April 10, 1918 



Thd twenty-sixth annual convention of the National Wholesale 

 Lumber Dealers' Association met in New York March 27 and was 

 called to order by the president, Maurice E. Preisch of North 

 Tonawanda, N. Y., and was welcomed by W. F. Morgan, president 

 of the Merchants' Association of that city. 



The president's address w&s taken up largely with a history of 

 what the association has done or offered to do to assist the govern- 

 ment to carry on the war. Following that, E. F. Perry, secretary 

 of the association, read his annual report. He went into more 

 details in regard to the association's activities than the president 

 had done, and related the accomplishments in putting trade accep- 

 tances to use, joining in the work of the Chamber of Commerce of 

 the United States, co-operating with railroads and other agencies 

 in pushing along business lines, sending recruits to the lumbermen 

 who have gone to France, and increasing the association's mem- 

 bership. 



The report of Treasurer Cape showed receipts of $43,725, and 

 expenditures of $39,582, leaving a balance of $4,142 in the treasury. 

 Mr. Cape was reelected treasurer for the coming year. 



The Bureau of Information's report was presented by W. W. 

 Schupner, manager. The document presented details of the activi- 

 ties of the department during the past year, particularly the col- 

 lection work. He showed that conditions were abnormal not be- 

 cause of a larger number of failures, but from various situations 

 that created an increased amount of disputed accounts, which in 

 former years were the exception rather than the rule. The total 

 claims handled aggregate $558,716, an increase of $64,553 over 

 last year, and $178,361 over the preceding year. The fees earned 

 amounted to $5,300, compared with $5,100 last year and $4,900 in 

 1916. 



The variety of claims was most pronounced, ranging from a very 

 few dollars to over $5,000 on slow pay accounts and beyond $10,000 

 on disputed and litigated cases growing out of breach of contracts, 

 non-shipments, etc. 



W. F. Stradella, of Tonawanda, presented the report of the fire 

 insurance committee, stating that the committee had decided that 

 conditions were not favorable for launching an insurance organiza- 

 tion in the association, but that it highly endorsed the plan and 

 recommended that as soon as conditions were more favorable or- 

 ganization be perfected and the plan put into operation. 



Committees and Heports 



The president announced the appointment of the following com- 

 mittees: 



Nominations — A. C. Crombie, New York, chairman ; W. O. Tower, St. 

 Paconus Quebec ; R. G. Kay, PhllaclLlpliia, Pa. ; H. W. McDonough, Bos- 

 ton. Mass. ; B. F. Jackson, North Tonawanda, N. Y. ; T. M. Brown, 

 Louisville, Ky. ; C. V. McCreight, Pittsburgli, Pa. ; A. W. Hempstead, 

 Sagluaw, Mich. ; George F. Kerns, Chicago. 



Resolutions — J. W. McClure, Memphis, Tenn., chairman ; R. L. Sisson, 

 Potsdam, N. T. ; O. E. Yeager, BuSfalo, N. Y. ; Clarence II. Hershey, 

 Newark, N. J. ; Angus McLean. Pittsburgh ; D. O. Anderson, Marion, S. C. 



Various committees and officers presented reports dealing vpith 

 certain phases of the association 's work, among which were the 

 following: 



J. R. Williams, chairman of tlie forestry committee, submitted 

 his report outlining the different activities of his department. 



W. R. Brown, Portland, Me., discussed the welfare work among 

 soldiers. Twenty thousand dollars have been raised and expended 

 for the purchase of sweaters, and for other necessary or desirable 

 articles. 



The purchase of thrift stamps was the subject of a talk by 

 Seton Lindsay of the New York Life Insurance Company. 



The committee on legislation was represented by C. V. Mc- 

 Creight of Pittsburgh, while F. R. Babcock of the same city gave 

 an account of his work as councillor representing the association 

 in the National Chamber of Commerce of the United States. At 

 the conclusion of his report, Mr. Babcock moved that the resolu- 

 tions committee be requested to present a resolution recommending 

 the enactment of legislation that would permit war and excess 

 profit taxes to be paid in installments instead of forcing their pay- 

 ment all at one time, thus working a hardship on the business and 

 industry of the country. 



Allen Walker of the New York branch of the Chamber of Com- 

 merce of the United States, told of the work of that organization. 

 He said that he was much interested in the recently published 

 statements of Secretary McAdoo's position in the matter of re- 

 stricting building and believed that this was a concession to the 

 building interests. He thouglit that the statement might be in- 

 terpreted to mean that when any building is believed by a com- 

 munity to mean an addition to the enduring wealth of the country 

 it was essential the building should go forward, but that factories 

 for the manufacture of candy, etc., were not essential and would 



W. McCLUKE, MEMPHIS, TENN., 

 FIRST VICE PRESIDENT 



HORACE F. TAYLOR. BUFFALO, N. Y., 

 PRESIDENT 



E. F. PERRY, NEW YORK, N. Y. 

 SECRETARY 



