HARDWOOD RECORD 



21 



the individual associations comprising the Easl 

 ern Retail Lumber Dealers 1 Association, the 



Retail 1. umber healers' \ss<n-inti<>n of the State 

 of New York, and all the western retail associa- 

 tions, and there seems to be prevalent among' 

 us such a spirit of harmony that trade relation 

 topics the past year have been mosl successfully 

 and satisfactorily disposed of. 



I believe the great mass of business men 

 would rather do business on the level than in 

 any oiher way. and If we could round up all 

 the vicious people In ibis country, they would 

 be hopelessly in the minority, and we could rest 

 contented knowing that In the hands of the 

 majority the business of the country would be 

 safe. To lie sure, it is easier today than ever 

 he fn re in control the would-be scalper, because 

 we bave no trouble to sell our lumber: in fact, 

 h seems to he difficult to keep from selling. 



in a group i>t very prominent retailers the 

 Other day the remark was made to me, and 

 heartily concurred in. that trade relations be- 

 tween wholesaler and retailer is in the best 

 condition today that has ever prevailed, and I 

 believe that it' there is any credit due to the 

 wholesalers, and undoubtedly there is, our asso- 

 ciation alone is entitled to it. 



I do not know to what extent the committee 

 on arbitration will cover its work in its 

 report, hut the chairman may not bring out what 

 I consider a feature of national association work, 

 and that is the fact that we have the privilege 

 of going to that committee, which would bring 

 about many amicable adjustments which other- 

 wise would result in ordinary quarrels and 

 probably legal complications and law suits. The 

 association has been instrumental in disposing 

 of a large number of these matters during the 

 year — how satisfactorily can only be determined 

 by those of you who have been interested — hut 



W. THOMPSON OP MEMPHIS, TRUSTEE. 



as there has been no expressed dissatisfaction, 

 it has been very gratifying for us to condud 

 this method of adjustment, 



A good deal of the work of the secretary 

 is in handling the general correspondence and in 

 supervising the large amount of detail work 

 which usually devolves upon a secretary. It is 

 needless to mention the work dour in connection 

 with our visiihej members, but this is an in 

 creasingly pleasant duty and one of the -most 

 important, and l believe is appreciated by those 

 of you who find it convenient to call at our 

 office. 



It has also been possible to make aboiil the 

 usual number of trips to the various Lumber 

 centers, both east and wesl i bu1 with our in 

 creasing membership I find I am unable to call 

 upon as large a percentage of the membership 

 as formerly, although we meet by far a larger 

 number in the course of a year. 



In January at the suggestion of the Board of 

 Trustees I attended a conference in Chicago 

 called to consider the quest ion of national 

 reciprocal demurrage. 'I he deliberations consumed 

 two days, and there were in attendance delegates 

 from all sections of the country, representing 

 shippers of coal, hay, groceries, feed, ice, Lumber 

 and many other commodities. The result of thai 

 Conference was the appointment of a special 

 committee to wait upon the President and the 

 Interstate Commerce Commission with a view 

 of getting such legislation in Congress as will 

 give the desired relief. 



During the year we have bad four meetings 

 of the Board of Trustees; two a1 the time of 



the annual meeting, and the usual spring and 

 fall meeting. Inning the interval the executive 

 committee has held meetings whenever necessary, 

 and several limes have had witli them the 

 chairmen of some of the regular standing or 

 special committees Cor purposes of conference 



upon special subjects. 



Your president has been constant in his atten 

 tion to the duties <>f iiiui office and In addition 

 to a very targe correspondence lie has made 

 i ■>■ than the usual number of visits to the 



\cw York office and has also attended such 

 other conferences :is the work has required. 



A very splendid showing for the past twelve 

 months convinces us that the association is well 

 worth tin' effort and the diversified demands 

 upon its boards and committees shows thai pos- 

 sibilities for accomplishing good are appreciated. 

 I feel that a further word regarding the Increas- 

 ing membership is not out of place, and if the 

 members will distribute their efforts over the 

 entire year, ami even though the effort is not 

 strenuous, we could easily show a net gain of 

 100 this coming year. With an organization as 

 well planned and as nicely equipped to handle 

 the problems of the day as they affect lumber- 

 men as we are, I can conceive of no reasonable 

 excuse that can be offered by lumbermen to not 

 contribute their share, not only by becoming 

 members but by a more substantial co-operation 

 — that of their personal services. I can easily 

 understand why, when an organization is young 

 and not established, we may not join, but this 

 association is no longer an experiment. 



I am pleased to report that, from the secre- 

 tary's standpoint at least, the organization is in 

 good condition ; that the members all respond 

 heartily to the call of duty ; and that we are 

 well equipped and ready to serve the trade in 

 any right call that is made upon us. 



I wish to once again thank all the members 

 who have so nobly stood by during the past year. 



Respectfully submitted. 



E. F. PERK'S . Secretary. 



E. M. Wiley, chairman of the Audit and 

 Finance Committee, submitted the following 

 report in behalf of liis committee: 



Report of Audit and Finance Committee. 



