HARDWOOD RECORD 



29 



J. Lewis Thompson. Houston, Tex. 



O. W. Fisher, Birch Tree, Mo. 



F. Weyerhaeuser, St. Paul, Minn. 



George W. Dulane.v, Hannibal, SIo. 



Central Coal & Coke Company, Kansas City, 

 Mo. 



Yawkey-Bissell Lumber Company, Arbor Vitae, 

 Wis. 



Louisiana & Texas Lumber Company. 



Allow me to suggest that those who have an 

 annual certificate might appropriately increase 

 their contribution and so be relieved from fur- 

 ther requests by a life membership. 



Death of James Elliott Defebaugh 



At this meeting also resolutions in memory 

 of the death of James E. Defebaugh, who had 

 acted as chairman of the committee of this asso- 

 ciation in charge of the tariff campaign at 

 Washington, were adopted. Mr. Defebaugh de- 

 voted the last sis months of his life almost 

 exclusively to the most arduous worli in behalf 

 of the cause, in which he most sincerely be- 

 lieved, and which lumber producers of the United 

 States felt to be of vital importance to them. 

 He was not able to be at Washington during the 

 closing two weeks of the campaign, but his work 

 there had been done, and he had the satisfaction 

 of knowing that it had had so large a measure 

 of success. 



I had the sad privilege of presenting his widow 

 a few weeks ago an engrossed copy of these reso- 

 lutions, personally signed by every officer and 

 member of the board of governors of the Na- 

 tional Lumber Manufacturers' Association. 



Cau Stake Work 



Under my instructions the manager of the 

 association cooperated with the car stake com- 

 mittee of the National association, and appeared 

 before the committee on interstate and foreign 

 commerce at the House of Representatives ,Tan- 

 liary 26 and 27. 



New Association 

 Under my advice also the manager visited the 

 annual meetings of the Michigan Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' Association and the Northern 

 Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Associa- 

 tion, and secured the membership of these two 

 associations. 



Yale Forest School Endowment 

 One of the matters which has given me con- 

 cern has been the endowment of the chair in the 

 forest school of Yale University. To complete 

 the $100,000 for the endowment of the chair of 

 applied foi-estry and practical lumbering, about 

 $35,000 being needed for that purpose, and to be 

 able to avail ourselves of the offer of Mr. Fred- 

 erick Weyerhaeuser to contribute $10,000 if the 

 remaining .$2.5,000 is raised by June 1, the dif- 

 ferent sections of the country were requested to 

 contribute specific amounts. I personally signed 

 GOO letters to individuals requesting contribu- 

 tions to this end. There has not been time for 

 the results of this solicitation I0 appear, but 

 the Southern Lumber Manufacturers' Association 

 has nearly or quite raised the $10,000 appor- 

 tioned to southern pine interests. The details of 

 this matter will be given in the report of the 

 committee in charge, Mr. F. E. Weyerhaeuser, 

 chairman. 



As reports of the appropriate officers will 

 show, the finances of the association are in good 

 shape. It has now thirteen members instead of 

 twelve, and expects that before the year closes 

 three more members will be added, viz., the 

 Redwood Manufacturers' Association, the Spruce 

 Manufacturers' Association and the Empire 

 State I'^orest Products Association. 



One of the ambitions of your management is 

 to organize the now open territory of New Eng- 

 land. There is no lumber manufacturers' asso- 

 ciation in those states, and therefore there is a 

 weak point in the rim of the wheel. All unor- 

 ganized territory should be organized as soon as 



possible, in order that on national questions we 

 may have the complete strength of the industry. 



TiiF, LuMHER Tariff 



A review of the work now before the associa- 

 tion, and whicli may be appropriately carried on 

 by it, is, I think, in order. During the last two 

 years the lumbermen of the United States have 

 learned a severe lesson. During the tariff cam- 

 paign our particular commodity was singled out 

 to be offered as a sacrifice, a sort of political 

 scapegoat. For years lumber manufacturers were 

 so absorbed in their own affairs, and so uncon- 

 scious of anything wrong in their methods that 

 they liad failed to note the rising storm of public 

 sentiment. Lumber prices had gone up and some 

 lumbermen seemed to have made money. There- 

 fore it was assumed that a lumber trust was 

 controlling the lumber business at the expense 

 of the people. This storm of public sentiment 

 had been conjured up out of a clear sky by the 

 political demagogs of both parties. Yet no doubt 

 there were many who were perfectly sincere in 

 their belief, for there is no subject so little 

 understood by the average layman, and so mis- 

 understood by many, as the lumber business. 



