.lime 10, V.)ir, 



J. W. IJIC'KSOX. MEMrms, tenn., 

 DIUECTOR 



T. M. liliOWN. LOUISVILLE. KY., DIHECMXII! 



KN'I<;HT, L\DI.\N.\rOLIS. 

 DIHECTOU 



the hearty co-opera tiou of its present membership, would have access to 

 nearly nine hundred ledgers. lu the confident belief that this member- 

 ship will be amply repaid, its closer attention to the monthly tracer 

 blank is urged. 



As this membership is aware, this association Is an active member of 

 the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, and has 

 sent delegates to each annual meeting of that organization. It held its 

 annual this year at Washington, I'ebruary .'!, 4 and n, and this associa- 

 tion was represented by its full quota of five delegates, whose report, 

 through the national councillor, may be heard during this meeting. 



In closing, this membership Is reminded that frank and lull criticism 

 of the work being performed is always welcome from It and if com- 

 plaints e.xist, better results can be secured through promptly taking 

 them up with headquarters than through any other method. 



Three things are required if the prestige of this association is to be 

 maintained at its present high standard. First, the same wise and effi- 

 cient administration of the affairs of the association that has been 

 accorded to them by its officers and directors in the past. Second, the 

 loyal and consistent support of the entire hardwood trade. Third, the 

 intelligent appreciation and helpful co-operation of the consumers of 

 lumber. With this trinity of agencies working harmoniously, one with 

 the other, toward a common end, the beneficial influence of this associa- 

 tion is certain to expand year by year even as it has done in the past. 



Report of the Inspection Rules Committee 



The inspection rules committee then read its report as follows: 

 Your inspection rules committee begs to report that during the past 

 year, at the request of the executive committee, it met a special com- 

 mittee from the Federation of Furniture Manufacturers with a view of 

 working out a more satisfactory set of inspection rules with their organ- 

 ization. This federation is composed of several hundred manufacturers 

 ana includes the membership of the following national organizations : 



National Association of Furniture Manufacturers. Central Bureau of 

 Extension Table Manufacturers, National Bureau of Metal and Spring Bed 

 Manufacturers. National Commercial Fixture Manufacturers' Association, 

 National Association of Upholstered I-'uruiture Manufacturers. National 

 Association of Chair Manufacturers, Parlor and Library Table Association. 

 Manufacturers* Cost Club, Parlor Frame Makers" .\ssociatiou. Kitchen 

 Cabinet Manufacturers' Association, National Desk Manufacturers' Asso- 

 ciation. 



The combined annual output of this Federation of Furniture Manufac- 

 turers exceeds $100,000,000 and the principal item of raw material pur- 

 chased by them is hardwood lumber. 



The National Hardwciod Lumber .\ssociation was represented by the 

 members of the inspection rules committee. 



After going into the various rules quite fully, it was decided late in 

 the afternoon that it would be impossible to reach an agreement upon 

 final changes in time to submit the recommendations to a vote of this 

 membership at. our annual meeting this year, for as you are aware, 

 under our by-laws, all proposed changes must be in the hands of the 

 membership not less than tliirty days before an annual meeting. The 

 following resolution was then adopted : 



Resolved, that pursuant to the request of the inspection rules com- 

 mittee of the Federation of Furniture Manufacturers, the National Hard- 

 wood Lumber Association appoint a special committee of five for the 

 purpose of conferring with a committee of like number representing the 

 Federation of Furniture Manufacturers on the subject of inspection rules 

 and to conduct such test inspections as may be mutually decided upon ; 

 the object of such conference being to endeavor to harmonize as far as 

 possible such differences as may be found to exist and to bring about 

 closer cooperation between the organizations represented; and be it further 



Resolved, that this action is taken In consideration that the Federation 

 of Furniture Manufacturers will accept the present standard of inspection 



of the National Hardwood Lumber Association as the basis for inspection 

 until final report of the joint committee is rendered. 



Owing to the absence in the South of Robert W. Irwin, president of 

 the Federation of Furniture Manufacturers, the special committee to 

 represent that association was not appointed until May 1. Your com- 

 mittee met with them yesterday at the association headquarters, and by 

 mutual agreement it was decided to call another meeting in the near 

 future, at which time some definite action will probably be decided upon. 

 .\t the meeting yesterday the fact was made plain that a large majority 

 of manufacturers of furniture and kindred lines felt the necessity for 

 the' establishment of a grade of "selects," and in this connection your 

 committee reports a very popular and rapidly growing demand on the 

 part of many of its members, as well as the consumers, for a "select" 

 grade to be added to our present inspection rules. It is the belief of your 

 cc)mmittee that a rule governing selects will be drawn and submitted 

 during the coming year and voted upon at our annual meeting, to be 

 held next year. As you are aware, we have this grade of selects in 

 poplar at the present time which appears to he practical and working 

 very satisfactorily, and thus far no reasous have been presented to your 

 rules committee why a similar rule governing all hardwoods would not 

 be practicable and acceptable to the manufacturers and dealers composing 

 this association. 



Under instructions from the executive committee, the inspection rules 

 committee met in Chicago on March 23, at which time certain recommen- 

 dations were submitted by the executive committee pertaining to changes 

 in inspection rules which have the support of the Hardwood Manufac- 

 turers' Association of the United States. Y'our committee, after deliber- 

 ating for one day, decided that owing to generally unsatisfactory business 

 conditions now existing, the time was inopportune for voting upon these 

 changes, and the resolution embodied in this report, which was adopted 

 at our meeting with the Federation of Furniture Manufacturers, had 

 some bearing upon this decision, as your committee felt they could not 

 consistently recommend any changes in the present rules, not only on 

 account of objections from our own membership, but because such action 

 might be unfavorably regarded by the Federation of Furniture Manufac- 

 tureres, who had pledged themselves to abide by our present standard 

 until some plan could be formulated that would cover their requirements 

 more fully. 



During the year your committee has been greatly impressed by the 

 practically unanimous sentiment on the part of the membership from 

 all sections for stability in inspection rules, and along this line it will, 

 perhaps, be interesting to you to know that the primary object of the 

 Federation of B'urniture Manufacturers, in requesting these conferences 

 with the National Hardwood Lumber Association, was to agree upon a set 

 of inspection rules that would be permanent and not subject to change 

 from year to year. 



All of the conferences referred to indicate clearly that substantial 

 progress has been made toward the establishment of uniform inspection 

 rules, universally recognized by all branches of the trade, and it is the 

 opinion, as well as the earnest wish of your committee, that negotiations 

 already under way with the Hardwood Manufacturers' Associqtion will 

 result in bringing all hardwood lumbermen into one association, which 

 will mean one standard of inspection, one set of inspection rules and 

 absolute harmony throughout all branches of the hardwood lumber 

 industry. 



Committees Appointed 



The chairmaii Appointed a committee of three, consisting of F. S. 

 Underhill, Vf. E. Chamberlin and G. Von Platen, to take up the re- 

 ports of officers and committees. 



