30d 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



F. T. Trefz, field secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of tlie 

 United States, delivered the first regular address. According to Mr. 

 Trefz, a logical sequence of events has led up to the present busi- 

 ness depression, which course of circumstances he endeavored to trace. 

 The speaker grouped the three great forces behind the industrial 

 United States as agriculture, labor and commerce. He stated that 

 up to the administration of President Pierce the population of cities 

 was but six per cent of the total population of the country, and 

 that the sudden release of an immense number of men at the close 

 of the Civil war made necessary the industrial development of the 

 United States. He brought the increase in our wealth to a compre- 

 hensible figure in stating that it has been increasing at the rate of 

 $250,000 an hour. 



The ineflSciency of our law makers, which has come in for so uni- 

 versal complaint of recent years, is the logical result of the necessity 

 for the use of the brains in the country in the up-building of the 

 industrial and commercial structure. As a result we have very few 

 business men in the state or national legislatures, and also on account 

 of the lack of interest exhibited by the business man in anything but 

 the development of his own business, the law makers have not been 

 shown the business view-point, hence the vast amount of legislature 

 inimical to the best interests of our business development. 



Mr. Trefz traced the national development which has led up to 

 the present trusts, which are being kept back in every way possible 

 by the government. He maintained that modern business must nec- 

 essarily be big and that while abroad big interests have the backmg 

 of the national government, in this country they are directly opposed 

 by the government. The development which Mr. Trefz most specific- 

 ally emphasized is the fact that the present war has resulted in the 

 realization on the part of the government officials that tlie wise 

 counsel of the practical business man is absolutely necessary in shap- 

 ing the policies of national administration along lines which will 

 result in the country's advancement. He said that Congress is more 

 willing to listen to business men and business men more willing to 

 listen to national officials than at any time in the last twenty years. 



Mr. Trefz lauded the lack of yellow journalism in the handling 

 of the position of the United States regarding the present war, by 

 the press of the country. He said that they have been conservative 

 and cool-minded in their treatment of this subject, and of the busi- 

 ness situation, and that this attitude has greatly tended to keep the 

 public mind free from undue excitement. 



Discussion of Compensation Laws 



Frank M. Smith of Indianapolis, secretary of the Indiana Associa- 

 tion of Manufactures and Commerce, gave a complete description of 

 the application of the workingmen's compensation laws. He traced 

 the developments of these laws since 1910 when the first one was put 

 into effect, stating that twenty-four states have since then enacted 

 state compensation acts. According to Mr. Smith, they are still all 

 in the experimental stage, but public demand makes it imperative 

 that such laws be passed. According to Mr. Smith there is danger of 

 an unjust application of the laws if the laborers are treated too 

 liberally, as there will be an inclination to get the maximum bene- 

 fits and live in approximate idleness at the expense of the employer, 

 unless the laws are wisely drawn. 



Secretary Richardson of Indianapolis reported a net gain of ten 

 members during the year, making a total membership of 121. 

 Reports of Committees 



The president on motion appointed as nominating committee, F. H. 

 Galbraith of Indianapolis, Van B. Perrine, Fort AVayne, and C. H. 

 Barnaby, Greencastle, Ind. 



Treasurer James Buckley of Brookville, reported a balance on liand 

 of $514.89. 



W. H. Guthrie of Indianapolis, reporting for the forestry commit- 

 tee, reviewed the work done along these lines in Indiana. He said 

 that trees are being furnished to citizens who wiU pay the freight, 

 and that in the state there is a surprising amount of enthusiasm on 

 this question. 



On motion of J. V. Stimson of Huntingburg, resolutions of regret 

 were expressed on the death of members durtng the past year, these 

 being W. A. Bennett of Cincinnati, Fred A. Diggins of Cadillac, 



W. P. Brown of Indianapolis and Bedna Young of Evansville. 



Eesolutions were adopted opposing state senate bill 23 aimed at 

 the consolidation of the state board of forestry, state geologist, state 

 entomologist, oil and gas inspectors and state veterinary, the reason 

 for the objection being tliat this woidd take away their representa- 

 tives from the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen 's Association and 

 from tlie Retail Lumber Dealers' Association. 



