' c>g>:>st-^i»gTO*»i^x>im;;wit:/^^^ 



National Wholesalers' Meeting r^^ 



The annual meeting of the board of trustees of the National 

 Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association was held March 9, at the 

 association offices, 6G Broadway, New York. The trustees present 

 were : G. C. Edwards, Ottawa, Ont. ; F. E. Parker, Saginaw, Mich. ; 

 Chas. Hill, New York City; T. M. Brown, Louisville, Ky.; M. M. 

 Wall, Buffalo, N. Y.; F. R. Babeock, Pittsburgh, Pa.; N. H. Walcott, 

 Providence, E. I. ; F. B. Eobertson, Memphis, Tenn. ; J. Eandall 

 Williams, Philadelphia, Pa.; M. E. Preisch, North Tonawanda, N. Y. ; 

 B. F. Betts, Philadelphia, Pa.; C. F. Troadway, New Haven, Conn.; 

 A. L. Stone, Cleveland, Ohio. 



A number of important matters were discussed and annual reports 

 presented for the consideration of the board. 



The reports of the treasurer and membership in the association 

 and bureau of information showed the organization to be in good 

 shape. Indications point to a substantial increase in membership 

 during the year, a number of well-known firms having been added to 

 the roll the past few months. 



Report of Secuetart 



The report of the secretary, E. F. Perry, stated that because of 

 general business conditions the association had been called upon to 

 a greater extent than ever before for information and help from the 

 active departments, such as the bureau of information, collection 

 department and transportation bureau; that the visits by the mem- 

 bers to the office increased fully a third the past year. 



Mr. Perry had attended fifteen conventions and conferences with 

 other associations and attended the conferences at Chicago in connec- 

 tion with the organization of the Forest Products Federation, which 

 matter was fully discussed by the trustees. 



Mr. Perry's report referred to his work in connection with co-oper- 

 ation with officers and other associations on various transportation 

 problems which the National association had taken up and considered 

 through its transportation bureau, and also as to the suggestion 

 emanating from the railroad and transportation committee regarding 

 using the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers ' Association as a clear- 

 ing house for handling railroad and transportation matters of general 

 interest to the lumber trade and thereby avoiding a large duplication 

 of work which now occurred and as was evident in several hearings 

 where different organizations had undertaken to handle the same prob- 

 lem along the same lines. If the one organization could undertake 

 these matters much time, effort and money would be saved. 



Henry Cape, treasurer, presented the financial report and the 

 report of the auditing committee, showing the books had closed with 

 a balance on the right side of the ledger. 



R. R. Griswold, Binghamton, N. Y., chairman of the fire insurance 

 committee, reported for his committee that while very little had been 

 referred to it, the committee was watching several matters that would 

 undoubtedly later on be of material interest. 

 Bureau of Information 



The report of W. W. Schupner, department manager of the bureau 

 of information, was presented and showed that 8,838 formal inquiries 

 for special reports were received, an increase of 350 over previous year, 

 that 891 original new reports were added, making a total of over 

 35,000 reports; 746 names appearing on the weekly sheet warning 

 members of impending trouble, judgments, protested notes, etc.; 75 

 numbers on the tracer system had been used containing 1,950 names 

 of parties on whom reports are revised, the average daily revisions 

 amounting to 25 reports; 26 new lists of customers were received 

 during the year and instances were referred to, showing actual saving 

 to members by their having placed this information in the hands of 

 the association. 



The collection department of the bureau of information handled 

 claims aggregating $485,495, of which $291,437 had been settled, net- 

 ting the association $5,000 in fees. This report referred to the 

 numerous conferences held at the office between debtors and creditors, 

 the avoidance of bankruptcy proceedings, and the co-operation between 

 buyer and seller in working through their embarrassing situations. 



Two further numbers on the pamphlet of "Lumber Legal Opin- 

 ions" were issued and as further information was received additional 

 numbers would be distributed to the members. 



The report of Fred S. Underhill, Philadelphia, chairman of the 

 committee on terms of sale and trade ethics, was read and filed. 

 Report op the Forestry Committee 



J. R. Williams, Jr., Philadelphia, chairman of the forestry com- 

 mittee, read a report which referred to the connection with the work 

 of the annual meeting of the American Forestry Association, and the 

 papers which were read at that meeting. Mr. Williams stated: 

 ' ' Undoubtedly there should be an effort on the part of manufacturers 

 and wholesalers of lumber to see that their product was sold more 

 intelligently, that is, that a man selling a product should study care- 

 fully to see what uses the particular product of his forest could be 

 put to and further learn to educate his salesmen so that he or they 

 could tell how the product can be used." Mr. Williams suggested 

 a greater interest be stimulated in the American Forestry magazine, 

 and he also included a Icngthly reference and communication received 

 from E. A. Selfridge, Jr., Willitts, Cal., a member of the National 

 association forestry committee and also president of the California 

 Forest Protective Association. 



Report of the Transportation Bureau 



The report of W. S. Phippen, traffic manager, covered in detail many 

 activities of the railroad and transportation committee including the 

 appearance before the Interstate Commerce Commission and argument 

 of the brief filed by the association in the Southern Railway rate 

 case on which the commission rendered a decision ordering the South- 

 ern Railway to cancel proposed advances. 



A review of the work done in connection with the Southern Rail- 

 way milling in transit rules, also on the question of spotting cars on 

 private sidetracks referred to the briefs which had been prepared and 

 filed on these questions. 



At the present time the department was attending hearings before 

 the Interstate Commerce examiner on the terminal regulations in 

 New York harbor, the association being opposed to the proposed 

 charge of twelve cents per ton additional for handling lumber. 



The traffic manager had spent considerable time on the five per 

 cent rate advance from intercolonial points. 



Extended reference was made to Mr. Phippen 's appearance before 

 the Southern Classification Committee at Atlanta, Ga., where he 

 argued for the incorporation of the southern classification on a rule 

 providing for an allowance of 500 pounds for car stakes and on 

 which an early decision is looked for. 



The report also referred to the brief filed before the Interstate Com- 

 merce Commission regarding the disclosure of names by lumber ship- 

 pers on freight bills. 



Two numbers of the pamphlet mentioned as "Freight Bulletins" 

 has been distributed and eleven formal complaints have been filed 

 before the Interstate Commerce Commission on claims for members. 



A number of rate adjustments had been obtained and the general 

 work of this department far exceeded that of the previous year. 

 Workmen's Compensation 



The report of B. F. Jackson, Buffalo, N. Y., chairman of the spe- 

 cial committee on workmen 's compensation laws, stated that twenty- 

 eight states now have workmen 's comjiensation laws in effect and tliat 

 other states are falling into line, leading to the opinion that all states 

 will eventually enact such legislation. At the present time some states 

 have laws which are so much more favorable to the employe than in 

 other states that the committee recommended that the association 

 should favor making these laws as nearly uniform as possible and 

 absolutely just to both employer and employe. 



A number of other questions were considered and plans laid for 

 association activity during the year. The work indicates a healthy 

 growth in the organization and a standard of efficiency which makes 

 membership in the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association 

 so highly regarded by its members. 



—15— 



