20 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



January 10, 1921 



the mass meeting as an emergency, which is not only seriously inter- 

 fering with the well being of the people of the country, but also 

 with the functioning of all elements contributing to construction. 

 The meeting openeil with a consideration of the action of tlie 

 Northern pine manufacturers, who conducted, and are conduct- 

 ing, a campaign of publicity through the newspapers of Minne- 

 ajjolis and St. Paul (the Twin Cities) to advertise the fact that 

 lumber prices no longer stand in the way of conservative building 

 projects; that prices of this commodity have receded to normal 

 levels, and that were labor and other elements in the same posi- 

 tion there would be nothing, in so far as cost of commodities is 

 concerned, to retard building. Therefore, the meeting: 



Resolved. That we heartily commend the action of the Northern I'ino 

 Manufacturers' Association in using the medium of publicity to lead the 

 way back to normal in the prices of all elements entering into building 

 construction, iucUiding labor ; that \ve commend their plan to the National 

 Lundior Manufacturers' .VKSooiatiou for use iu meeting: the said emergency 

 if and when, iu the judgment of the directors of the National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association, the occasion demands it, and request those 

 in charge of the campaign of the Northern Pine Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion to lay before the directors of the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association all helpful data in their possession and to give to the National 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association every assistance which their expe- 

 rience a.s pioneers has shown to be available. 



It is anticipated that following the meeting in Chicago Jan. 21 

 and 22 of the lumber industry, with rejjresentatives of the other 

 elements of the building industry, it will be possible to determine 

 whether or not the emergency requires the resort to a nation-wide 

 campaign of publicity', along the lines pursued by the Northern 

 Pine Manufacturers' Association. 



Prcrtde for the "Sinews of War" 

 In order that the sinews may be provided for carrying out the 

 aims of the mass meeting, designated in previous resolutions, the 

 following proposals for publicity for the lumber industry were pre- 

 sented and unanimously adopted: 



PROPOSAL I 



That each regional lumber manufacturers' association assess its mem- 

 bers the equivalenfof not more than two cents per thousand feet of pro- 

 duction during the calendar year 1920. 



That ten per cent of the total amount thus asses.sed be payable at an 

 early date ; that the remainder be payable in installments at such periods 

 as may be later arranged. 



That the funds thus provided be administered by the National Lumber 

 Manufacturers' Association, through a committee consisting of one repre- 

 sentative of each regional association making above assessment, and under 

 the general advice and guidance of the exceutive committee of the National 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association. 



PROPOSAL II 



That the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, acting with the 

 advice and under the guidance of the executive committee of its board 

 of directors, be requested to ask lumber manufacturers, wholesalers and 

 retailers, whether they are or are not members of any regional lumber 

 manufacturers' association, for subscriptions to a publicity fund, such 

 subscriptions to be equivalent to not more than two cents per thousand 

 feet of lumber produced during the calendar year 1920, the total fund thus 

 raised to he administered by the National Lumber Manufacturers' Asso- 

 ciation in the manner indicated under Proposal I. 

 PROPOSAL III 



That regional lumber manufacturers' associations be requested to raise 

 a publicity fund of a certain minimum amount, in the case of each such 

 association, said fund to be administered by the regional association in 

 accordance with the general putilicity plan to be worked out by a com- 

 mittee of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, consisting of 

 one or more representative.s of each regional association joining in this 

 activity. 



In the event it becomes necessary to stage a nation-wide adver- 

 tising campaign to advertise the position of the lumber industry 

 and restore the public confidence in building, one or the other 

 of these three methods will be adopted for the raising and expendi- 

 ture of the funds requisite. 



