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'^^ Gum Manufacturers Enthusiastic "^^ 



Tlu-re are four jioiiits wliicli stanil out proniiueutly in coiiiii'itioii 

 witli the tirst semi-amiual niwting of the Gum Lumber Maiiufactur- 

 .Ts' Association which was held at the Gayoso hotel, Memphis, Tenn., 

 nil May 19 and 20. One of these points has simply to do with a con- 

 • iition which has been created by the association, and the other three 

 I'lints denote actual accomplishments at the convention sessions. 



In the first place the excellent attendance, the unusually close con- 

 Mderation given by everybody in all discussions, and the highly 

 «ducational character of the jirograms mapped out, make the suc- 

 cess of the organization and its future development an absolute cer- 

 tainty. 



The most striking point in the sessions themselves was the indi- 

 . rition of important work to be accomplished through the technical 

 research committee, which submitted a report of astonishing merit. 

 .\uother point is the suggestion that the association membership be 

 ippen to manufacturers of gum veneers, and the other is the sugges- 

 tion to substitute for the term "sap gum" the words "unselected 

 gum," thereby giving to that wood a considerably greater dignity. 

 TUESDAY MORNING SESSION 



The sessions were opened liy President C. L. Harrison, who intro- 

 duced C. M. Bryan, assistant city attorney of Memphis, who delivered 

 a very pleasing and amusing address of welcome. Mr. Bryan struck 

 the keynote of the present movement to boost gum when he expressed 

 .•IS his opinion that he believed the real discovery of gum lumber is 

 as im]>ortant to development in the South as was the discovery of 

 the use of cottonseed. 



R. M. Carrier of Sardis. Miss., responded briolly in behalf of the 

 iissociation. 



President's Address 



President Harrison then delivered his semiannual report as fol- 

 lows : 



Onl.v a short ISO dn.vs ago then- met here a group of men, competitors 

 In buslnt?s3 l>ut brought tngcthiT b.v that new principle ot economics. 'Co- 

 operation, not I'ompetltlon. la the life of trade." The doors of the meet- 

 Ins were not closed, no trade pacts nor "Kcntlemen's agreements" were 

 made, but openl.v and above-board the malady then affccllng the gum 

 business was diagnosed and a remedy was concocted by the doctors pres- 

 ent. It was publicity — broad, intelligent, painstaking publlclt.v. 



We are not here today to more than moderately rejoice over the effect 

 the treatment has had on the invalid, but rather to plan for the future 

 ill a way that will remove all fear of a relapse and permit the patient to 

 Sii-ow in strength and usefulness. 



I'nder the careful nursing of our cfHclcnt secretary and our advertising 

 manager, led gum has at last been given a 



iiiiidest wood, acquiring new bonorH so rapidly, would not be able to Ifeep 

 lis pulse. .\s a complete vindication of the fnci that our iH-t has lost ItM 

 bad reputation, listen to the following: 



Hear .Mr. Crosby : 



Acknowledging your letter of May "th, would say that it Is ijiille natural 

 lor you to check us up on not having sent to the Gum Lumber .Manufuc- 

 tureis' Association the same letter which went to the other lumber people, 

 but In this case there Is a very good reason for not doing so. 



Of course, we always have the Gum I^uinber .Manutaiturers' .Association 

 in mind Just as we do the other lumber people when handling iniiulrles of 

 this kind, but Inasmuch as the inquirer In this case stated spcclllcally that 

 the house was to be of moderate cost and that they had only money enough 

 lor hare necessities, we felt certain that they could not nnord to use any 

 expensive interior trim. Kor this reason It se.ined useless to refer the 

 inguiry to the Guin I.iimliei- Manufacturers' Assoiiation. 



I think ■ - 



Manufacturers' 

 sent ihe Inqulr.v i" i ' ' i' ' 

 have Iniinirles wlii' i -v i ■ 

 assured that they « ill n-i i • - 



You surely are on llie j..i. ni 

 Just one of those things ilial ; 



to the gii 

 ...ked. 



time In behalf of your clients, and It 1» 

 to show why your people swear by you 



can bin of health. 



less 



as they do. 



Thanking you for 

 cordially yours, 



Far-away Egypt has heard the glad tidings, and a solid train-load of 

 '■.\inerlea's Kiuest Cabinet Wood" Is now on its way there to demonstrate 

 the beauties of wood to a nation of stone masons. The fifth successive 

 hotel erected In Chicago Is to be trimmed with half a inllllon feet of "the 

 wood that Is now an artistic necessity" and the fact that the lot was 

 sold too cheap by far will not matter so much because the beauty of the 

 wood will remain long after the bargain price has been forgotten. 



Ked gum was easily the queen of the whole show at the Coliseum, and 

 the energy and determination of the committee handling this exhibit can- 

 not be praised too highly. The only drawback to the whole thing was 

 that the committee horroiccd the Oriental rugs for the floor and the blamed 

 things were almost worn out when the exposition closed '. 



The slur cast on us some time ago that the only effect noticeable from 

 niir advertising was an inquiry from a lady In Texas for a red gum chair 

 has bien fairly and fully repudiated, and examples of gum's growing favor 

 multiply. 



Let us not lie too Impatient regarding the crystallization of this growth 

 in demand into a better price situation. Itememlwr that a million feet of 

 1" No. 1 common oak was sold at t'.iO per .M feet delivered in Grand Rapids 

 the other day, and then reflect upon how remarkably well gum prices have 

 been sustained in spite of overproduction and underconsumption. The ad- 

 vertising plan we have adopted, coupled with careful follow-up methods. Is 

 bringing results. 



.Modern merchandising methods are as Important to the mlllman selling 

 boards as to the manufacturer selling adding machines or any other highly 

 developed specialty. When we realize that knocking off a dollar on the 

 price 1.<J not half so effective as developing and holding new trade, we will 

 be on the high-road to better permanent conditions, and quite willing to 

 pay our dues of ten cents a thousand feet Into an association that will 

 bring such results as this one has already accomplished. 



I acknowledge the hearty and llbe'"'' "upport of every officer, committee 



