April 25, 1918 



Hardwood Record — Veneer & Panel Section 



27 



Furniture Federation Reorganized 



Wartime Session Brings Good Results - Great Interest in War Orders 



1 IK FEDERATION of Furniture Manufacturers met 

 in annual session at the Congress Hotel, Chicago, 

 on Thursday and Friday. April I 7 and 18. As is 

 customary, the delegates came together first in the 

 annual banquet, which was held in the Gold Room, Wed- 

 nesday evening. 



The banquet session was a lively as well as an instruc- 

 tive one. Benjamin J. Bosse of Evansville was called 

 upon by President J. H. Conery to act as toastmaster. 

 The speakers of the evening were David R. Forgan, presi- 

 dent of the National City Bank of Chicago, who talked 

 on war finance, and P. B. Shravesande of Grand Rapids, 

 chairman of the war service bureau. 



Toastmaster Bosse introduced the 

 speakers with an able and pointed 

 talk. He expressed his long-time 

 confidence in organized effort and 

 left no room for doubt as to his sin- 

 cere support of and belief in organ- 

 ization work. He maintained em- 

 phatically that no man can afford 

 to be on the outside of his trade 

 organization. 



Mr. Forgan presented what he 

 described as a dry subject in any- 

 thing but a dry manner. His analy- 

 sis and explanation of war finance, 

 which hinges altogether on the mod- 

 ern credit system, were given with 

 great simplicity and at the same time 

 with touches of Scotch humor, which 

 made the delivery exceedingly en- 

 tertaining. His purpose was to leave 

 in the minds of his auditors concep- '' "• ^' '" ^^^^ 



tion of methods used in carrying on 



the vast financing schemes of the war, and he did this 

 by drawing simple little word illustrations that clearly 

 set forth his points. In speaking of the effect of the 

 war on industries Mr. Forgan said that it is the duty of 

 bankers to lend money to help industry. He stated he has 

 little sympathy with opposition to financial extensions of 

 this kind and stated that it is necessary that we have good 

 business; otherwise there can be no revenue from taxation 

 or through other sources of government financing. 



Mr. Shravesande's talk was given over to a brief resume 

 of what he has encountered at Washington, but mainly 

 dealt with prospective orders for wagon parts which are 

 now being apportioned among furniture manufacturers. 



Robert Irwin, chairman of the nominating committee, 

 was given the floor then to convey to the members an 

 idea of prospective reorganization to come up in the next 

 day's session. The purpose was to explain a platform 



iting 



on which the candidate supported by the nor 

 committee had agreed to run. 



The candidate, E. W. Schultz of Sheboygan, Wis., on 

 being approached regarding his acceptance of the presi- 

 dency, had stipulated that he would run on condition that 

 the fund needed to carry on advanced association work 

 be guaranteed by not less than twelve men and that at 

 least twenty-five men agree to devote not less than one 

 week each during the coming year in the interest of the 

 organization. Mr. Schultz then read the platform on which 

 he agreed to run for office, this being summarized later. 



It was an easy matter to line up support for the Federa- 

 tion expense and also to secure the agreement of twenty- 

 five men to give the necessary time 

 for the association work. 



The banquet session then con- 

 vened. 



Thursday's Session 

 With President Conery in the 

 chair, the meeting reconvened on 

 Thursday morning, the first business 

 being the report of the secretary, 

 C. S. Bather, which document was 

 duly accepted. President Conery in 

 emphasizing the effectiveness of as- 

 sociation work referred to the favor- 

 able outcome of efforts to maintain 

 furniture factories on at least partial 

 time during the fuel shutdown order 

 last winter. 



C. S. Bather is also traffic man- 

 [EBOYGAN, WIS., ager of the Federation and delivered 



a detailed report on traffic subjects. 

 He stated that the official classification committee pro- 

 posed an increase on practically all ratings for service 

 east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio and Potomac 

 rivers, the increase to run from twenty-five to seventy- 

 five per cent. To combat this proposal Mr. Bather said 

 that a careful investigation and concentrated effort will 

 be necessary. 



There followed a discussion of traffic matters and 

 freight congestion, it being maintained that a good deal 

 of the difficulty arises from the fact that main line roads 

 issue embargoes on connecting lines, but omit to issue 

 total embargoes covering their own lines as well. The 

 question of relief of shipments through use of southern 

 shipping ports was also discussed. 



NEW GOVERNING BODY PROVIDED 

 The Constitutional Amendment Committee with Rob- 

 ert W. Irwin chairman, proposed a change in Article Six 