To the members of the National Wholesale 

 Lumber Dealers' Association : Appended lie re 

 with is a statement from the Sidney r. Waud 

 Auditing Company, which was engaged by the 

 audit and finance committee to audit the secre- 

 tary's and treasurer's reports. The report states 

 that the books have been examined and found 

 correct. The auditor makes no suggestions as to 

 improvement in the present system of book 

 keeping. 



However, our voucher system does not seem 

 to be in just the right shape for an association. 

 and as the association lias grown and new work 

 been undertaken, (he receipts and disbursements 

 have naturally increased correspondingly, ami 

 with this fact in mind and with a view of 

 adopting every possible safeguard in disbursing 

 i be funds of the association, the treasurer ami 

 secretary bave prepared a voucher check, which 

 it is believed will meet the requirements. This 

 matter has been considered by the Board of 

 i i i tees ami the form meets with their approval. 

 \"u\ committee believes that the voucher sug- 

 gested "ill enable a belter re, or. | of the disburse 

 ments of the association and recommended iis 

 adopt ion. Respectfully submit ted. 



E. M. Wiley, Chairman. 



The Board of Managers of the Bureau of 

 I Minimal ion, through Chairman F. E. Par] ei 

 mads a very interesting report of tin- work 

 accomplished during t in- past year. It was 

 as follows: 



Report of Board of Managers of Bureau of 

 Information. 



Your Board of Managers are again called upon 

 to make their annual report and lind themselves 

 able to report another year of successful work 

 and progress ami development. 



The bureau si ill occupies the leading place in 

 t lie association work, and it is accomplishing 

 better results than ever, profiting by age and 

 experience, in its younger days much had to be 

 [earned bj experience; systems had to be devel- 

 oped and more than one plan started with the 

 best of intentions had to be given up after 

 i pei lence had proven a wise teacher. Now it 

 emerges with the mature judgment which only 



ii and experience can give, and its success and 



i iln lency are accordingly strengthened, and 

 judged by ils e (H1( ] works it is deserving of the 

 most loyal support of every member of the 

 association. 



The membership of the bureau has now in- 

 creased to r.ts, a net gain of one Cor the year. 



The number of reports on tile has Increased 

 from 19.235 on February 1. 1906, to 21,122 on 



February 1, L907, an Increase of 1,SS7 reports 

 tor the year. An average of IIP reports per 

 day were sent out tor the months of January 

 and February. Tin- reports are insured for 



SIT. , showing that a considerable money 



value has been placed on them, but the amount 

 of in tor inatiou ibese reports contain and the 

 work and care thai has been expended in gath- 

 ering together ibis mass of information can 

 carcely be measured by dollars and cents. And 

 here again out Board of Managers appeal to the 

 members of the association who are nol sub- 

 scribers to the bureau to give their consideration 

 to the good work which the bureau is doing, not 

 only for its subscribers but for the whole lumber 

 trade. The indirect benefits which the bureau 

 has accomplished are great indeed and difficult 

 to estimate, and no Lumberman should hesitate 

 io come into the fold of this Important depart- 

 ment and do his share to help the general condi- 

 tions of the lumber trade. 



The legal department lias finished its year 

 with a successful record and has demonstrated 

 the wisdom of the changes which were inaugu- 

 rated two years ago. 



Claims ou hand March 1, 1906. and received 

 during the year amounted to $180,410.14. Of 

 this amount $99,817.43 has been settled through 

 the bureau or paid direct; $20,676.52 has been 

 withdrawn ; $46,974.66 is in the hands of local 

 attorneys, and $12,941.53 is in course of settle- 

 ment through the superintendent's office. The 

 fees to the bureau from the legal department 

 for the past year were $2,258, but better than 

 the monetary gain is the satisfaction which the 

 Board of Managers have reason to believe that 

 this department under the new system is giving 

 to its subscribers, and it is indeed with a feeling 

 of pride that we point to the results of the past 

 year. 



We believe the bureau is infinitely above and 



Si &TCHERD OF BUFFALO. 



superior to ordinary commercial agencies, and 

 the legal department is likewise head and shout 

 ders above the ordinary collection agency, and 

 many who have used both the bureau and the 

 Legal department have so testified during the 

 past year in a most encouraging way on several 

 occasions. 



Your Board of Managers wishes to again 

 express their appreciation of the work of the 

 superintendent. What success has been achieved 

 must be attributed to his careful and conscien- 

 tious conduct of this work, and we will venture 

 to predict many years of successful work if this 

 department is carried on on these same careful 

 and conscient ions lines. 



We are approaching a time when the as 

 tion work is more scattered and more diversified 

 every year. Our Meld now stretches from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific. New ideas, new systems 

 and new developments are needed to lit this 

 enlarged field. As in every other field of bus! 

 oess life Hie system of yesterday becomes obso 



lete and out of date today, We must l 



stantly watchful, ever on the alert to meet with 

 these new conditions and grapple with the new 

 problems, bin the organization of the bureau is 

 built , on a rock; it is capable of rising to meel 

 the new conditions. II has benefited many lum- 

 bermen on many occasions in the past. It will 

 benefit all who" will lend their support and u e 

 its guidance in the future. it pays many fold 

 in ruanv ways. Can any lumberman afford to be 

 without ii i benefits? Will any refuse to give if 

 1 heir hea i lv CO Operation and support? 



r i:. Parker, chairman. 



