I A. DIGGI.NS, CADILLAC, MICIL, rUIOSl- ( ■. II. I!A UNAIiY. (iUKKNCASTLE, IND., I'HK.Sl- E. V. BABCOCK, PITTSBURGH, I'A., NEWLY- 



DE.NT 1910-1911; DENT 1912-1914 ELECTED PRESIDENT 



[lenee, in 1902 it was decided to establish an inspection bureau to increased from three to five, to ten, to fifteen, to twenty-one 



have bonded inspectors, and instead of the haphazard interpretation directors. 



of the rules to make this interpretation an official proposition. The Accompanying this article are shown photographs of nine men 



iiiiginal inspectors were on a fee basis and inasmuch as it proved who have served in the capacity of presidents of the association, 



(luring the few succeeding years that under this arrangement the These men, with their respective terms, are as follows: 



growth of the service would not be rapid, it was decided in 1904 to W. A. Bennett 1898-1901 



put a number of inspectors on a salary basis. ^- H- Smith 1901-1903 



This experiment was so satisfactory that at the annual meeting g^^j' paimei- 1904 190S 



held at Buffalo in 190.5, it was decided to install salaried inspectors w. H. Russe 1906-1908 



as rapidly as they could be selected. At the time of that meeting O. O. .\glfr 1908-1910 



the only large markets having salaried inspectors were Cincinnati, ''■ '^^ ^^'sgins 1910-1912 



„, . ,, -I- 1 r> i» I J i» 1.- Charles H. Barnaby 1912-1914 



Chicago, ^ew ^ ork, Buffalo and Memphis. E. V. Babcock, newlj-elocted president. 



Thus beginning from a very small nucleus of fee inspectors, the t* •= ■ 4. *■ * * iu i ii *• ^i i„ i- • 



" •.,,»,,., TT 1 , T i_ . ■ .• I I* '3 interesting to note that all ot these men are still living 



inspection service ot the National Hardwood Lumber Association has ■., ., .• , -r^ . -r, ,, 



"^ ,., ., ,,,,•, ^ , • , ,. , , , "'"' t'le exception of W. A. Bennett, 



grown until it now has thirty-nve salaried men working regularly and 



in addition another thirty-five fee inspectors, making the total inspec- A tt /~i 



tion force seventy in round numbers. An UnWClcome Compliment 



Another development at the Buffalo meeting in 1905 was the de- Somebody some time or other wished upon us the truism that 



cision to employ a salaried secretary to devote his entire time to the imitation is the sincerest flattery. There may be plenty of argument 



association affairs. A. B. Vinnedge of Chicago has been secretary up to support the idea, too, but there is one compliment of this kind 



to 1904, performing the duties of that office without compensation being paid to wood in these days that the woodworking fraternity 



and entirely in his own time. C. B. Strode took up these duties could get along better without, and that is the compliment of printing 



in that year and performed them satisfactorily until the following metal furniture in imitation of wood. The making of thin steel 



year, when as stated, at the Buffalo meeting Frank F. Fish was selected furniture and printing it in imitation of mahogany, oak or other fine 



as the official secretary of the association working on a salary, and face wood may be a compliment to the wood, but the woodworking 



devoting his entire time to association matters. fraternity would be better off without the compliment, and with the 



A further important development which took place at Buffalo at wood used in the making of the furniture. There has been a world 



that time was the decision to employ a chief inspector .who would of exploitation of steel products on ground which is really not tenable, 



have entire supervision over the remainder of the inspection corps but the public has accepted the arguments offered and now even 



and would of course devote his entire time to actively supervising Edison, the wizard inventor, is being quoted as saying that an absolute 



inspection affairs of the organization members. law appears to be operating to substitute steel for wood in furniture 



Thus the organization has grown from a small meeting of seven- making. The law given is the increasing cost of wood which permits 



teen hardwood manufacturers and wholesalers to its present nation- the making of a piece of steel furniture at a cost of only one-fifth 



wide importance. A decided evolution has taken place in the personnel of what it would cost in wood. It is strange that statements like 



of the organization, which in the beginning was probably justly ac- this are let go by unchallenged when it is so easy to get real infor- 



cused of being made up mainly of hardwood jobbers. This evolution, mation on the subject by going into an office supply store and pricing 



however, has been the result of consistent developments which have tlie steel imitation wood furniture and the real wooden article. Those 



■brought in a consequently larger majority of hardwood sawmill men, that the writer has observed show prices ranging about twenty-five 



so that now the association is composed approximately of sixty per per cent higher for the steel furniture than for wood, and really 



cent of manufacturers, while on the board of directors and officers nothing so desirable about the steel as may be found in the wood, 



fully two-thirds of the names shown are those of prominent hardwood It is said by those who know the wizard that Edison enjoys a joke 



sawmill men from different sections of the country. and would rather string a newspaper man at times than to eat. 



It is significant to note that the rules of the National Hardwood Perhaps this is the explanation of his being quoted as making such a 



Lumber Association have been officially adopted by a considerable statement as that accredited to him lately in the matter of steel and 



number of the state and local hardwood organizations. wood furniture. Anyway, the compliment that steel furniture is 



Originally the directorate of the National association consisted paying to wood is an unwelcome intrusion that suggests flattering 



of three men, but since that time this number has been subsequently one's appearance while at the same time taking away his substance. 



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