C. H. Barnaby, reporting for the inspection rules committee, said 

 there has been no changes in hardwood inspection rules during the 

 past year. 



W. W. Knight of Indianapolis, chairman of the committee on trade 

 conditions, presented the following report : 



This committee has had no meeting and the chairman submits the fol- 

 lowing remarks, with due apologies to anyone who has a contrary opinion. 

 Trade conditions since our last meeting a year ago were moderately good 

 for some people, and everything pointed to a reasonatile amount of busi- 

 ness in the fall while crops were growing and until the terrible calamity 

 of war struck Europe. Since that time there has been little or no business 

 to speak of in the lumber trade and our President, to the contrary not- 

 withstanding, is wrong when he says this is due to a state of mind or a 

 "psychological condition." 



I think I am safe in saying that from forty to sixty per cent of the 

 normal volume of business does not indicate a high degree of prosperity, 

 hut we arc told that business conditions are good. And, if we belong to 

 the "truly faithful," no doubt we will believe what we are told and pay 

 our bills accordingly. But on the other hand it is only fair to say that 

 with the international balance of trade in our favor to a large extent 

 and the enormous volume of orders for food products and war supplies 

 which are coming from Europe we must at last feel some benefit from 

 these more or less favorable conditions. 



More than all that, the recent allowance by the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission of a five per cent increase granted to the railroads lying be- 

 tween the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Canadian borders is bound 

 to have a very beneficial effect. When the orders wlilcb the railroads must 

 place for materials of all kinds are spread round tlie country to the steel 

 mills, to the lumbermen, and to various others catering to this trade, and 

 the money begins to circulate, we are all going to feel the benefits, and 

 the writer's fondest hope is that this movement may be speeded in the 

 coming. 



After that .1. V. Stimson moved tliat the committee be appointed 

 to bring about the enactment of a law compensating citizens for 

 figliting fires along the highw.ays. 



The nomin.ating committee reported, recommending tlie election of 

 the following officers for the ensuing year : 



President-jC. II. Kramer, Richmond. 



FmsT Vice President — Walter Grim, Salem. 



Second Vice President — Daniel Wertz, Evansville. 



Secretary — Edgar Richardson, Indianapolis. 



Treastrer — James Buckley, Brookville. 



Directors — C. H. Barnaby, Greencastle ; George Palmer, Sheridan ; 

 W. A. Guthrie, Indianapolis ; ,T. V. Stimson, Huntingburg : Samuel Burk- 

 holdcr, Crawfordsville ; Claude Maley, Evansville ; Frank Galbraith, Sun- 

 man ; llaynos Egbert, Goshen ; W. W. Knight, Indianapolis ; Frank R. 

 Slicpard, Indianapolis; Frank Reynolds, Rushville ; Van B. Perrine, Fort 

 Wayne. 



E. V. Babcoek of Pittsburgh, president of the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association, addressed the convention briefly, pointing out 

 the magnitude of the lumber business and comparing it with similar 

 large industries of the country. 



Adjournment followed. 



Banquet 



As usual, the chief feature of the meeting was the banquet which 

 took place in the main dining room in the evening. The dinner was 

 a thoroughly enjoyed affair as these dinners are altogetlier apt to 

 be. Among those who spoke were Frank F. Pish, Chicago, secretary 

 of the National Hardwood Lumber Association ; Douglas Malloch, 

 Chicago ; J. Heatherington, Toronto, Ont. ; H. C. Scearce, Moores- 

 ville, Ind., secretary of the Retail Lumber Dealers' Association of 

 Indiana; F. S. Underbill, Philadelphia; W. A. Guthrie, Indianapolis. 



The attractive badges which the members wore were donated by 

 E. C. Atkins & Co., Inc., of Indianapolis. 



Hardwood Record has received a special wire dated Washington, 

 D. C, .January 22, stating that the proposed increased rate for inter- 

 state sliipments of lumber from Chattanooga and Nashville, Tenn., 

 was found to be iustified in a decision handed down by the Inter- 

 state Commerce Commission on that date. 



