40 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



falo losolution and changing inspection rules. 

 Franii W. Vetter, on behalf of the Hardwood 

 Lunil)er Exchange of Buffalo, presented the fol- 

 lowing: : 



Bltfalo, X. Y.. May IS. 1907. 

 At a regular meeting of the Hardwood Lum- 

 lier K.\(luingi' of P.uCEalo. N. Y.. Saturday, May 

 IS, imiT. tlie following preamble and resolution 

 was aduptt'd ; 



WILLIAM E. LITCHFIELD, BOSTON. 



"Whereas. There has been some discussion 

 in the lumber press aud otherwise that the Buf- 

 falo resolution not to change the grading rules 

 of the National Hardwood Lumber Association 

 for three years from December 1, 1905, be modi- 

 lied or rescinded : 



"Therefore, be it resolved,* that it is the sense 

 of the members of the Hardw^ood Lumber Ex- 

 change of Buffalo that .said resolution be not 

 rescinded or modified in any way. but shall 

 stand as adopted at the Buffalo meeting. May 

 18 and l',i, 100.5." 



G. Elias, President. 



FeaiNk A. Bever, Secretary. 



Mr. Trainer — We had recently an attendance 

 of seventy-five per cent of the members of the 

 Chicago Hardwood Lumber Exchange, which I 

 have the honor to represent as president, and 

 there was a unanimous expression of opinion 

 that it would be .justifiable that the resolution 

 be rescinded and we were all in favor of the 

 endorsement of the work of Mr. Fathauer and 

 the inspection rules committee ; that it would 

 be acceptable to the hardwood lumbermen, the 

 manufacturers, wholesalers or consumers. 



Mr. Liehke — The general in the field has his 

 plans laid — Grant or any of them — and if con- 

 ditions come along which warrant it the plans 

 are changed. Conditions have changed with us, 

 and, therefore. I think we ought to change our 

 rules. I think the rules the committee made 

 are liberal indeed. 



Mr. Litchfield — It is evident that there are 

 two different factions in this association. One 

 made up of the manufacturer and the other 

 of those who buy lumber. It is acknowledged 

 on the floor by members that they buy lum- 

 ber on one inspection and sell it on another. 

 [Laughter.] And whenever it is possible they 

 sell it on lower grade. The reason for having 

 changes made is this : When it is possible to 

 adopt rules lor all members to abide by, then 

 we will have rules understandingly. I believe 

 that we should have an inspection that the mem- 

 bers will abide by. It is evident the buyers 

 of lumber want the most liberal inspection. 

 They are honest in their opinion that this reso- 

 lution should stand. It is not right that one 

 pait of the industry should manufacture lum- 

 ber and sell it under certain inspection, and 

 another part be obliged to sell lumber under 

 some other inspection. The time has come when 



we should get together and makes rules of in- 

 spection that we will live under. I believe if 

 we change these rules it will help our associa- 

 tion to stand together. But it one side insists 

 on certain inspection, where do we stand? I 

 think it is possible that we may lose some of 

 our membership. Let us get together on some 

 certain plan which will be satisfactory to all. 



Mr. Scatcherd — I want to ask the gentleman 

 how long he thinks any inspection rules will 

 hold and be universal. We started at Buffalo 

 to make it for three years. I want some state- 

 ment, judging from the three-year agreement, as 

 to how long an agreement adopted today will 

 he binding. 



Mr. Clark — I was one of the members of the 

 committee when we passed the resolution at Buf- 

 falo, and I want to say 1 listened attentively 

 to the report of our chairman this morning, 

 where he advised this association that we never 

 had time previous to this meeting to go into 

 the rules of inspection and discuss them fully. 

 He also stated that he advised with every mem- 

 ber of this association w'hether they would sug- 

 gest making a change and suspend the Buffalo 

 resolution. I want to say the majority were in 

 favor of a change. I want to say further that 

 we took into consideration every letter written, 

 and we endeavored to be broad and bring- in an 

 acceptable set of rules for all sections of this 



E. V. BABCOCK, PITTSBURG. 



country. We worked hard for five days. We 

 have done our best and we have worked hard. 

 We have undertaken to satisfy you. If wc 

 haven't done it, it is not our fault. We believe 

 they are nearer to being satisfactory to all 

 inspectors than any rules ever written. In these 

 local associations it is harder to agree on in- 

 spection than anything else that comes before 

 them. I represent the Northwest. These rules 

 may not suit them, but we are willing to com- 

 promise and fix a set of rules, giving way a lit- 

 tle and accepting these rules. We think they 

 are the proper rules. 



Mr. Scatcherd — Has this committee reported 

 as to how long these rules will apply? 



Mr. Clark — As long as the customers of the 

 country will accept them. 



Mr. Scatcherd — Have the criticisms of the 

 rules now existing come from the consumer and 

 buyer or the producer ? 



All sides. 



Mr. Scatcherd — Illustrate one side. Has any 

 committee you have raet asked for a change of 

 the rules, that is, the buyers? I don't care for 

 the man who sells lumber because he will take 

 my price. I want to ask, can you give me an 

 illustration of anybody asking for a change of 

 ihese rules. Are we going to dwarf this asso- 



ciation and make it bow down to an institution 

 whose birth is after ours and whose rules are 

 after ours ? They never had an association of 

 manufacturers until after this association was 

 established and they never had rules until we 

 made our rules. There is not a sensible reason 

 for changing from the Buffalo agreement. 



Mr. Stimson — It seems to me there has been 

 some comment here about what was accom- 

 plished recently in New York. Mr. W'hite stated 

 that they hadn't accepted our rules of inspec- 

 tion. They had agreed to accept these rules 

 of inspection if we would make certain amend- 

 ments which they suggested. There is where we 

 stand on that proposition. They may have to 

 consider the rules again and their added changes. 

 1 do not know. I want to say that the 

 strength of our position today depends upon 

 the honor, integrity, courage and tact of the 

 officers and the strength of the rank and file of 

 its membership. If this association is appre- 

 ciated, you must know something of the efforts 

 in time and money that its officers have been 

 giving in the last two years. This present com- 

 mittee on inspection rules drafted the rules 

 that gave us recognition. The.v suggested the 

 changes. We have followed down the line since. 

 You know there is no more conservative man 

 in the membership of this body than the chair- 

 man of this inspection committee. [Applause.] 

 You know there is no man in this association 

 who has opposed any changes in the rules more 

 strongly than has he. He has been perfectly 

 consistent, but he was led to the conclusion that 

 something must be done here at this time or 

 there was danger of disintegration, and there is 

 strength in numbers. I acknowledge the rules 

 of inspection and a systematic application is all 

 we have got, and this body must elect to do 

 with these rules as they see fit in their con- 

 servative judgment. They must draft rules as 

 nearly consistent as they can, not to cause a 

 disgrunted element here and there, but on broad- 

 gauged lines. This is an assembly of business 

 men. They are to consider this from the stand- 

 point of common sense. They elect to do the 

 things they see fit, and which in their best 

 judgment are for the host interest of the asso- 



VAN E. I^lCltKINE. FORT WAYNE. IXD. 



elation. Tiie chairman aud some of this com- 

 mittee have spent half their time during the 

 last six weeks gathering together this informa- 

 tiou. They have been earnest and consistent. 

 They have gone over this matter and drafted a 

 set of rules. They are conservative. There are 

 no radical changes in what is proposed here to- 

 day. We have elected to rescind the old reso- 

 lution. That has been your judgment? The 



