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PUESIDKNT. 



i«. R iiri.\vi:ni:it. mooiiiikai). miss, kiiist 



VICE I'llESIDENT. 



I.. !■ Ill lIiiSl:;. iJIIAItI.ESTliN, MISS 

 OND VICE I'UESIDENT. 



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-^ Gum Manufacturers Getting Results -y^. 



In opening the second annual meeting of the Gum Lumber Manu- 

 facturers' Association, which convened at the Hotel Gayoso, Memphis, 

 Tenn., on Saturday, January 15, President C. L. Harrison outlined the 

 benefits that have made themselves decidedly apparent already. He 

 maintained that persistence of effort has done wonders in familiariz- 

 ing laymen with ginn and spreading the interest in this remarkably 

 adaptable and \)eauliful wood. He sounded a note of warning re- 

 garding the future in saying that any easing up of effort would be 

 apt to create an overplus of stock when all the mills are manufactur- 

 ijig under favorable conditions. 



Chairman John W. McClure of the assessment committee pleaded 

 lor a bigger advertising fund for the coming year, if it is possible to 

 secure it, as it seems the best policy to concentrate all efforts at this 

 time when the wood is moving freely to broaden its markets and make 

 the future for gum producers more certain. He favored increasing 

 the funds by increasing the membership rather than the assessment. 



M. B. Cooper, chairman of the membership committee, said that if 

 the report liad been delivered two months ago it would have been 

 rather discouraging, but that new members are being added every day 

 and it is expected that in the near future ninety per cent of the gum 

 production will be represented in the membership. Mr. Cooper said 

 it was merely a question of discussing the definite beneficial results to 

 members with those who are in a position to Join, and said that all 

 members must work in common with the membership committee to 

 this end. He said that all should come in regardless of output as 

 benefits at this time will work to advantage in the future when the 

 cut is increased. 



The Secretary's Report 



Secretary J. M. Pritchard then read his report, in substance as 

 follows : 



The dura Lumber Manufacturers' i\.ssoclatlon has closol the second year 

 of Its history and now, at the beginning of Its third year, there Is n declderl 

 Improvement In the general huslness conditions throughout the United 

 States. Vi's are all familiar with the depressed and discouraging conditions 

 which marked the beginning of the year 191.5. Business In the L'nited 

 States bad not yet adjusted Itself to the changed conditions brought about 

 by the European war. and at that time it wos difflcult to foroe.nst when 

 any improvement could be expected, and for this reason the oflicers and 

 directors decided upon a conservative policy, recommended by the adver- 

 tising and assessment compilttees. and no more appropriations for expendi- 

 tures of money were made than were easily calculated to be within the 

 possible revenues of the association. This policj" made it necessary to 

 greatly reduce our advertising appropriation, and confine our work mainly 

 to efforts directed through the association office. 



—20— 



We are sure the n-lsdom of this policy will appeal to nil of the member* 

 for our treasurer's report will show that on .Tnnunry 1 nil IiIIIn of the »»«o- 

 clatlon were paid and there was n substantial balance in the bank. 



The association Is also stronger numerically. During the year we have 

 added fifteen more nnnies to our membership roll, and iit the preiieut time 

 we have a total of flfty-threc members. 



It Is now encouraging to note that non-members are showinK more 

 interest in the association and we lielievc that a big majority of them 

 realize the good the association has done them. We are strengthened In 

 this tteilef for the reason that lumbermen, as a whole, cnn always be 

 counted upon to do their part In the support of any movement which Is 

 for their good, and now that the association has proved Its worth by IIh 

 success In bringing gum from n position of 111 n'pute to a leading place 

 among other flue woods, we are sure that practically all of the gum manu- 

 facturers will rally to its support. 



.Much of the work of the association cannot well be tabulated, liut for 

 your Information we give you the following statistics which we believe 

 largely account for the fact that upon a revival of the lun;ber biiHlneKs gum 

 lumber was the first wood to fri'i the beueflts and at the present time In 

 leading all other woods produced In this section. 



During the year the association has sent out approximately 00.000 pieces 

 of mail. This consisted In a dlstriliiitlon of booklets entitled "Ued I7um 

 Tacts" and "Technical Information .Vbout Red Gum" ; return post cards 

 for tabulating users of gum lumber and veneer; letters calling attention to 

 red gum to .selected lines of Industry ; answers In round numliera to 600 

 inquiries for Information about red gum. and general correspondence. 



We have listed, and placed before our momb«rs, through our bulletin, 

 about .'iOO names of firms with good financial rating who either have been 

 using or have recently taken up the use of gum lumber or veneer. We have 

 also placed before our members Inquiries for gum lumber for about twenty 

 million feet. 



We have Issoed to our memlicrs a monthly bulletin which contained a 

 report of actual sales of gum lumber liy the members, and other pertinent 

 information pertaining to our work of exploiting gum. On January 1, 

 .lune I and September 1 we issued stock reports to our members, which 

 showed in detail the stocks of gum lumber on hand and unsold at these 

 stated periods. 



Many of the varnish manufacturers throughout the United .States have 

 shown an Interest in the work the association is doing f^»r promoting the 

 uses of gum, and through these varnish manufacturers we have furnished 

 material for more than 10.000 finished samples, which have been distributed 

 by these various factories to their customers. Including architects, furniture 

 factories, contractors and builders, and woodworking establishments of all 

 kinds. The distribution of these samples has brought good results both (or 

 the varnish manufacturers and for the association, and It Is to them that 

 much of the increased use of gumwood can be accredited. 



In addition, many special cxhll)lts of red gum have been furnished, all of 

 which have attracted favorable attention to the wood and have resulted 

 In bringing It Into more general use. .\t present Assistant .Secretary J. T. 

 Kendall Is In Dayton, Ohio, In charge of an exhibit which we believe Is a 

 credit in every way to the wood we represent, and which we are sure will 

 bring splendid results as did our exhibit at the Forest Products Exposition 



