February 25. lOlS 



'^ Northern Wholesalers' Meeting ^^' 



The first annual of the Northern Wholesale Hardwood Lumber 

 Association was held at the Hotel Wisconsin, Milwaukee, on Tues- 

 day, January 19. 



In his address President Humphrey told that in 1917 members 

 of the association handled 4(55,000,000 feet of hardwoods, of which 

 140,000,000 feet was manufactured by members, 90,000,000 feet 

 bought from non-members' mills and 235,000,000 feet from mem- 

 bers' mills. 



President Humphrey told of the organization meeting held at 

 Ehinelander a year ago for which getting together C. P. Crosby 

 of Khinelander was mainly responsible. Several helpful special 

 sessions have taken place since then. He expressed great pleasure 

 in the effect of the association upon ethics among wholesalers, say- 

 ing that it has had a noticeable effect in eliminating the old dis- 

 trust and working to cross purposes, but would probably accomplish 

 even more in the future. He went on to speak of conditions refer- 

 ring to market firmness and steadily rising prices and enlarging 

 upon future possibilities. The future, he said, is more than specu- 

 lation and is involved by many conditions. He did not express the 

 belief that much direct war business would come to the association 

 members, but stated that there should be considerable indirect war 

 orders fiUed. 



He said that while most shippers insist upon payment of the 

 freight tax by customers there are some who, for advertising pur- 

 poses, pay this tax themselves. Such practice is demoralizing and 

 should be abandoned. 



Eegarding the new grade of selects, Mr. Humphrey said that 

 some members do not include this in their price lists, but should 

 do so, and that where the seller does not want to lay aside selects 

 he should make a price on combined selects and No. 1 common. 



He recommended quarterly meetings in addition to the annual in 

 February. 



The report of Secretary J. F. Hayden of Minneapolis was neces- 

 sarily brief, as was that of Treasurer J. B. Andrews of Wausau, 

 which showed a satisfactory balance on hand. 



Following the report of Chairman F. K. Bissell of the member- 

 ship committee the association voted in the Robert Duncan Lumber 

 Company of Minneapolis and the Frank Carter Company of Menom- 

 inie. 



H. H. Butts of Park Falls, Wis., and Geo. Bobson of Merrill, Wis., 

 both members of the Bureau of Statistics and Educational Informa- 

 tion of the Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Asso 

 elation, spoke informally of the work of the Bureau, after which 

 market discussion followed. 



Afternoon Session 



The opinion seemed general as revealed in market talk at the 

 beginning of the afternoon session that except at Wausau the box 

 manufacturers are not very well supplied with lumber. 



The members were treated to a most interesting analysis by 

 F. M. Elkington of Milwaukee of the railroad situation and trans- 

 portation legislation. Mr. Elkington expressed great confidence in 

 government control making possible great economy in time and 

 equipment as well as money that could not have come under com- 

 petitive conditions. Shippers must be prepared to adjust their busi- 

 ness to rapidly changing conditions, but to do so with as little 

 departure from normal as possible. There should be no hesitancy 

 in extending honest criticism of what appear to be wrong measures, 

 as such criticism is patriotic rather than unpatriotic. 



According to the speaker's analysis of the proposed compensa- 

 tion to the roads this is based on the three most successful years 

 of railroad operation, calls for an outlay of $9.5,000,000 a year, which 

 is $4.50,000,000 more than the average for fifteen years back and 

 would represent a profit of nine per cent to fifteen per cent on 

 capital. 



The speaker emphasized the seriousness of making rate making a 



political matter, as would happen by giving the president rate mak- 

 ing powers and then expressed his astonishment at the indifference 

 of the shippers as a class to matters that concern them deeply. 



The most serious menace of the new bill is that taking from the 

 shipper the right to protest against new tariffs before they go into 

 effect. This provision would make protests against unfair rates 

 absolutely ineffectual. He emphasized the importance of the lumber 

 industry promptly using every means to block the passage of legis- 

 lation that would practically abolish the usefulness of the Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission and bring about deplorable relations 

 between shippers and the carriers. 



So convincing were Mr. Elkington 's statements that the follow- 

 ing resolution was adopted for transmital by wire to Wisconsin and 

 Minnesota senators at Washington: 



Resolved, That the Northern Wholesale Hardwood Association in con- 

 vention assembled is opposed to such provisions of the pending railroad 

 bill as will remove from the Interstate Commerce Commission any juris- 

 diction over freight rates. 



On recommendation of the nominating committee the following 

 officers were re-elected: 



Peesidext — H. C. Humphrey, Appleton, Wis. 



VicE-PnESiDENT — C. P. Crosby, Ehinelander. 



TEEAsrEEE — J. B. Andrews, Wausau. 



Seceetaet — J. F. Hayden, Minneapolis, 



DiEECTORS — H. J. Stone, Marshfield ; G. T. Johnson, Milwaakec ; A. J. 

 Jarvls, Eau Claire. 



After the adoption of resolutions of support to the government 

 the following standing committees were appointed: 



Membeeship — A. J. Tipler, Green Bay ; J. H. O'Melia, Khinelander ; F. K. 

 Bissell, Wausau. 



FiXAXCE — C. P. Crosby, Khinelander; Payson Smith, Minneapolis; A. J. 

 Jarvis. Eau Claire. 



Aebiteatiox — A. G. Wilson, Ehinelander: A. H. Barnard. Minneapolis; 

 G. T. Johnson, Milwauliee ; F. K. Bissell, Marshfield ; H. S. Crosby, Khine- 

 lander. 



Statistics — T. H. Schoenhafen, Marshfield ; L. H. Wheeler, Wausau : 

 W. J. Grossman, Green Bay; T. T. Jones, Minneapolis; T. E. Lee, Stanley. 



Eesolutioxs — C. E. Gill, Wausau ; John Carter, Menominle ; P. M. 

 Parker, Minneapolis. 



After deciding upon Ehinelander, Wis., for the meeting some time 

 between May 10 and May 25 the meeting adjourned. 



Fire Walls Useless Unless Solid 



Wood block flooring for factories, in place of concrete, is receiving 

 considerable attention, and seems to be giving satisfactory results. 



We are told in Factory that as a woodworking plant grew in size 

 the new buildings were divided by fire waUs, and all other modern 

 improvements were installed as fast as possible. The sprinkler system 

 was delayed because of difficulty in getting material. In the mean- 

 time the firm needed the room to fill its orders, so the buildings were 

 occupied as fast as the roofs were on. 



In hanging the line shafting the millwrights found that their 

 lengths were a foot or two longer than the rooms. The management 

 was crowding these men so hard, however, that instead of cutting 

 off the shafting to correct lengtlis, they simply broke through the 

 fire walls. Of course it was planned to eventually cut the shafting, 

 and brick up the holes. But the fire came before this was done, as 

 it almost always does, and the firemen could see the flames lick 

 through these holes, and render all their efforts to save the plant 

 unavailing. 



An opinion may not be expressed by a witness on a point 

 where the jury is amply able, through common sense, to judge for 

 itself. For instance, the Iowa supreme court has stated that a 

 lumberman cannot be regarded as an expert for the purposes of 

 stating whether certain lumber was piled in reasonably safe con- 

 dition, so as to avoid falling and consequent injury to persons nearby, 

 for after the method of piling adopted has been explained and the 

 condition of the pile described, it was presumed that the jury could 

 form their own judgment as to the safety of the lumber. 



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