ii.lustrinl lender sniil that tlicy arc being worked out by the 

 :.|iirit of mutuality wliieh is beiug evidenced in all i-ircles. He 

 maintained that one of the biggest problems to be solved is the 

 Kooial problem, and that in the lumber business it must be solved 

 by the co-operation of lumbermen among themselves and with 

 their employes. Mr. Towson further maintained that the spiritual 

 side of man has a real eoouomic value in industrial work, as it 

 is this spiritual side whioh, developed or left undeveloped, tends 

 to eflioienoy or lack of efficiency. It is the realization of the need 

 for such development which is increasing the efficiency of the 

 modern workers. 



Speaking briefly of the Young Men's Christian Association work 

 in the lumber trade, the speaker stated that he has found the 

 doors of the lumber industry open to the Young Men's Christian 

 Association efforts, and that the experience has been that work 

 performed by that organization has in every instance resulted in 

 increasing the efficiency of the groups of men to whom it has been 

 applied. 



It had been expected that Chief Forester Henry S. Graves 

 would address the meeting in the opening, session, but a wire was 

 received from him stating he would be unable to attend on account 

 of pressing matters at Washington, and Howard F. Weiss, director 

 of the Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wis., who had pre- 

 pared a paper to be delivered at the Wednesday session, was 

 • ailed upon to take his place. Mr. Weiss' paper was one of the 

 -■ries on ' ' Merchandising of Lumber, ' ' being entitled ' ' Mer- 

 handizing of Lumber from the Scientist's Point of View." This 

 I'uper is shown in full elsewhere in this issue of Hardwood Eecord. 

 Following the a])pointment of coniniittecs, the morning session 

 adjourned. 



TTJESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION 



The afternoon session of Tuesday was opened by a report of 



the credentials committee, delivered by George K. Smith. Mr. 



Smith reported that seventy-three out of the one hundred fifty 



delegates were present. 



Capt. J. B. White of Kansas City, chairman of the conservation 

 committee, reported and spoke of the evolution in the lumber 

 business, which has grown from a business of small mills sawing 

 for local consumption to the present status. He mentioned that 

 the prevalent idea that conservation is a cure for all lumber ills 

 is a fallacy but that the policy of the government at Washington 

 to urge individual conservation and make collective conservation 

 impossible through prohibiting and regulation of cut, is also a 

 grave mistake. Capt. White stated that he would favor a law 

 specifically prohibiting wood waste, which law he felt would result 

 in influencing collective conservation. 



Speaking of tree planting, Mr. White said that it is not good 



44b 



business to jdnnt trees when virgin forests exist, and that no con- 

 servation is possible while it remains impossible to produce new 

 merchantable trees at a profit over cost of jdanting and care. 



As instances wherein conservation in material used is possible, 

 the speaker referred to the manufacture of flooring in certain 

 lengths. He stated that his company manufactures flooring of all 

 lengths from one foot up, thus utilizing a great deal of material 

 which would otherwise be an utter waste. He maintained that 

 waste in manufacture is much more extravagant in the South and 

 West than in the New England states. Mr. White maintained that 

 there should be some agreement as to the classification of widths, 

 lengths and grades in order to insure a minimum of waste in 

 manufacture through the fullest possible use of the log. In clos- 

 ing his report he stated that in place of a mere address by the 

 chairman of the conservation committee at the next session, he 

 favored a free discussion of the conservation problem and a talk 

 by some authority on the subject. 



Chairman F. K. Pierce of the railroad coniniittee then delivereil 

 the following exhaustive report: 



Report of the Railroad Committee 



of a nuii 



Your railroad committee lias to report (lie ronsl 

 of matters that liuvc come I.eforc It during; tiie piiKt year, niid wlilili 

 seemed to bo such as could be properly handled by it, there being iii> 

 doubt about the questions being of general Interest to the lumber nianu- 

 fncturlDg fraternity. 



Probably the most Important proposition before this comniitte,; has 

 been the application of the railroads for permission to put In a general 

 advance In rates ; this advance to be approximately 5 per cent of the 

 existing tariff. While the territory affected liy the applications already 

 considered by the commission, Is limited to the Central Trelght Associa- 

 tion and Trunk Line territory, still It is well understood that If the 

 advance is granted, the application of lines In other territories will be 

 promptly pushed. With regard to this matter, n vigorous and exhaustive 

 correspondence has been maintained — not only with the members of this 

 committee (meetings of which are impractical on account of the widely 

 scattered residences of the members), but also with prominent manu- 

 facturers Individually, and with the various associations, through their 

 secretaries. The committee has earnestly endeavored to discover exactly 

 the attitude of our people on this Important question. In his goings to 

 and fro among the various member associations, Mr. Khodcs has con- 

 stantly endeavored to get the views of all with whom he has come In 

 contact, and the best that can be said is that our people are not of 

 one mind on this subject. There Is no question but that we all feel that 

 the railroads should have an Increased net revenue, but our minds arc 

 divided as to how this end Is to be accomplished. A certain class of 

 manufacturers, looking only at the probable effect of Increased freight 

 rates on the lumber business, is anxious that the roads should be granted 

 the Increased rates, and is inclined to close its eyes to the equities In the 

 matter, provided the railroads arc put In position to buy more lumber. 

 These manufacturers were satisfied to have lumber included among 

 those items which should bear the advanced rate, feeling, no doubt, 

 that they were not In position to recommend sauce for the other man's 

 goose, without accepting It for their gander. On the other hand, a very 



