HARDWOOD RECORD 



19 



Semu Annual National Hardtoood Lumber Association 



The National Hardwood Lumber Associa- 

 tion held a semi-annual a tiny on Thurs- 

 day and Friday, October 25 and 26, at the 

 Hotel Havlin, Cincinnati. Although the hotel 

 is now ami has only recently been thrown 

 open tip the public il"' service was of the 

 best, the comfort and desires of the un- 

 usually large number of guests being at- 

 tended i" with efficiency and dispatch. The 

 culinary service, in particular, was excellent. 



The meetings of the association were held 

 in the Grand Opera House, the large size of 

 which offered every opportunity for debate 



The formal host of the occasion was the 

 Lumbermen's Club of Cincinnati, the mem- 

 bers nt' which, both as .a body and as indi- 

 viduals, were tireless in their efforts to stimu- 

 late g I fellowship among the visitors. Un- 



der their supervision a smoker was held on 

 Thursday evening in the banquet room of the 

 hotel in which refreshments, tobacco and in- 

 formal talks formed the chief features. In 

 the absei f any set program the Cincin- 

 nati men saw to it that everybody l>ecame 

 acquainted with everybody else, and their 

 tactful efforts in this direction resulted in 

 an enjoyable evening for the guests in at- 

 tendance. 



THURSDAY MORNING SESSION. 



At the opening of the morning session 

 the first day of the meeting, Thomas .1. 

 MoilVtt, president of tin- Lumbermen's Club, 

 welcomed the visitors on behalf of his or- 

 ganization and proffered them the assistance 

 of the members in any direction they might 



wish and the use oi tl lub rooms during 



their stay in tin- city. 



The meeting proceeded to business with 

 the address of the president and the reports 

 of the officers. 



Address of President. 



Ai Hi.- hi st meeting of your board of managers 

 it was suggested that we should change our 

 constitution anil by-laws and admit consumers 

 Into tin' association as associate members, ami 



thai we hold a semiannual 1 ting to consider 



that question. 



Tin' board after discussing tin- subject fully 

 Issued the call and I am glad 10 see so many 

 ..I you show your interest by your presence here 

 today. That tin- influence ami usefulness of the 

 association is increasing and the benefits de- 

 rived by our members are appreciated is evi 

 denced by the work now being don,- by our in- 



S] lion department and the applications we are 



1 iving tor membership. Last year our in- 

 crease in mbership was phenomenal, Inn I 



am pleased in inform you that since our Mem 

 phis meeting we have taken in forty per cent 

 11 e ■ 1 - members 1 ho 11 for the same period in 

 1905 When you consider that there has been 

 no unusual or concentrated effort put forth to 

 bring about these results, and thai practically 

 tin- entire lumber press has done all they could 

 to bring aboul dissension and discord, you will 

 realize two things, thai tin- National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association is making good, and that 

 lumbermen will not be dictated to or take advice 

 from mini who have no practical knowledge oi 

 our business, and who in order to get something 

 in their papers' that a busy man will read at 

 tempt to array lumbermen against Lumbermen 



for reveni nly. Have these papers the good 



of Hie trade ai heart? I say no. They have 



ai tempted to prove ever since tin- annual 1 1 



inn held here in your beautiful city thai we are 

 ai war with our sister association, the Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association of the Dnited states. 

 but I want to say here that this association has 

 lexer, since the meeting I have mentioned, dis 

 cussed or criticised 'he methods or policy the 

 Manufacturers' association is pursuing. I he 



lieve that you all think as I do. and thai is. 

 they an- doing good work, for Hiey add Interest 

 ami zest to our work and do not let your officers 

 go i" sleep. Their work, while somewhat siml 

 far to ours, is on different lines, and while we 

 do not believe in some of the things they ad 

 vance. 1 know you all join me in wishing not 

 only them hul all associations of lumbermen sue 



cess. 



In regard to admitting consumers as associate 



mheis. I wish 10 say that I have given the 



matter a greal deal of thought and I believe 

 thai il wili he a mistake to change our constitu 

 lion and by-laws. The progress we have made 

 the work accomplished, the success thai has ai 

 tended our efforts, all c.rove thai we are na\ 

 eling on the righl load Lei us keep this ass,, 

 eiation for lumbermen only- The consumer 

 would have nothing to gain by being admitted 

 lie can secure all the benefits of our inspection 

 system by buying his lumber from our members 

 lie would have no interest in our work except 

 in a general way. and 1 doubt if he would avail 



himself of Urn privilege if we agr I to admit 



him. 1 recommend that no change I"- made in 

 our constitution ami by-laws. 



I NSPECTION DEPARTMENT. 



Chairman Knight will in his report give the 

 details of the work accomplished. This depart 

 inent is the keystone of our structure and 1 

 believe that but few of our members realize Hie 

 amount of work and cure necessary in this de- 

 partment. We now have a corps of eighteen 

 salaried inspectors located in markets from Bos 

 ton to New Orleans. 



