Fi'hruar.v IC, 1H21 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



111 cki&ing, ill'. Cxoodinfui (iiKitt'il that part cif I'resideiitc'leet 

 Harding's letter indorsing the Chicago housing conference, in 

 wliich the jiresident-elect said that "it is particularly gratifying 

 to find the rejiresentatives of so important a line of industries 

 undertaking on tlieir own initiative and without appeal for govern- 

 ment help, to deal with such a problem." Mr. Goodman inter- 

 preted this sentence, to the great pleasure of his audience, as 

 expressing the conviction of the next Chief Executive of the 

 Nation that business should be permitted to conduct its legitimate 

 iijierations with the minimum of governmental restriction. 



Besides the matter of publicity and other sales promotion work, 

 tlie convention deliberated on the forestry problem, the retail dis- 

 tributor's viewpirint, taxation, particularly inventories, legislation, 

 traffic, market coiiditions, and routine association work. The meet- 

 ing was called to order by M. P. McCullough, president, with his 

 annual .-iddress. Later he rea<l a paper on "Trade Promotion," 

 speaking as ihainoau of the Bureau of Promotion. Among those, 

 in addition lo Mr. Goodman, who spoke following his opening 

 address, were: George Foster, report of treasurer; E. G. Wood- 

 ford, rejiort of auditor; O. T. Swan, secretary-manager, "Your 

 Associated Activities;" J. R. McQuillan, chairnmn bureau of 

 grades, "Grading ami Inspection Work;" W. H. McDonald, annual 

 report of chief inspector; D. S. Montgomery, secretary Wisconsin 

 Retail Lumber Dealers' Association, "What the Retailer Thinks;" 

 y. M. Ducker, traffic manager, rejiort of traffic department; C. L. 

 Harrington, state forester, "Wisconsin's Forestry Program;" A. L. 

 Osborn, chairman of bureau of transportation and legislation, 

 "Legislation:" G. X, Harder, "Brush Burning;" Al Klass, chair- 

 man bureau of statistics and ediicational information, "Market 

 Conditions. ' ' 



Edward Hines, who is still convalescing from an ojjerati(jn for 

 appendicitis, was jiresent at the meeting, and informally discussed 

 trade conditions upon the urgent request of the convention. Mr. 

 Hines said that in spite of the fact that there has been "no busi- 

 ness for sixty days or more," he is committed to an optimistic 

 viewpoint, because of the great latent demand for housing, which 

 requires only the restoration of public confidence to quicken into 

 life. He iinlicated that the demand for lumber is already reviv- 

 ing, and declared, in the case of yellow pine, that "there was more 

 new business last week than in sixty days. There is a better feel- 

 ing,'' he continued, '.'everybody seems to realize that we are down 

 to rock bottom and the time has come to start back." 



Mr. Hines spoke most enthusiastically of the proposed advertis- 

 ing campaign, and declared that in three or four months it would 

 fully rejiay the lumhermen for the money they jiijt into it. 



Concerning hardwood, Mr. Hines said there were relatively no 

 high grade hardwoods at all. 



In conclusion he said the lumber industry' would see an improve- 

 ment each week. Money is getting gradually easier, and lumber- 

 men and all other business men will be able to get an easier line 

 of credit in future. 



Remarks somewhat similar to those made by Mr. Hines concern- 

 ing the upper grade hardwoods was made by Mr. Klass, who imme- 

 diately preceded him with a discussion of market conditions. "If 

 we had fifty per cent of the normal demand for first and second 

 hardwood lumber, inside of two weeks there would be none quoting 

 these grades," he said. 



Mr. Klass said that he felt that the lumber industry had passed 

 through the worst of the depression and that the upturn would 

 soon start. He complimented the members of the Northern Hem- 

 lock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Association for the gallant way 

 in which they endured the trials and tribulations of the stagnation 

 period. 



Greeley Idea Is Opposed 



Some light was thrown on the attitude of the association toward 

 the Snell Forestry Bill, embodying the Greeley school of thought, 

 when the question of slash disposal, or burning, was discussed. 

 This was first touched on by State Forester Harrington, then by 

 Mr. Osborn, and following him, by Mr, Harder, who reported on the 

 result of an investigation of the cost of slash burning from observa- 

 tion of such operations on the government reservation at Neopit. 

 Mr. Osborn said that while he had been a member of the National 

 committee of reforestation, which had helped to promote the 

 Greeley idea, he was ready to recant to the extent that he could 

 not agree with Forester Greeley's idea that slash can be burned 

 inexpensively. He said that he did not believe that this could be 

 done without heavy expense, and introduced a motion that it be 

 the sense of the convention that in cutting timber, piling and burn- 

 ing of slash is impracticable. He withdrew this motion, however, 

 on the suggestion of Mr. Hines that final decision be put off until 

 the question of the cost of slash piling and burning could be 

 exhaustively studied. 



A resolution to this effect, introduced by Mr. Hines, was adopted. 

 It provided that a committee of which Mr. Osborn should be the 

 chairman, should make the investigations in co-operation with the 

 state forestry department and report back to the association. 



State Forester Harrington had suggested that the association 



select a committee of four to co-operate with his department in 



c-6nductiug experiments to ascertain slash burning costs. He said 



that slash disposal and the leaving and protection of small trees 



(Continued on page 29) 



R. B. Goodman 



C. C. CoUint 



Geo. E. Foster 



