HARDWOOD RECORD 



29 



the utilization of timber. Colonel Greeley estimated that with adequate 

 forest protection alone 75 per oent of the forest area of the country could 

 be redeemed within twenty-five years, and well started toward growing 

 merchantable timber. At the present rate of utilization and fire loss lie 

 estimated the life of the forests at 45 to 50 years. While the per capita 

 consumption of forest products tends to decrease, the total annual con- 

 sumption remains about the same. To provide adequate fire protection 

 for all the forests outside the national holdings would cost ?9, 000. 000 a 

 year. 



Chairman Haugen sought to ascertain what it would cost to grow 

 enough timber to replace the present annual net loss. Colonel Greeley 

 put it at not less than ten to fifteen dollars a thousand feet. 



Lumbermen "Not Guilty" 



George S. Long of Tacoma, Wash., chairman of the Forestry Committee 

 of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, stated that all twelve 

 of the regional lumber associations making up the National organization 

 «re in favor of the principles of the Snell bill, although there was some 

 individual opposition among lumbermen. Mr. Long said that reforesta- 

 tion was not a lumberman's Job alone, but required co-operation of the 

 national and state governments and the public. The lumbermen could no 

 more be held responsible for the replacement of the forests than the flour 

 miller for keeping up the wheat acreage in the future. The United 

 States, he said, had formerly had the finest forests in the world, and 

 now had millions of acres of-land and the climate suitable to reproduce 

 them. .MI that was needed was ;i little common sense and energy. Re- 

 forestation was not an individual life proposition but a national propo- 

 sition. The lumbermen would back up their part with their dollars when 

 •co-operation of all concerned was secured. He explained at length how the 

 lumbermen and the forestry service were now successfully co-operating 

 and expressed his confidence that there would be no friction under the 

 proposed law. 



Alfred Oaskill. State Forester of New Jersey, spoke for the state for- 

 estry services of New Jersey and eighteen other states, all of whom 

 favored the Snell bill. He said that the lumber supply of the future must 

 be obtaine<i as near as possible at the points of consumption in order to 

 offset the enormous costs of production in the future. He estimated that 

 it would cost $29 per thousand to grow stumpage in New Jersey — more in 

 some parts of the country and less in others. The great forest problem 

 in Mr. Gaskill's opinion is the fire problem. If the fires could be sup- 

 pressed the forests would nearly take care of themselves. Some objection 

 was expressetl to the terms of the bill by Representative Kincbloe of Ken- 

 tucky on the ground that it was not truly co-operative, but lelt too mucn 

 power to the Secretary of Agriculture. 



Sales Code Committee Announces Principles 

 Upon Which It will Work 



The Sales Code 

 Committee of the Na- 

 tional Hardwood 

 Lumber Association, 

 consisting of M. M. 

 Wall, J. H. Maassen, 

 K. B. Goodman, 

 Oliarles H. Baruab.v 

 and Earl Palmer, 

 chairman, met at the 

 office of the National 

 Hardwood Lumber 

 Association, in Chi- 

 cago, on January 19, 

 Horace F. Taylor, 

 president of the Asso- 

 ciation, also being 

 present. 



The chairman pre- 

 sented a report to the 

 committee containing 

 a presentation of the 

 work already accom- 

 plished by the com- 

 mittee and .suggesting certain principles upon which the Sales Code 

 should be formulated. After considerable discussion this report was 

 adopted by the committee. 



The committee expressed itself as very much gratified by the 

 interest shown not only by the organizations composed entirely of 



Earl Palmer, Chairman 



hardwood lumbermen, but also by those organizations representing 

 the consuming interests. 



The work is going to be vigorously prosecuted by the committee 

 and it hopes to have a code devised that will meet the entire 

 approbation of all interests affected by its terms by the time of the 

 annual meeting of the National Hardwood Lumber Association in 

 June. 