« II lil SSE, PRESIDENT, MEMPHIS, TENN 



Your Executive Committee lias been handi 



capped by unjust criticism and requests fr 



local markets to name inspectors to he appointed 

 for their markets, and we have i ived pro- 

 tests for noi consulting the local markets in 

 making appointments. We realize thai to make 

 lie inspection department a success h must he 

 run on strictly business principles, sentiment must 

 not enter into il. and our inspectors must mil 



he influenced by local ideas of inspecting. \\'c 

 until the man in New York, and the man in 

 Memphis, the man in si Louis, Chicago, I'hila 

 deiphia. Grand Kapids, Cincinnati or wherever 

 he may he placed to he aide lo measure lumber 

 Within the lour per cenl clause, and we are glad 



to inform you that we believe by 'he May I 



ing we will he able to show you an Inspection 

 departmenl thai will not only he the pride of 



every mber, but thai every member ami everj 



consumer buying his lumber under our certificate 

 will nut onl.\ know lust whai Is and lis under 

 our rules are. hul will know he will gel lie same 

 grade, whether measured lo the deputy ai Mem 

 phis. New York or Boston, and I ask every mem 

 her in he patienl and reserve his criticisms ami 

 protests uniii he limls the Judgment of your 



officers has I n wrong and that you have made 



a mistake in placing the reins in their hands, 

 and I wish you also lo bear in mind thai to 

 bring about uniform inspection in this entire 

 country is ao1 the work of a day Give us your 

 assistance, help us along and there will he no 

 question aboul 'he result. 



FINANCES 



in this connection when the treasurer and 

 secretary present Heir repori you will find that 

 it is costing this association $40,000 pei year 

 ai our present rate of expense ami thai we are 

 now wanting five or si\ additional inspectors, 

 and if the demand continues we shall probably 



have a corps of ins] tors composed <»f thirty 



in thirty-five salaried men. bearing in mind that 

 we only want Hie best. You can readily see 



thai we will have to provide al $60,000 



Our revenue from inspection fees varies So far 

 this year we have paid everything we owed and 

 have a small balance on hand, ami I have mi 

 tear of any deficit ai the end "i the year, hut 



feel that our dues of $23 ih t furnish enough 



money to give ns the working capital we need 

 and I recommend we increase He- dues to $35 or 

 s.'.o per year. 



The commit appointed bj ex President I'al 



mer to confer with the Exporl association ,in 

 reference 10 the appointment of an inspector 

 abroad, look up the question with a like com 

 mittee appointed by the Exporl association and 

 reported as nor in favor of such an appointment. 



INSPECTION 111 i.es. 



AI the meeting in Buffalo il was decided nut 

 lo change our rules for three years. Then 

 seems to he a feeling among some of our mem 

 Inrs that we should change I hem. and I have 

 no doubt but thai the question will be brought 

 nil ai this meeting. 1 believe some slighl dis 



rrepancies could I lilninaled and smile minor 



changes could be made that would assisl lie 

 inspectors. Inn I do noi think we should make 

 any radical change in the rules at this tine 



I wish in congratulate you mi the present 

 condition of the market. Prices are firm and 

 will rule higher unless some unforeseen calamity 

 occurs. Stocks arc [ighl all over Hie country. 

 and when I see so many of you attending this 

 meeting at this busy season I realize more than 

 ever thai our association is bound lo continue lo 

 lead and thai our efforts and work will mil 

 and have noi been in vain. 



Secretary's Report. 

 The report of Secretary fish showed in 

 detail the activities of th.- association ami 

 rendered a statement of the finances insofar 

 as they pertained to Ins office. 



The National Hardwood Lumber Association 

 has made progress during the time which ice- 

 elapsed since our lasi meeting, and as our field 

 of operation broadens the responsibilities of the 

 officers and hoard of managers increase. As your 

 secretary it affords me pleasure to testify thai 

 the interests of the association have received the 

 same careful study and attention from the offi 

 eels ami directors elected ai Memphis as those 

 gentlemen devote lo their personal business in 

 terests. 



As indicated by Hm report submitted at Mem 



phis, practically n ntire time during "v first 



nine months in office was directed toward secur 

 ing an increase in our membership, and on May 

 :;, last. Hie association records showed an ap 

 proximate increase of 40 per cent over the year 

 previous. As a result of the growing demand 

 in all sections for Hie services of National inspec 

 tors, and Hie consequent necessity of the but 

 veyoi general being absent from the office a ma 

 iority of the time, the executive committee, ai 



a meeting held on June 11. voted to transfer I he 



entire correspondence pertaining to the inspec 

 Hon bureau to the charge oi the secretary, thus 

 relieving the surveyor general of all work other 

 than the important duly of keeping in dose 

 touch wiih the Inspectors throughout the United 

 States 



As a resull of this decision by Hie executive 



b d the majority of my time since June il has 



been occupied in the Inspection bureau work, the 

 results of which will be fully covered by the re 

 port of He ehairm: i the Inspection bureau 



i iillllllil tee. 



Although comparatively little Hm,' has been 

 ilevoie.l io the work of securing new members, 

 our records show sixty-seven new application 



have I n received and accepted -lie.- May ::. 



which places Hm total membership at ibis time 

 ii 541, and Hm fad thai To per ceni ..r these 

 new members an manufacturers of lumber may 



he of interest M may I ntirely proper to also 



eall the attention of our membei to i lie fad 

 ibai a recent checking of the lisl lo 8 certain 



111,' pe-1'ccnlac.e Of manufacturers ,,u the llU'iubel 



ship roll indicates aboul 03 per i enl 01 i h 

 represents the manufacturing branch of the hard 

 wood trade 



The finances have received careful : ntion 



and amounts collected have I a a little 



i fan -iiili, i< aii el our iii, reasetl exi 



State in of receipts and disl In 



Mm- 1 is as follows 



