26 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



April 10, 1922 



Blodgett Becomes Chief of Manufacturers 



John H. Kirby Retires as Head of National Lumber Manufacturers' Association 



with Warning Against Socialistic School of Politics; Secretary 



Hoover Confers with Members on Standardization and 



Protection of Buyer by Grade Marking 



Eetiring from the presidency of the National Lumber Manufac- 

 turers' Association after four successive terms, John Henry Kirby 

 of Houston, Texas, issued, on the second day of the twentieth an- 

 nual meeting in Chicago, at the Congress Hotel, April 4 and 5, a 

 solemn warning to members of the association that they must stand 

 together to resist the strong currents of socialism and nationaliza- 

 tion of industries which are moving today in the stream of the 

 nation's polity. "If there has been a time, at any time in the 

 twenty years ' period of this organization when there was greater 

 necessity than at any other time for association activities, and 

 especially those which this organization is conducting, that time 

 is now," said the distinguished lumberman, who during four years 

 has led the national association from a more or less demoralized 

 and inadequately financed organization to an institution of nation- 

 wide influence and secure financial position. 



"There is a school of thought in this country which is a menace 

 to private property," Mr. Kirby continued. "There is a school of 

 thought in high places among men who are normally sound and 

 who would be offended if you charged them with leaning to the 

 dogmas of socialism, who believe that the industrial progress of 

 this Bepublic can best be promoted by nationalizing certain nat- 

 ural resources. You have no idea, unless you have been around 

 Washington, how popular that thought is. Happily, there is in 

 the White House a man who will halt such legislation when it gets 

 to him. But he is only the Executive. They may pa.ss it over his 

 veto, or they may, by some other means, effect or attain the end 

 they seek. A great man like Senator Borah advocates, probably 

 for political expediency, probably because he sincerely believes it, 

 the nationalization of the coal mines of the country. That is only 

 the entering wedge, and the next step is an attack upon your prop- 

 erty and upon other natural resources besides timber." 



Then Mr. Kirby issued his warning: "You must be vigilant; 

 you must be watchful; you must keep a line on legislative thought, 

 especially in Washington, if you would maintain the principles 

 enunciated in our Constitution and which we have followed up to 

 this time." 



Touching briefly upon the industrial situation, Mr. Kirby said 

 that the present was "an encouraging hour for all lumber manu- 

 facturers throughout this great republic." 



Speaking of the progress of the association during his four years 

 of administration Mr. Kirby paid a glowing tribute to Dr. Wilson 

 Compton, secretary manager, whom he said had contributed more 

 than any other one man to the growth and prosperity of the asso- 

 ciation. 



Blodgett Elevated to Presidency 



The association elected John W. Blodgett of Grand Eapids, Mich., 

 who had been first vice-president, to the presidency to succeed Mr. 

 Kirby. 



Other officers elected were: 



First Vice-President — A. L. Clark, Dallas, Texas. 



Second Vice-President — K. W. Vinnedge, Seattle, Wash. 



Third Vice-President — F. G. Wisner, Laurel, Miss. 



Treasurer — J. H. Kirby, Houston, Texas. 



Secretary-Manager — Dr. Wilson Compton, Washington, D. C. 



A board of directors was also elected and the following men 

 connected with the hardwood industry were selected to serve on 

 this: C. A. Bigelow and W. L. Saunders, representing the Michi- 



gan Hardwood Manufacturers' Association; R. B. Goodman and 

 A. L. Osborn, Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association. 



The following were selected for chairmen of standing commit- 

 tees: A. C. Dixon, Economics; B. B. Goodman, Advisory Tax; 

 Charles Hill, Trade Extension; J. W. Browne, Publicity; C. S. 

 Keith, Governmental Relations; W. A. Gilchrist, Waste Prevention; 

 G. S. Long, Forestry; A. L. Osborn, Transportation. 



Hoover Promises to Help in Plan to Protect the 

 Lumber Buyer 



The attendance of Herbert S. Hoover, Secretary of Commerce, 

 at the opening session of the twentieth annual meeting of the 

 association, on April 4, for the purpose of discussing the simplifica- 

 tion of lumber dimension and standards, reflects the growing im- 

 portance of the organization, not only in the lumber industry, but 

 in the Nation. 



When introduced by Chairman Kirby, Secretary Hoover ex- 

 plained that he "had hoped for some opportunity to discuss with 

 lumbermen the plans which are being made by them in relation to 

 certain measures to protect the public as to grades, quality and 

 so forth, and the measures that you are taking with regard to 

 standardization, sizes, simplification of dimensions and things of 

 that kind, and to see wherein the Department of Commerce can 

 co-operate and assist you in such matters. I do not know what 

 progress the association has made and I would really like to hear 

 from some members of the association." 



Pursuant to this request Edward Hines of the Edward Hines 

 Lumber Company, Chicago; R. B. Goodman of the Sawyer-Goodman 

 Company, Marinette, Wis.; John W. Blodgett of Grand Rapids, 

 Mich.; A. C. Dixon of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association; 

 Dr. Wilson Compton, secretary-manager of the National, and others, 

 explained what is being done along the lines mentioned. Frank F. 

 Fish, secretary-treasurer of the National Hardwood Lumber Asso- 

 ciation, who happened to be present, explained the inspection sys- 

 tem of his organization, which by its bonded certificate guarantees 

 fair dealing in hardwoods. 



Mr. Hines recounted the action of the Southern Pine Association 

 at its last annual meeting in recommending and taking steps to 

 bring about the grade marking of lumber as a means of protecting 

 lumber buyers. He explained, also, the intention of the Southern 

 Pine Association (the largest member group of the National) to 

 bring about not only the grade marking of lumber but the mark- 

 ing in a conspicuous way by the mill man of the quantity as well 

 as grade of lumber in each car shipped. 



In addition Mr. Hines described the jilan of the Chicago Lumber 

 Dealers' Association to protect the retailer and even the ultimate 

 consumer of lumber by maintaining a corps of inspectors who will 

 inspect lumber in any part of the city to insure the delivery all 

 along the line of just what is sold. Mr. Hines said this practice 

 could and probably would be followed in every big city in the 

 country. The Chicago association, he declared, had appropriated 

 $20,000 with which to advertise its plan in the daily press. 



At the request of Mr. Kirby, Mr. Hines also mentioned that the 

 directors of the National were considering the inauguration of a 

 system of national inspection (similar to that maintained by the 

 National Hardwood Lumber Association), issuing a certificate 



