28 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



FRANK A. BEYEI:. BEYER, K.XOX & CO., 

 BUFFALO. 



that the roll be called, we will have the secre- 

 tary call the roll. 



0. O. Agler — Inasmuch as there are other 

 means to ■ gel the names of those 



present, I move thai the roll call be dis- 

 pensed with. 



Motion seconded and carried. 

 President Palmer— Cards will be circu- 

 lated for the members to write their names 

 and that will be a more satisfactory way to 

 get the lis! of those present. 



Report of President. 

 President Palmer— The first business com- 

 ing before you is the report of the officers. 

 The president's report head- the list, so I 

 will now read my annual report. 



Gentlemen : One rear ago the National Hard- 

 wood Lumber Association, by its membership, 

 conferred upon me the highest honor within the 

 gift of that organization. That was the hour 

 §f gracious liberality. Today that membership 

 is again assembled and awaits a report as to 

 the manner in which Its trust has been main- 

 tained This is the hour of critical account and 

 as stands the account bo shall your judgment 

 be as to whether the honor was worthily or un- 

 worthily bestowed. 



m 



.mux i\ 



KMiX. BEYER, KNOX 4 CO 



BUFFALO. 



In the conduct of the affair- socia- 



ell as in the operation of matters of 

 est to the individual, the passage Of a year 

 must either make for progress or result in 

 retrogression. Between a forward and a baek- 

 : movement there is no middle ground for 

 in attitude. Therefore, if I ant 

 able to demonstrate to your satisfaction thai 

 during the past year the interests of the Na- 

 tional Hardwood Lumber Association have been 

 need, I am reduced to the painful acknowl- 

 edgment that under my administration ground 

 has been losl that was won tinder the adminis- 

 n- of my predecessors. 

 Before entering upon the details relative to 

 the occurrences of the past >.-ar or submitting 

 my views regarding the future policy of this 

 association I shall briefly outline 11 

 from the date of its organization and contrast 

 conditions prevailing in the hardwood lumber 

 trade prior to that date with conditions exist- 

 ing today, as a thorough understanding of what 

 has been done is a condition precedent to a 

 proper conception of that which still remains 

 to be accomplished. 



The National Hardwood Lumber Association 

 was organiz'd eighl years ago for the purpose 

 of establishing a uniform system for grading 

 hardwood lumber, that should be accepted as a 

 standard throughout the entire country. At 

 that time and prior thereto from the incep- 

 tion of the hardwood lumber trade there had 

 been no general standard of hardwood inspec- 

 tion applied to the entire field covered by 

 operations in hardwood lumber, but Instead each 

 market was a law unto itself in 

 opon the quality of grades of lumber b 

 and solil within its boundaries. That condition 



9* m 



FERD BRENNER, FERD BRENNER LUMBER 

 COMPANY, CHATTAN IA. 



led to much confusion, as it was impossible for 

 a shipper of lumber to determine in advance 

 what would result from the application of the 

 local inspection of a market foreign to his 

 vicinage, to any -liipment of lumber that he 

 might forward. , 



It is not necessary for me to recapitulate 

 the manv impediments to a free interchange of 

 trade that were imposed by these conflicting 

 flards of Inspection, as I am certain that 

 a distinct remembrance of many annoying cir- 

 uees remains with each lumberman pres- 

 ent who was engaged in business during the 

 i to whirh I refer. 



Aside from honest differences of opinion be- 

 tween honest and reputable traders and manu- 

 Cai turers resulting from the absence of a general 

 standard of inspection dishonest men were not 

 slow to observe that the conditions were of the 

 proper sort to warrant large returns upon their 

 talents, when directed In the channels of the 

 hardwood trade, and as a result ihat trade be- 

 came infested with as grand a lot of rascals 

 as ever went unhung. And on account of their 

 presence in such numbers it was difficult for a 

 thoroughly reputable member of the trade to 

 maintain "his standing in the commercial world 

 and at the same time continue his connection 

 therewith. 



\, i. i,-ii to the disagreeable features hitherto 

 mentioned a spirit of animosity had sprung up 

 between different markets ami between the in- 

 dividual members thereof. Each man doubted 

 Ills i, md there was :i total absence of 



unity of effort and of fellowship in trade so 

 itial to the best interests of those engaged 

 in the same Industrial and commercial line 

 of business. With the advent of the National 



■\v 



K, DIRECTOR, BONSACK LUM- 

 il'ANY. ST. LODIS, MO. 



F. II SMITH. DIRECTOR, THE F. II. SMITH 

 LUMBER COMPANY, ST. Lulls. 



A. J. LANG, ST. LOUIS. 



