20 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Dcocmlifr 111. \:)2l 



Plan for Real American Lumber Congress 



Action which it is expected will result in making the American 

 Lumber Congress an institution truly and broadly representative 

 of the lumber industry of the country in all its principal branches 

 was taken by the directors of the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association at a meeting in Chicago at the Congress Hotel on 

 December 1. The directors adopted a plan of organization, or 

 reorganization, upon which Wilson Compton, secretary-manager 

 of the association, has spent two years of study and preparation, 

 and which it is hoped will result in the Congress being taken over 

 by delegates from the various associations in the manufacturing, 

 wholesaling and retailing branches of the industry, and ultimately 

 developed into an American Lumber Institute, comparable to the 

 American Iron & Steel Institute and the American Petroleum 

 Institute. 



If the proper response is made by the various lumber associations 

 to this plan when a meeting called for that purpose is held in Chi- 

 cago at the Congress Hotel on April 6 and 7, the special connection 

 of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association with the Amer- 

 ican Lumber Congress will cease and it will then be up to the 

 industry as a whole to manage the Congress. 



Plan Devised by Compton 



The plan for the new Congress is as follows: 



The American Lumber Congress is designed to, provide simple, direct, 

 systematic, reliable and continuous machinery for the informal joint con- 

 sideration of and action upon lumber trade problems of common interest 

 to lumbermen, 



"Lumbermen" includes timber owners, lumber manufacturers, lumber 

 retailers and lumber wholesalers. 



The American Lumber Congress is to a'id in giving simplicity, direct- 

 ness, system, reliability and continuity to co-operation in the lumber trade. 



For this purpose, the American Lumber Congress is made up of associa- 

 tions, not individuals. The associations are represented by delegates, 

 specifically named for that purpose. No association which does not appoint 

 a delegate is a member of the Lumber Congress. 



The -American Lumber Congress is informal. It has no membership dues 

 or fees. It is concerned only with the cominon interest of lumbermen. Its 

 activities are confined to the trade problems of the lumber business. 



There is no classification of members. Every state, regional or national 

 association of lumbermen is eligible to membership. Ea'ch member asso- 

 ciation has a delegate. Each branch of the lumber trade Is represented by 

 the same total number of delegates. The delegates choose their own 

 officers and their own standing committee. 



If the delegates or the standing committee of the delegates devise a more 

 ijatisfactory way to organize the American Lumber Congress, they are free 

 to do it at any time. There is nothing to hinder them. 



Represents All Associations 



The American Lumber Congress represents no one association, no single 

 group of associations and no one branch of the lumber trade. If it does, 

 it ceases to be a lumber Congress. 



The National Lumber Manufacturers' Association has taken the lead in 

 this activity — first, because it originated the plan of an American Lumber 

 Congress ; second, because it initiated the project of the eventual develop- 

 ment of an American Lumber Institute, which may accomplish for the 

 lumber industry what the American Iron & Steel Institute has done for the 

 iron and steel industry and the American Petroleum Institute for the oil 

 trade ; and, third, because someone necessarily must take the lead. 



The accompanying outline of the American Lumber Congress Is a sug- 

 gestion only. After the Lumber Congress has organized itself, it may 

 modify this plan in any way it sees fit. The only claim for consideration 

 of the accompanying outline of organization is that it represents more than 

 two years of inquiry and study of the most practicable and most effective 

 means of promoting a more efficient, more profitable and a happier lumber 

 bu.siness through co-operation between the several branches of the lumber 

 trade. 



The American Lumber Congress will meet in Chicago, at the Congress 

 Hotel, Florentine Room, on Thursday and Friday, April 6 and 7, 1922. 

 All associations of the lumber industry which wish to be represented in the 

 American Lumber Congress will select their delegate or delegates and on or 

 before Match 15, 1922, send their names to T. F. Laisst, Chicago representa- 

 tive of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, 1G13 Harris Trust 

 Building, Chicago, HI., who will receive the names for this purpose and 

 report them to the Lumber Congress on April 6. 



Unless otherwise advised each association is urged to appoint one dele- 



gate and an alternate. The final determination of number of delegates to 

 which any association is entitled will be made by the delegates to the 

 .American Lumber Congress on .^pril 6 and 7. 



This therefore is an invitation to each State, regional or national lumber 

 association to select its delegate; advise T. F. Laist of their names; 

 instruct them as to any lumber trade matters it may wish to have con- 

 sidered by the Lumber Congress: and make sure that they are present 

 in thp Congress Hotel, Florentine Room, on April 6 and 7. 



