40 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



February 10, 1918 



A discussion on the subject of government control of public 

 utilities and the possible effect of prevailing tendencies towjird 

 such control was opened by Mr. Alcock, who took the ground that 

 while the government was able to manage some things effectively, 

 too much paternalism was not good, tending to the narrowing of 

 opportunities for private initiative. Mr. Alcock maintained that 

 persons who had devoted their lives to the conduct of enterprises 

 necessarih' knew more about them and were able to conduct them 

 better than government ofEcials, who had not been brought up in 

 the business, and that commercial business could be conducted more 

 efficiently as private undertakings, by reason of the competent 

 organizations maintained. Others expressed similar views. 



W. H. Eusse of Eusse & Burgess, Inc., took up certain clauses 

 which were being inserted in ocean bills of lading by some of the 

 steamship companies and pointed out that these clauses were cal- 

 culated to bring about a nullification of the provisions of the Bar- 

 ter act. Some of these clauses provided that the laws of the coun- 

 try under the flag of which a vessel sailed, applied also to the ship. 

 This, he said, would afford a means of disclaiming liability for 

 damage to shipments, a condition which the Harter act was ex- 

 pressly passed to prevent. He called attention to the fact that the 

 federal courts had upheld the validity of the act and emphasized 

 the protection afforded by the statute. 



No formal action was taken on either subject, however, though 

 it is altogether likely that the board of managers will pursue such 

 a course as circumstances may call for. 



Immediately after adjournment of the general meeting, the 

 board of managers, which includes the officers of the association 

 and the directors, met to transact routine business. 



The New York members and the lumber trade generally were 

 lavish in their hospitality and made the stay of the visitors highly 

 agreeable. The New York members on Wednesday evening gave a 

 complimentary dinner to the visiting members, the local committee 

 being headed by E. S. Huddleston, C. S. Powell and Andrew Knox. 

 Among the invited guests were Captain Noye of the French High 

 Commission, representatives of the British Ministry of Shipping 



and representatives of the leading steamship lines. Mr. Eckman 

 presided and Mr. Huddleston acted as toastmaster with great skill. 

 At the conclusion of the feat the entire company sang "America." 



On Thursday night at the Hotel Martinique, the new president, 

 Mr. Fee, was host at a dinner, to which a number of army officers 

 were also asked. 



The time and place for the next annual meeting are to be selected 

 later by the board of managers. 



That the value of the association as an important factor in the 

 export trade is being recognized more and more is strikingly shown 

 by the fact that in spite of the adverse conditions which prevailed 

 during the last year, five prominent concerns were added to the 

 membership. The five are: Central Export Company, New York; 

 Bennett Lumber Company, Ltd., Montreal and New York; Astoria 

 Veneer Mills and Dock Company, Long Island City, N. Y.; George 

 C. Brown & Co., Memphis, Tenn., and the Menzies-Hale Lumber 

 Company, Cincinnati. 



Mr. Fee, the new president, and Mr. Du Bose of the Lamb-Fish 

 Lumber Company, of Charleston, went to Baltimore after the meet- 

 ing and saw Mr. Dickson there again. They subsequently went to 

 Washington to take up various matters with government officials. 



Frank Fee's Dinner 



The executive committee of the association met after the meeting 

 and President Fee announced that he would be host at a little dinner 

 in the evening. It was an impromptu affair intended for informal 

 discussion and jollification. When the guests started toward the 

 dining room of the Martinique, a number of friends, including Will 

 Eusse of Memphis, joined them. Eusse made a proposition that 

 was quite welcome to all, but, before the executive committee knew 

 it, all the soldier boys in the hotel lobby were invited to join the 

 party, and everybody in the hotel took on the spirit, and the first 

 thing they knew Gus WiUiams, who was entertaining downstairs, and 

 the lady entertainers joined the party, and the entertainment of the 

 soldier boys and the regular entertainers was giving pleasure to 

 everybody in the hotel. It is the impromptu affairs of life that make 

 a lot of folks happy, and this was one of the occasions. 



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On January 30 the Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers' Club 

 held a meeting at Hotel Bentley, Alexandria, La. A number of topics 

 came up for discussion, and the two sessions were fully occupied in 

 that way. The meeting held in the forenoon was informal for the 

 reason that late trains delayed the arrival of so many of the members 

 that the attendance was small at the opening session. 



The proposed plan for reporting sales came up for discussion, and 

 it was pointed out that such a plan would do away with the wide 

 discrepancies in quotations, and benefit would result from it. A num- 

 ber of questions as to the working of the plan came up, and called for 

 opinions and discussions. One such question was whether the names 

 of customers should be given along with the quotations, and whether 

 the reports should distinguish between sales to wholesalers and sales 

 to consumers. The value of local reports, in connection with the 

 market reports, was emphasized. 



The Government's Call for Oak 



The fact that a large amount of oak was needed in the manufacture 

 of vehicles for the government was brought before the meeting by 

 Ferd Brenner. The manufacturers Who were to turn out the vehicles 

 had been dickering with hardwood manufacturers in Chicago and 

 elsewhere. The hardwood men in Chicago were not in a position to 

 quote prices, with the information available. 



It was the original design to get dimension stock, but that was impos- 

 sible, and they were trying to get planks. The miUs near Alexandria 

 were represented by E. C. Witbeck of the Ferd Brenner Lumber 

 Company, and A. S. Johnson of the Mansfield Hardwood Lumber 

 Company, and they wanted to know how much thick green ~white 



and red oak the members could furnish in the next six months. In 

 further discussion of the subject the understanding was expressed 

 by several members that the vehicle people were unwilling to state 

 the price at which they had figured the lumber in taking their coii- 

 tracts from the government, and that they were trying to procure it 

 at prices much below those at which they had taken it into their 

 estimates. It appeared that several members had received inquiries 

 for the stock accompanied by patriotic appeals for favorable prices on 

 account of the government; and it was thought that on account of 

 the difficulty of procuring it the vehicle manufacturers were ready 

 to state the figures on which they had based their bids and make a 

 price to the lumbermen accordingly. With the lumbermen's repre- 

 sentatives and Mr. Pritchard present, it was thought a satisfactory 

 price basis could be arrived at. It was also developed that the vehicle 

 manufacturers had been offering lower prices for the stock than they 

 had been paying. 



Prices were discussed at considerable length and it was the sense 

 of those present that they would be wiUing to accept whatever prices 

 might be fixed by the Emergency Bureau ; and those present were asked 

 what quantities they were prepared to furnish. Te following reply 

 was formulated and was sent to Mr. Johnson and Mr. Witbeck, 

 Chicago : 



The membership of this club obligate themselves to furnish during the 

 period of six months a minimum of 10,000,000 feet No. 1 common and 

 better ; or 15,000,000 feet No. 2 common and better, thick oak, for green 

 shipment, for government purposes, at prices that may be agreed upon 

 by the Hardwood Emergency Bureau. Probably additional from non- 

 member mills. 



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