from liability 

 for demurrage on cars and because of other conditions which are 

 burdensome to the shippers. Under existing circumstances the 

 exporters are entirely at the mercy of the steamship lines, which 

 delay taking lumber and logs intended for export as long as suits 

 their convenience, and frequently keep loaded cars at terminals 

 for week and even months. The railroads felt impelled to fix time 

 limits and insist upon demurrage, which the exporters refused to 

 pay because the delay was not any fault of theirs. The steamship 

 lines avoided responsibility by the simple expedient of refusing to 

 recognize through bills of lading. It was this state of affairs 

 which prompted the exporters to complain to the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission about the railroads. A date for a hearing last 

 year was set, but afterward postponed, it being clearly recognized 

 that the railroads were not at fault. Later a bill was offered in 

 the House which requires the railroad companies to issue and the 

 steamship lines to recognize through bills of lading; but here again' 

 the difficult}' was in a lack of authority with the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission over the foreign steamship lines. The recom- 

 mendations of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries is 

 designed to meet this lack of authority. It is felt by the exporters 

 that when foreign steamship Unes require the former to enter into 

 contracts for the shipment of lumber and logs, the carriers should 

 be held to furnish adequate facilities and that there should be 

 some power to restrain them from enforcing onerous and inequitable 

 requiremenlts. 



