GEO. K. SMITH. ST LOUIS, MO., 

 SECKETAKY. 



LEONARD BROXSOX. CHICAGO. MANAGER 



l.AXUOX. 

 IIOAUL) 



WAUSAU. WIS., MEMBER 

 OK GOVERXOUS. 



has mucb to do with the balance sheet. Look over the successful 

 operators and you will invariabl.v lind men who have worked their way 

 to the top. The man who wheels sawdust today is running the saw to- 

 morrow, it he prove himself capable. The sawyer becomes the superin- 

 tendent and the superintendent the manager — and there is always room 

 for the man who is not looking for salt pork and sundown. 



Under these conditions it is little short of criminal for an organized 

 gang of traveling hoboes to inflict them.selves upon a community and be 

 permitted to attempt to sjircad dissension and disquii-tude. which always 

 affects the innocent ones in the end. To that class of labor that is devoid 

 of ambition or education it is important that we as operators and em- 

 ployers give some heed. 



Where personality no longer appeals and industries become so large that 

 men furnishing the capital do not recognize the hardships of labor, it is 

 important that greater heed be given to the welfare of the employe. 

 Efficient labor is greatly to be desired and the work of some employers, 

 together with the Young Men's Christian Association industrial secretaries 

 and their collaborators will bring about benelils apparent to all who have 

 tried this method. Establish during noon hours the facilities for promot- 

 ing this work; disseminate the right kind of literature and reward energy 

 and indu.stry and we will counteract the lawless soapbox orator and agi- 

 tator. Married men and less whiskey and licentiousness will work 

 wonders in our industrial conditions. If dividends are sought at the ex- 

 pense of our citizenship it will not profit us, 



I believe the employers are realizing more and more the obligations 

 they owe to society, and if the emyloye can be brought to assume his own 

 responsibilities the condition of labor will continue to improve. 



The state of Washington has bceu alert to the welfare of her laborers 

 in the workmen's compensation act recently adopted. Among other 

 states it has taken the lead and the report of our committee will show 

 with what results. The lumbermen of our state willingly initiated this 

 work. Conditions prior to the adoption of this law were well-nigh con- 

 fiscatory. It is the same in all manufacturing states. The elimination 

 of a class of blackleg lawyers, professional jurors and corrupt witnesses 

 has been one of the benefits of this legislation. It has removed the neces- 

 sity of contributing any portion of the pay roll or operating expenses to 

 outside capital and has resulted in prompt payment of money benefits to 

 the unfortunate employe and his beneficiaries in the time of need, and 

 without any of it sticking to other hands, 



I recommend careful consideration to the report of this committee that 

 we as a national association can play our part in improving labor con- 

 ditions in hazardous employment. 



We will profit by the mistakes of others and improve conditions by 

 lessening the opportunity of accident. As much care and more should be 

 exercised in the prevention of accidents as of fire. Inspections should be 

 frequent and penalties to the careless emplojer and laborer alike inflicted. 



I believe our associations have accomplished as much good in flre pre- 

 vention and insurance laws as in any other Held. It is only by united 

 action that we can bring the imporlance of this work to the attention of 

 our state and federal governments alike. We are guardians not only of 

 our own propert,v, but of the vast holdings of timber of the state and 

 government. Where standing trees have value their protection is an obli- 

 gation the government oflicials too often fail to realize. The burning of 

 adjoining tracts affects ail and menaces the property rights of others. As 

 logging operations continue, changed conditions prevail and the proper dis- 

 position of the entire tree is as much a national question as it is an 

 Indivdual one. 



We should be awake to the proper use of our logged-oBf lands and 



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reforestation. It will require a national movement to properly adjust our 

 taxation laws so that our present timber holdings can profit by the mis- 

 takes of the past or the country can adopt sane laws of conservation and 

 reforestation, Eact district must be studied intelligently and sentiment 

 aroused that will appreciate the value of timber — reforestation will never 

 be practiced if lumber has no value. 



We can not expect men who are striving to make operations pay under 

 present conditions to give much thought to generations yet to come, when 

 they have difHcuIty taking care of the present. 



In some sections of our country timber is the only crop that is de- 

 vekiping the district, and population and transportation play a very 

 important part in the value of the tree, 



I believe we should continue our co-operation with the Forest Service, 

 and I can not praise too highly the philanthropic efforts that the National 

 association has made in the past in establishing schools of forestry. 

 These contributions and the continued support our manufacturers are 

 rendering along similar lines go a long way in combatting the assertions 

 of scandalmongers, magazine writers and their kind, 



I believe we should exercise every effort to secure adequate govern- 

 mental appropriations to protect the country's forests. It is certainly 

 good insurance for the future welfare to provide nationally a fund equal 

 to one-tenth of one per cent of the value of standing timber today in the 

 national forests. This association should and must be in close touch with 

 our national government on all these policies. 



The necessity of cooperating with the government, both national and 

 state, in preventing tile importation of insects detrimental to fruit trees 

 and forest growth of our country is a matter which has 1km>u brought to 

 my attention by a number of our interested operators and timber owners. 

 It will reipiire the attention of a strong committee and the endorsement 

 of tills association to take the necessary steps to prevent the detrimenlal 

 effect cavised by the spread and increase of these insects if proper preven- 

 tion is not undertaken at once, 



I am a convert to this conclusion : That it takes more than a congres- 

 sional term to educate any business man — and tariff issues must be 

 studied by experts and with time to delve into the intricacies of each 

 individual case. 



In carrying on the work of this association we are securing facts and 

 figures which are as vital to the welfjire of the whole United States as 

 the agricultural figures (jf any crop that concerns humanity. We should 

 be prepared at all times to show an inventory and balance sheet, 



I had hoped ere this to have published regularly, and at least monthly, 

 a bulletin recapitulation of generifl standard statistical information con- 

 cerning the lumber industry. It will be i,ssued and I believe will be inter- 

 esting to our membership. The affiliated associations will have to secure 

 accurate and reliable data and promptly forward it to the secretary to 

 bring about tlie results we anticipate, and I am confident it will be 

 secured. 



Our association credit book, known as the Blue Book, has been madi' 

 the object of a lumber trust tirade as rank as it is unjust. No sane 

 business can be conducted without the best credit ratings and every busi- 

 ness man knows that we get caught with some bad accounts despite our 

 precautions. As long as there arc crooks, cranks and critics we will 

 have failures and losses. 



The peculiar license that allows a man to make Ills living by publish- 

 ing lies to Inflame the public mind will have to he met by an appeal to 

 libel or an advertising and publicity campaign so straight, sincere and 

 above-board tliat it will counteract these libelous attacks, I believe that 

 in our advertising work and the committee as now constituted, we have 



