34 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



them in full force and effect tor three years, 

 ■what was the conslileration'; Gentlemen, there 

 was not any consideration. Nobody has paid us 

 anything. The result of the thing is there 

 wasn't any contract. There were two elements 

 of a contract lacking. It was simply our asso- 

 ciation getting together and we agreed among 

 ourselves, among our membership, that we would 

 adopt these rules and that we would maintain 



n. 11. D.W. GLEX HAVEN, MICH. 



them for a period of three years. Now, there 

 is nothing under the shining canopy of heaven 

 to prevent this association from getting to- 

 gether and shortening the period if it appears 

 to be desirable for the members of this associa- 

 tion to <lo that thing. [Applause] There is 

 no inconsistency about it, gentlemen. It is a 

 business proposition. A good many of you have 

 made your plans and set your pace for a year 

 or two years. Some contingency comes along 

 and changes your i)lans, changes them entirely. 

 Your office force or partner don't get up and 

 say to you : "We are breaking a contract. You 

 have made a contract." You were going to do 

 that thing. You had probably put it in a letter 

 you were going to do that thing, but there is 

 no consideration and no other party and you 

 did not break any contract. You were reason- 

 able. Why were you reasonable? Simply be- 

 cause it was the thing to do. That is why you 

 were reasonable. It is the thing to do today, 

 and that is wh.y the association should be rea- 

 sonable. (Applause.] 



Now, gentlemen, it is to the interest of every 

 man pt this meeting who has the Interest of 

 this association at heart to participate in the 

 process of letting down the bars. It is the 

 proper lime for at-tion. You can go with "the 

 current today. You can steer the ship from 

 the rocks of radii'alism today. Wait one year 

 and defer action until the time has expired, 

 and what will be the result? If action is not 

 taken the manufacturers are going to come in 

 here and demand revision as a right. They 

 have si.xty per cent of the membership and they 

 are pi*etiy near going to dictate what that re- 

 vision will be. provided you liave a single manu- 

 facturer loft in the association. [Applause.] 



Again, let me issue a note of warning lo the 

 wholesalers, who may, possibly, in numbers 

 domlnale this meeting. Do not insert a wedge 

 between yourselves and the manufacturers at 

 this time. It is not the proper time, gentlemen. 

 It is not the good time to do it. The manu- 

 facturers are as neeessar.v to you as you are to 

 the manufacturers and you want to work with 

 them. You want to develop the spirit of unit.v 

 that has been growing through the efforts of 



this association, the only association that is 

 promoting any harmony in the lumber trade 

 today. [Applause.] Vou want to meet it half 

 way. This is the time to do it. It must be 

 done today if it is done. Some people may say 

 I have a selflsh interest in this thing simply 

 because I happen to be a manufacturer. Gen- 

 tlemen, that is not true. I am not consider- 

 ing any personal interest in this matter what- 

 ever. The only interest I have in this tiuestion 

 is tlie interest of the association, the interest 

 of the entire hardwood trade. I don't want to 

 see this association destroyed. I believe this 

 association is the only common ground where 

 the manufacturer and the wholesaler can meet 

 In a spirit of perfect fellowship. There is no 

 other. And we don't want to have that ground 

 cut out from under the feet of either the manu- 

 facturer or the wholesaler. You want to pre- 

 serve the association, gentlemen. Y'ou want to 

 do it above all things, because it is the one vital 

 force that is doing something in this country 

 for the hardwood trade. I do not know of any 

 other. [Applause.] 



Let us take this matter up in a spirit of 

 brotherhood, in a spirit of unity. Let us not 

 make any personal matter of this thing. Be- 

 cause we have somebody that don't want the 

 rules revised at this meeting, don't let us take 

 (Uir spite out on the association. liut stand 



D. F. CLARK. MINNEAPOLIS. 



by the association. Say to the association, you 

 can make the rules what you please when the 

 question of rules comes up. If this resolution 

 comes up, you won't tind me talking about any 

 rules. I don't know much about rules — I don't 

 know much about them. I know any rules this 

 association will adopt are good enough rules for 

 me. I am going to stay by them. [Applause.] 

 Whether poplar shall be six inches wide or seven 

 inches, grade first or second, that don't make 

 much difference and won't break up the asso- 

 ciation. But I do know if you take arbitrary 

 action, it is going to have a ruinous effect upon 

 this association and the association is the thing 

 I am working for, and I want to see it saved 

 because it is worth saving. [Applause.] 



Mr. Guenther — Let me call your attention to 

 the fact that a motion is before this conven- 

 tion and a vote h.is not been taken. After you 

 have done that, Mr. President, I would like to 

 make a suggestion. I would suggest that no 

 speaker shall talk more than ten minutes and 

 shall not have the floor more than twice. I 

 make this suggestion because we are about to 

 enter into a very important discussion. Every- 

 body who wants to ventilate himself should 

 have the opportunity. But if you make the 



opportunity to speak unlimited I fear we will 

 not proceed as quickly as we should. 



Mr. Scatcherd — What is before the conven 

 tion? 



President Russe — The report of the commit- 

 tee on officers' reports. 



Mr. Wall — I want to know what that means- 

 Does it mean the officers' suggestions have been 

 acted upon and the Buffalo resolution is re- 

 scinded if that motion is carried? Wliat is 

 your ruling upon that, Mr. President? 



Mr. Scatcherd — I move to amend that the 

 report be laid upon the table. I don't want to 

 be tied up by that kind of a report. I want a 

 chance to express myself. 



Mr. Diggins — It appears to me this is an op- 

 portune time. There is a (juestiou before the 

 house. 



I^resident Russe — The motion was to adopt 

 the report, and Mr. Palmer's remarks were ia 

 favor of adoption. The motion to adopt the 

 report of the committee is before the house. 



Mr. Scatcherd — Up to the present time there 

 has lieen no succinct expression of criticism re- 

 lating to the Buffalo agreement. There is the 

 idea that we should suspend but no specific 

 reason why. If you adopt that there is nothing 

 to show what will follow. It may be chaos for 

 the next year. Let us have the reason why. 



President Russe — It this report is adopted, 

 my ruling is the Buffalo resolution is suspended. 

 I do not see why we cannot thresh the question 

 out right now. 



Mr. Scatcherd — Because there is no I'eason 

 at the present time why (lie Buffalo resolution 

 should be suspended, except the report of the 

 committee endorsing the report you made. In 

 your address you give no specific reason why 

 the resolution should be suspended. Before we 

 suspend that agreement we should have a reason 

 and a good reason for breaking faith with a 

 three-year contract. Before we do it we should 

 have some reason. I may he in accord with It 

 when I hear the reason. 



I >r. Sclienk — It seems to me as the Buffalo 

 resolution was made Un a piu-pose, that purpose 

 having been accomplished, we can suspend it. 

 The purpose was to give stability. If in eight- 

 een months we have secured that stability what 



JOUN P. HANNA, CINCINNATI. 



is the use of carrying along the foundation for 

 three years without putting on the top? That 

 seems to me the first purpose of the Buffalo 

 resolution — stability. The second purpose was 

 to increase our membership. Our membership 

 has increased wonderfully since that time, and 

 the second purpose has been obtained. Another 

 specific reason why we should suspend the Buf- 