Summons Federal Attention 



Desiring to attract the attention of the Chamber of Commerce of 

 the United States to their campaign the mass meeting "resolved 

 that the secretary-manager of the National Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association be, and he is hereby requested, to immediately acquaint 

 the housing expert of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, as to the 

 present condition of prices in the lumber industry, and witli the 



fact that so far as lumber is concerned, the housing needs of this 

 country can be supplied on a normal ba.sis. " 



A conception of the great advantage that might accrue to the 

 unhoused American public, as well as to the lumber industry itself, 

 should the Federal Trade Commission complete the investigation 

 of the lumber industry, begun in November, 1919, but arrested 

 coincident wtih the downward turn of lumber prices, resulted in a 

 resolution being addressed to the commission iu question. The gist 

 of this resolution is as follows: 



WHERE.\S, The field investigations of the comnussion's examiners were 

 discontinued several months ago, and at that time the ilpuiand for lumber 

 prices received therefor were at the highest point reached in the history 

 of the industry, and were abnormally high during the entire period covered 

 by the field investigation of the commission's examiners; and since the 

 time when such field investigations were discontinued the mill prices of 

 lumber have declined from 45 to 65 per cent ; and we understand that the 

 commission desires to secure complete and accurate information, correctly 

 representing the facts about the lumber industry ; 



THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That we request the Federal Trade 

 Commission to bring down to date its investigation of the lumber industry. 



Another resolution recommended "to the National Lumber Man- 

 ufacturers' Association the publication of an advertisement in the 

 lumber journals addressed to the retail lumber dealers, ' ' in which 

 the attention of the dealers is to be directed to the prospect for 

 selling large quantities of building lumber to farmers and other 

 large consumers, and an offer made to furnish the kind of forceful, 

 convincing' advertising copy needed to exploit the opportunities 

 pointed out for sales. 



The meeting was held pursuant to a call sent out by a committee 

 of lumbermen of which Edward Hines, president of the Edward 

 Hines Lumber Company of Chicago, was chairman. Composing 

 this committee, besides Mr. Hines, were Charles S. Keith, Kansas 

 City, Mo.; E. A. Long, Kansas City, Mo.; R. B. Goodman, Marinette, 

 Wis.; E. M. Weyerhaeuser, St. Paul, Minn.; .1. H. Bloedell, Seattle, 

 Wash, and Philip Buehuer, Portland, Ore. 



Owing to a sudden attack of appendicitis, which necessitated 

 an operation, Mr. Hines was unable to be present at the meeting 

 he had called. His absence and the loss of his counsel was deeply 

 deplored by the mass meeting, and they recorded their sentiments 

 in a resolution, which conveyed their expression of "appreciation 

 of his interest in everything that pertains to the welfare of the 

 lumber industry" and voiced their pleasure at his rapid recovery, 

 hoping for his "prompt return to liis business, family and friends." 

 Committee of Nine Formulates Plan 



The resolutions adopted were presented on the morning of the 

 second day of the mieeting by a committee of nine of which Mr. 

 Goodman, as chairman, was an ex officio member. This committee 

 comprised John W. Blodgett, Grand Rapids, Mich.; J. H. Bloedel, 

 Bloedell Donovan Lumber Mills, Seattle, Wash.; W. A. Gilchrist, 

 Three States Lumber Company, Chicago; E. L. Carpenter, Shevlin- 

 Carpenter-Clark Company, Minneapolis, Minn.; John H. Kirby, 

 Kirby-Bonner Lumber Company, Houston, Tex.; D. 0. Anderson, 

 Anderson Lumber Corporation, Marion, S. C; Prank Schoeflin, 

 Central Coal & Coke Company, Kansas City, Mo.; William S. Ben- 

 net, Chicago, attorney representing the Edward Hines interests, 

 north and south; F. A. Bannister, Long-Bel! Lumber Company, 

 Kansas City, Mo., and L. S. Case, Weyerhaeuser Sales Corporation, 

 Spokane, Wash. 



The committee selected as advisors for their deliberations the 

 secretaries or representatives of a number of the lumber associa- 

 tions. Among these was O. T. Swan, Oshkosh, Wis., secretary of 

 the Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers Association; 

 J. E. Rhodes of New Orleans, secretary of the Southern Pine Asso- 

 ciation; Vaughn Camp of Norfolk, Va., secretary of the North 

 Carolina Pine Association. Members of the committee represented 

 other associations, Mr. Carpenter the Northern Pine Manufacturers' 

 Association, and several of the others the West Coast and Southern 

 Pine associations. 



The meeting was convened at 10 a. m. Jan 

 Hotel by Judge Beunet, acting for Mr. Hines. 

 ward Mr. Goodman was elected chairman 

 (Continued on V'We 2.'>) 



5 at the Congress 

 Immediately after- 

 and the meeting 



