January 25, 1918 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Thiit, when tlip war began, wi- wiTc full of entbusiasm and prophecy, 

 but that we had now come to the point where we were willing "to tbink 

 and not to talk." 



That America bad thrown oS the "restments of peace and bad put 

 on the raiment of war." 



That he was glad that the mothers of America, wbo had been singing 

 at one time that they did not raise their boys to be soldiers, were today 

 down on their knees "thanking Ood that their breed had not run yellow 

 during the piping times of peace," and that the "fathers had begun to 

 realize that their sons who began volunteering Just as soon as war was 

 declared were months ahead of them In patriotism and loyalty to the 

 government." 



That he was glad that America had come -into the war, even if at tlie 

 eleventh hour, and that she had put herself In the way of vindicating 

 her honor and preventing herself from being an outcast among tlie nations 

 of the earth. 



Gives Valuable Sketch of Business Outlook 

 Sidney A. Linnekin, of Babsoii's Statistical Organization, deliv- 

 ered a quite lengthy address on "Current Economic Conditions," 

 or, as he termed it, ^'Anticipating Business Conditions." His fore- 

 east was quite gloomy. He held out the theory that the volume of 

 business would probably continue quite large for tlie next twelve to 

 eighteen months and that prices would remain high because of the 

 big volume of business. He did not believe, however, that the 

 period following the ending of the war would be very bright, declar- 

 ing there would not be much export demand, and that what there 

 was would be supplied by firms in other countries having better 

 organization than those in America. He thought there would be 



a good foreign business in "window glass, low grade lumber and 

 cheap furniture." He feared that plants built to take care of the 

 demand for war products of every kind would not be dismantled 

 when the war was over and that they would manufacture ordinary 

 commercial i)roducts and offer them on a low basis. Ho advised 

 strongly against buying commodities for a long period, saying the 

 time for this had passed. 



The only bright feature that crept into his talk was the forecast 

 that the worst had been passed in building operations, and that a 

 fair increase would probably follow in this line. But he nullified 

 this by saying that lumber would necessarily feel the effect of 

 decreased building oi)erations, decreased furniture manufacture and 

 decreased demand from other sources, though this was offset in a 

 measure now by the ilcmand for lumber for cantonments, for ship- 

 building and for otlier strictly government puri)oses. And he pre- 

 dicted, in this connection, that, if there were not a material decrease 

 in output or a material increase in consumption along normal lines, 

 prices on lumber would react in the near future. He further 

 declared that the next few months, in the opinion of his organiza- 

 tion, offered excellent opportunity for liquidating in lumber as well 

 as other holdings. 



Following an address on Association Advertising by John B. 

 Crosby, of Chicago, the report of the committee of fourteen was 

 discussed and adopted, after which the convention adjourned sine 

 die. 



Gum Manufacturers In Last Session 



The Gum Lumber Manufacturers' Association, practically with- 

 out discussion, adopted the report of the committee of fourteen, 

 providing for consolidation with the American Oak Manufacturers' 

 Association, without a dissenting vote, at its fourth annual held at 

 Memphis on January 18, and, after having taken this action, ceased 

 to be a separate organization. 



Aside from this action, which was taken with enthusiasm by 

 members of this organization, the feature of the fourth annual 

 was the address delivered by John M. Pritchard, secretary of the 

 association but now manager of the Southern Hardwood Emergency 

 Bureau at Washington for the period of the war, on "War Orders 

 for Hardwood Lumber and Their Effect on the Hardwood Lumber 

 Industry." 



Interesting Address of President Weiss 



In his annual address President Weiss declared that "the fourth 

 annual of the Gum Lumber Manufacturers' Association finds it in 

 much stronger position than ever before and carrying on ^ work 

 that has convinced the most skeptical of its unqualified success." 

 Continuing, he said: 



Born in a time of trouble, it has weathered many storms and 

 has come through with flying colors. Its success is due to the 

 unselfish and splendid work done by its members throughout its 

 life, and I doubt very much if any other lumber association, perhaps 

 any other trade organization in any field, can show the same degree 

 of devotion and interest of its members that our association has 

 shown." 



He told of how great a sacrifice the association had made in 

 lending the services of its secretary, John M. Pritchard, to the 

 Southern Hardwood Emergency Bureau at Washington, but said 

 that he regarded it as a distinct compliment that Mr. Pritchard 

 had been selected "as the logical man for such an important posi- 

 tion." He regretted that it had been impossible for all the mem- 

 bers of the association to attend the meeting at which the request 

 of the government for the services of Mr. Pritchard had been pre- 

 sented, declaring that the "loyalty and patriotism were immense," 

 and that those who participated "pledged not only the services of 

 Mr. Pritchard, but also the services of the association and of them- 

 selves wherever they could l)e used," He thought the members had 

 a right to feel a pride in the selection of their secretory for such 

 responsible work and declared: 



"It is a big thing and the country knows where our association 

 stands and knows the spirit that is behind our organization. I am 

 proud of my connection with it." 



The report of Secretary Pritchard showed that the past year had 

 been the most successful in the history of the association in all 

 respects except in membership, only 26 members having been 

 added, thus bringing the total to 125. It also showed that the 

 Commercial Rotary Gum Association, which is affiliated with the 

 Gum Lumber Manufacturers' Association, had enjoyed a very pros- 

 perous year and that it had 22 members. It further indicated that 

 the association had received inquiries for 38,522,000 feet of gum lum- 

 ber, all of which had been bulletined to the members, and that 

 the "gum lumber industry is now firmly fixed in a leading position 

 in the hardwood field." 



Pritchard Gives Enlightening Information 



Mr. Pritchard, in his address, outlined briefly the manner in 

 which the Southern Hardwood Emergency Bureau had been created 

 and the purpose for which it existed, and then spoke substantially 

 as follows: 



There is no industry so well organized for taking care of the needs of 

 the government as the lumber industry. The pine people are better organ- 

 ized than the hardwood people. The .Southern Pine Emergency Bureau has 

 rendered a big service, with much saving in time and money to the govern- 

 ment, in furnishing material for building cantonments, ships and other 

 essentials. 



I went to Washington alxiut two months ago to take charge of the 

 Southern Hardwood Emergency liureau, and I want to correct any wrong 

 impression about its purimses anil its functions. There la comparatively 

 little demand through it for hardwood lumber such as you carry in stock. 

 There is a good demand for bill stock for use in the building of ship 

 plants, for ties and for switch ties. But the total hardwood lumber 

 hanilled through the bureau during the past few months has been about 

 :!,000.000 feet. Sonic thick stock is wanted for France for use In repair- 

 ing heavy artillery. 



1 have had any number of letters from lumbermen wanting to know 

 why they did not receive Inquiries. The principal reasons are that too 

 much delay and expense would be Involved. It takes most of the time 

 of myself and the office force to answer questions and give advice. We 

 must go wliere we can get the stock and get it quickly, and lumbermen 

 nuist have contldi-ncc in us. 



Business coming through the bureau will not be sufficiently large to 

 keep your plants going. If the orders now being placed were divided all 

 around they would amount to little. The bureau must secure what the 

 government needs on the shortest and quickest haul. It U there for the 



