34 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Annual Indiana HardWood Lumbermen's Association 



The elt'veiitli auiuial fonveiitiua of tlie Iii- 

 diaua Hardwood Lumbermen's Association 

 assembled in tlie Denison liotel, Indianapolis, 

 Thursday, January LS, at 2 o 'clock p. m. 

 The meeting was called to order 'ny the 

 president of the association, John M. Priteh 

 ard. It was the best and largest attended 

 ujeeting ever held by the association. 



The President : Gentlemen — It is now my 

 privilege to call this convention to order. 



I liave never thouglit that it was proper for 

 a person to apologize wlien lie had a dut.v lo 

 perform, but the circumstances are such toda.v 

 that I am sure that you will agree with me 

 that apologies are not altogether In bad taste. 

 In the first place, inasmuch as I was compelled 

 to leave the state shortly after being elected to 

 office, it seems an imposition that I should be 

 allowed to return and have the honor to pre- 

 side at this meeting. In the second place, my 

 worthy predecessors have had the ability to 

 give you, in addition to a very good report which 

 was due the membership, some very good poetry, 

 which I am utterly unable to do. 



Now we are glad today that we have such a 

 large attendance of our own members, and we 

 are especially pleased that we have so many of 

 our friends, to whom we extend the full privi 



J. M. rRITCnAKD, MEMPinS, TEXN., RE- 

 TIRING PRESIDEXT AND DIRECTOR. 



leges of this convention. We hope that you will 

 feel perfectly free to take part in the proceed- 

 ing's and make yourselves at home. 



Mr. Piitchard then gave his annual ad 

 dress as follows: 



President Pritchard's Address 



Gentlemen and friends of the Indiana Hard- 

 wood Lumbermen's Association : I congratulate 

 yon upon this, the eleventh birthday of this 

 association. Yonr achievements since the organi- 

 zation are such th.it all of you may. and should, 

 feel justly proud. A brief review of onr history 

 will show that onr membership has increased 

 from nine to 140, that we have at all times 

 expressed a position of fairness on all ques- 

 tions, as they arose, which directly affected the 

 hardwood luinber business, and that our views, 

 when once decided upon, have been earnestly 

 but courteously urged and that almost without 

 exception we have gained our points. 



I further congratulate you that the new year 

 which has recently begun undoubtedly marks 

 the end of what will probably be known in his- 

 tory as the money panic of 1007. We have had 

 more than two years to study the causes of 

 this panic, and have all experienced the results, 

 but. while the conditions which have prevailed 

 during the past two years have been especially 

 hard upon the lumber business. I am proud to 

 state that, so far as my knowledge goes, there 

 lias not been a single member of this association 

 but has paid one hundred cents on the dollar 



and "lias lonie up smiling." 



A notable thing about this panic has been 

 the optimistic view of business men at all times. 

 At first It was generally said that it was only a 

 "Wall Street flurry," and would not last lo 

 exceed three mouttis ; but at periods of about 

 three months ever since it has been predicted 

 that the next three months would see the end. 

 While these predictions, made from time to time, 

 did not prove to be wholly correct, they at 

 least proved that it pays to continue to look 

 upon the bright side of things, and undoubtedly 

 tended to shorten the period of depression. Wo- 

 need not dwell upon the conditions that have 

 prevailed for the past two years, but we may 

 profitably use the lessons we have learned, and 

 surely we now find all conditions favorable for 

 a period of general prosperity. I predict that 

 the year 1910 will be a profitable and satisfac- 

 tory one for lumbermen. 



A point of great interest to lumbermen at the 

 present time is the conservation of our natural 

 resources, and there is not a day but that we 

 read in the daily press something concerning this 

 subject. The public is aroused and is demand- 

 ing that our legislators pass proper laws and 

 make the necessary appropriations to conserve 

 our great natural resources for posterity as 

 well as for our own wealth, health and happi- 

 ness. 



Among the chief natural resources are onr 

 forests, which we, as lumbermen, are rapidly 

 denuding, but on the other hand, as citizens, we 

 are intensely interested in seeing that proper 

 stops be taken by states and nation to preserve 

 the forests, and to reforest along practical lines. 

 AA'e might be asked to reconcile these statements, 

 and in reply may say that we live in an age 

 of civilization which demands homes and fur- 

 niture, ami that the lumbermen are legitimately 

 and oroperly supplying this demand by convert- 

 ing the forests into lumber. Mr. S. Bnrkholder, 

 who represents our association on the State 

 Board of Forestry, w-ill later give you a report 

 of what has been accomplished in forestry in 

 our state during the past 5'ear. 



Next to forestry in interest to lumbermen is 

 the development of our waterways, and we urge 

 every member of this association to give care- 

 ful consideration to all projects for Improvement 

 of waterway transportation of freight and ex- 

 press his views to his congressman. Waterway 

 transportation of freight offers a practical way 

 of keeping the rates on rail transportation at a 

 reasonable basis, lience. it Is a vital question to 

 lumbermen, and we should urge that our state' 

 and government proceed with all reasonable dis- 

 patch to improve onr waterways along practical 

 lines. 