.\s soon as the American Lumber Congress meets, on April 6, it will 

 organize itself, provide for its iinrniancnt organization in any way it sees 

 fit. Until that time the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association will 

 make necessary arrangements. After that time its special connection with 

 the .\merican Lumber Congress will cease if the lumber associations of the 

 United .States will carrj' it on together, as an aid to greater efficiency in 

 the making, distribution and use of lumber, to a high public standing for 

 the lumber industry and to a better and more helpful understanding 

 between all bi-anches of the lumber trade. 



Outline of Organization 



The American Lumber Congress shall consist of all national, regional 

 and State associations of timber owners, lumber manufacturers and lumber 

 disfril>utcrs. whether at wholesale or retail, which shall appoint delegates 

 to rpprpscnt them at its annual meeting. All such associations shall be 

 represented by delegates. 



Delegates 



Delegates to the American Lumber Congress shall be designated annually 

 by the member associations. Each stich association shall furnish to the 

 secretary, not later than March 15 of each year, the names of its delegate 

 or delegates. 



The total number of delegates shall not exceed seventy-five, of which 

 twenty-five shall represent lumber manufact\irers or timber owners, twenty- 

 five shall represent lumber retailers and twenty-five shall represent lumber 

 wholesalers. The chairman and vi<-e rhairnien shall be chosen from the 

 delegates. 



Standing Committee 



A standing committee shall be designated at each annual meeting of the 

 American Lumber Congress from its own number, by the delegates then 

 present. The members of the standing committee shall so continue .until 

 their successors shall have been designated. 



The standing committee shall number seventeen including the ofBcers 

 of the .\merican Lumber Congress, and four delegates each nominated b.v 

 the delegates representing the lumber manufacturers, the lumber retailers 

 and the lumber wholesalers respeetively. 



Officers 



The officers shall be a chairntan, three vici- chainnen and a secretary. 

 One vice chairman shall represent the lumber manufacturers, one the 

 lumber retailers and one the lumber whoIesaleiT;. The officers shall be 

 chosen annually by the delegates immediately upon the convening of the 

 annual meeting of the American Lumber Congress, and shall serve for one 

 year following the adjournment of such meeting, or until their successors 

 shall have been chosen. 



Vacancies 



Vacancies among officers may be filled by the standing committee. 

 Vacancies in the standing committee m;iy be filled by the remaining mem- 

 bers thereof. 



Quorum 

 A quorum at anj- meeting of a standing committee shall i>e seven, pro- 

 vided that lumber manufacturers, lumber retjiilers and lumber wholesalers 

 shall each be rei)resenterl thereat by not less tbnn two delegates. 

 Place and Time of Annual Meeting 



The annual meeting of the .\ rican I.iimiier Congress shall be held in 



Chicago not earlier than .March 1."". nor l.-iter than .\pril 15. 

 Meetings of Standing Committee 

 Meetings of the standing committo' shiill be held upon call of the chair- 

 man or the secretary, 'i'iiey may lie railed at any time upon request from 

 five members, atid at sucli other iimes as the c^nnmittee may decide. 

 Reference to American Lumber Congress 

 At the request of any five members of the standing committee, any 

 action of the standing committee shall be referred to the American Lumber 

 Congress. 



Notice of Meetings 

 Notice of all meetings shall I)e gi\en at least fifteen davs before such 

 meetings are to be held. 



Subcommittees 

 The vice chairman and the four members of the standing committee 

 representing liunber manufacturers, lumber retailers and lumber whole- 

 salers, shall constitute respectively the stihcommiftee of manufacturers, 

 retailers and wholesalers. Each such subcommittee will, therefore, have 

 five members. The vice chairmen of the standing committee shall preside 

 over their respective subcommittees. 



Each subcommittee may meet separately, or with either of the other two 

 subcommittees at any time and place, but their action does not become the 

 action of the standing committee of the American Lumber Congress until 

 approved by it. 



General Authority 

 A standing committee shall have aiilbnritv In matters not otherwise 

 specifically provided for. 



Fees 

 There shall be no membership fees or dues. 



Committees 

 There shall be no committees (.1 the American Lumber Congress except 

 the standing committee, unless specifically so provided bv the Am6rlean 

 Lumber Congress, 