The report made by Chairman Palmer and adopted by the com- 

 mittee follows; 

 CENTLEMEN : 



While the Sales Code Committee of the National Hardwood Lumber 

 Association has been in existence for more than six months this is the 

 first opportunity afforded to its niemliers for a personal conference. This 

 does not mean, however, that, until now, nothing has been attempted 

 along the line of effort which the work of this committee Is to follow. 

 Much preparatory work upon a sales code has already been Inaugurated ; 

 and it is the purpose of this very brief report to submit to the members 

 of this committee the nature, scope and progress of that work which has 

 been prosecuted by the chairman in the name of the committee. I shall 

 also take the liberty to suggest certain basic principles upon which, in ray 

 judgment, a sales code may be compiled. 



But, before entering upon either of these phases of the situation, I 

 desire to impress upon each member of this committee the importance of 

 the task which has been assigned to us and which we have agreed to 

 perform. The importance which attaches to this work dues not rest so 

 much in the proposed sales code, by itself considered, as it does In the 

 justification of the confidence imposed in the ability of this committee 

 to compile a code that shall be worthy of the organization which is to be 

 primarily responsible for its introduction to the trade. This committee 

 was authorized by the membership of the National Hardwood Lumber 

 -Vssociation at its latest annual meeting, and, if it is to justify its 

 existence, it must compile a sales code that will measure up to the standards 

 which that association has established and maintained in all of its efforts 

 toward the promotion of the welfare of the hardwood trade. The Na- 

 tional Hardwood Lumber Association has never placed its money on a 

 dead card ; it has never undertaken a task which it has not successfull.v 

 completed : and, therefore, a binding obligation is impostnl upon this 

 committee as a whole, and upon each individual member thereof, to steer 

 this sales code proposition in such a manner that the final outcome of 

 the enterprise shall compare favorably with the results attainetl along 

 those other lines of associate endeavor which have made the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association an acknowledged force for good wherever 

 transactions in hardwood lumber occur. 



Difficulties to Be Overcome 



At the beginning of its work this committee faces two j)i-inic difficulties, 

 the first of which Is: the intangible nature of its undertaking: and the 

 other, the necessity for harmonizing interests which seemingly conflict. 



In attempting to compile a hardwood sales code this committee Is 

 entering upon new ground. There are no established precedents to govern, 

 no beaten paths to follow. The committee must blaze its own trail with 

 engineering certainty, that it may lead only to practical success. 



This committee must also be patient where self-interest Is evidenced 

 and be able to demonstrate that there is common ground upon which all 

 interests can unite in a clear definition and expression of approve<l trade 

 custom. 



The work which has already been Inaugurated In the name of this 

 committee has had for its object the awakening of general Interest in 

 the proposed sales code and of obtaining assurances of co-operation in Its 

 compilation and of support for it after its adoption. To accomplish these 

 objects a letter, emanating from this committee, was addressed to forty- 

 five different organizations representing various lines of business, all of 

 which possess a degree of Interest in the hardwood trade, either as pro- 

 ducers, distributors, or consumers of hardwood lumber. This letter set 

 forth the purpose for which this committee was created, and invited sug- 

 gestions as to how that purpose could best be accomplished. 



The responses to this letter from every organization aildresscd hav« been 

 surprisingly spontaneous and hearty, and evince a degree of Interest in 

 the undertaking that will not tail to be gratifying to the members of 

 this committee when the correspondence is submitted at a later stage or 

 this meeting. 



Principles Upon Which Code Will Be Based 



The basic principles upon which. In my Judgment, a practical hardwood 

 sales code may be compiled are as follows : 



1. The function of this committee Is to codify existing and approved 

 customs of the trade rather than to originate and recommend new regu- 

 lations. 



Where a conflict exists between these customs this committee may recom- 

 mend the custom to govern. 



Where no customs exist covering essential elements of transactions this 

 committee may recommend regulations to supply such deficiencies. 

 ' 2. The work of compiling the proposed code should be comprehensive 

 in scope and representative in character. It should not be confined to 