At a former meeting of this association a res- 

 olution was passed unanimously endorsing a bill 

 known as the Hepburn Bill, pending in Con- 

 gress, being an act to strengthen the powers of 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission, which 

 measure, after being amended somewhat, was 

 finally passed. Although the railway corpora- 

 tions vigorously opposed the passage of this 

 measure, its operation has proven to be of as 

 much, if not more, benefit to the railroads than 

 to the shippers, for doing away with rebates 

 and free passes has been a source of much reve- 

 nue to the railroads. During the present ses- 

 sion of Congress efforts will be made to pass a 

 bill to further strengthen the powers of the 

 Interstate Commerce Commission. This bill, if 

 passed, will be a great improvement to the in- 

 terests of shippers. Our transportation com- 

 mittee will probably call your attention to the 

 particulars of this bill, and I urge your careful 

 consideration of the same. 



A question of continued interest to lumber- 

 men is that of uniform inspection. The prod- 

 ucts of our forests are being drawn upon from 

 almost every country on the globe, and the 

 requirements of our home markets are enormous 

 and are Increasing, despite the introduction of 

 substitutes for wood in all kinds of construction 

 work, manufacture of farm machinery, automo- 

 biles, furniture, etc. Several years ago lumber- 

 men saw the desirability of the single standard 

 of inspection for all markets, and by organiza- 

 tion established a set of inspection rules to be 

 uniformly applied in grading our lumber, and 

 upon which should be founded a fair and im- 

 p.irtial system of adjusting complaints. You are 

 ail famliiar with tlie progress which has been 

 made and know of the diflicultles encountered 

 In harmonizing the views of all interests in the 

 trade. That great progress has been made to- 

 ward uniformity, and the old chaotic conditions 

 niucli Improved, cannot be denied. 



The National Hardwood Lumber Association 

 was first in the field with inspection rules, but 

 at periods of revision all views could not he 

 satisfied, and subsequently the Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association of the United States was 

 formed and adopted a set of inspection rules. 

 Later the United States Hardwood Insoection 

 Rules were adopted in New York, as neither the 



National rules nor the Manufacturers" rules 

 were strict enough to suit some of the lumber- 

 men In the New York district. 1 do not ques- 

 tion the Integrity m- the right of the organiza- 

 tions other than the National assocletlon to 

 adopt inspection rules, and I believe that gener- 

 ally the differences of opinion have been dealt 

 with as honest differences. There has been 

 much discussion on the rules problem, and today 

 the demand for uniformity Is greater than ever. 

 This problem must eventually be solved by lum- 

 bermen, and, in my opinion, will be solved by 

 them, but time and patience are required. 



While the rules may not suit all of us in ail 

 particnlai-s, I do not believe that there is any 

 great demand for a revision at this time, unless 

 it should be for the purpose of establishing a 

 single set of rules. Our association lias had a 

 prominent part in rule making, and has always 

 stood for harmony and uniformity. We have 

 members in both the National and Manufactnr- 

 I'rs' Associations, and we should cmtinue to 

 exert our influence for harmony and for one set 

 of inspection rules. 



The Lumbermen's Club of Memphis has filed a 

 complaint with the Western Classification Com- 

 mittee, with relation to existing rates on arti- 

 cles shipped in straw and fibre board boxes, 

 versus like articles shipped In wooden boxes. 

 Toda.v the Memphis lumbermen and others are 

 meeting with the Western Classiflcation Commit- 

 tee at San .\ntonit). Texas. A proper classi- 

 fication of rates on articles shipped In wooden 

 boxes means a market for much low-grade lum- 

 ber which Is now allowed to go to waste. Hence, 

 this is an imp'o-tant matter for lumbermen, and 



E. A. .SWAIN, SHKLBVVILLE, PRESIDENT. 



I recommend that this association endorse this 

 movement of the Memphis Lumbermen's Club. 



Conditions have changed wonderfully in the' 

 past twenty years. It has been a period of for- 

 mation of all classes of men into organizations. 

 Lumbermen's organizations have proven of much 

 benefit to the members, for by organization all 

 may receive the benefit of the best thought of 

 the best men. Views may be crystallized, and 

 when expressed have the power of numbers back 

 of them. It has proven so in our organization, 

 and. above all that has just been said, the 

 greatest thing to us is the social feature. The 

 value of our acquaintances and friendships thus 

 formed is inestimable, and no matter what the 

 status of the rules problem, or the transportation 

 problem, or any other problem may lie, I am 

 sure this association will never make tlie mis- 

 fake of taking itself too seriously, and that 

 Indiana lumbermen will continue to make socia- 

 bility a special feature of their annual meetings. 



1 want to thank our efficient secretary, each 

 member of the board and each member of the 

 association for his loyalty to me as an officer, 

 and I bespeak for ni.v successor the same kind- 

 nesses .vou have always shown me. M.v regret 

 at leaving my native state is lessened' by the 

 fact that I know that you will ahvays have these 

 delightful annual gatherings, which will afford 

 me and scores of others an opportunity to jour- 

 ney to our old home once a year to see you. 

 To me this association is like a big family, 

 and I am proud that I have the honor to be a 