The experience gained during the tariff cam- 

 paign brought about some good in teaching us 

 a lesson and resulted in a determination to 

 organize active, intelligent ^^'ork. through a 

 department especially equipped to carry forward 

 publicity, which should educate the people along 

 practical lines and place the lumber industry in 

 its proper light bef^i'e' them. Considering the 

 short period of time this department has been 

 In existence — only about three months — I feel 

 we are to be complimented on the results so tar 

 accomplished, and which should encourage the 

 association in continuing the work along the 

 broadest lines. 



THE Manager's Office 



The board of governors know how active this 

 department has been. I believe all the members 

 are more or less familiar with some of the 

 results through the publication in the press of 

 the country of able and interesting articles writ- 

 ten not for the lumbermen but for the people. 

 Mr. Bronson now has plans laid for the enlarge- 

 ment of this work. It is a matter that requires 

 much skill and some patience in its successful 

 handling. You would be surprised if you could 

 know the obstacles thrown in our way, the chief 

 obstacle being the pride of the newspapers in 

 their position, and their fear of what might be 

 called the average reader. For these reasons 

 many papers at first refuse to print even the 

 plainest statements of authenticated facts that 

 are in support of the lumbermen's cause. I 

 believe, however, that, after all, the people want 

 to know the truth, and that in the long run they 

 will listen to a clear and simple presentation of 

 facts and arguments. The success already se- 

 cured points to a complete success as the work 

 is prosecuted. 



The manager's office, furthermore, under the 

 board of governors, is becoming organized to 

 take up various phases of work. Plans are being 

 laid for the thorough investigation of various 

 subjects of national importance. Statistics are 

 being gathered, and such information being fur- 

 nished to the board of governors and to the 

 special committees as will enable them to form 

 correct judgments as to the plans they have laid 

 out for the good of the lumber industry. The 

 members of the board of governors have been 

 flooded with matter from the manager's office, 

 and the members of the affiliated associations 

 have some idea of its activities. During the 

 short period of its existence it has furnished the 

 members of the affiliated associations with infor- 

 mation regarding the national income tax, and 

 the methods by which it might be handled by 

 the individual and by the large corporations. It 

 has cooperated actively in the handling of the 

 car stake matter, and it is hoped that before 

 the new interstate commerce law is enacted 



there will be inserted in it (largely as the result 

 of our efforts) a provision which will require 

 the carriers to furnish or pay for the stakes 

 necessary to complete an open car for the car- 

 riage of lumber. The manager's office has, aa 

 .\ou know, lesponded to a multitude of inquiries, 

 and has given special information on any num- 

 lier of subjects. 



Timber Land Taxation 

 A matter which has been under national in- 

 vestigation for some time past and whicli has 

 been attracting growing public attention, is the 

 subject of timberland taxation, which must be 

 considered with the national conservation move- 

 ment. A just conclusion as to this subject has 

 always been hampered by the fact that exact 

 information was not available. We have infor- 

 mation in spots. We know some things and 

 guess at others, but all students of the subject, 

 even Professor Fairchild. who is to address you, 

 will concede, I think, that we are sadly lacking 

 in knowledge of the conditions. 



A national movement is on foot for unifying 

 the state laws on many subjects. One of these 

 is taxation, and in connection with this the uni- 

 fying of the state laws relating to the taxation 

 of timber lands is proposed. It has been urged 

 upon this association to take decided ground and 

 actively use its influence to secure the adoption 

 cf laws by the different timber states exempting 

 growing timber from taxation auu letting tne 

 tax follow the saw. This is upheld not only by 

 many lumbermen but by foresters and political 

 economists ; yet there are many features of this 

 matter to be taken into account before the associ- 

 ation acts. 



'Therefore, the lumber industry will be asked 

 by this association to give, in confidence, the 

 facts which are necessary for a sound conclusion 

 upon which perfected action may be based. Lum- 

 ber manufacturers are, like other men, in busi- 

 ness for profit. They are anxious to do what 

 they can for conservation and for the welfare 

 of the country, and to cooperate with movements 

 that are intelligent and practical ; so, it you 

 receive within a few days or weeks, as you prob- 

 ably will, a request from the manager of this 

 association for information bearing upon some of 

 the most intimate details of your business, 

 please do not withold that information, for I 

 assure you, and the board of governors assures 

 you, that you will be entirely safe in giving It 

 to him. 



Forest Fire Prevention 

 Timber owners and operators must guard 

 against the tendency in some of the states, and 

 which will grow if encouraged, to throw upon 

 them the whole burden of protection against 

 fire. It is just that they should bear some por- 

 tion of this expense and because of their personal 

 interest can be expected to give it special at- 

 tention ; but damage by fire to commercial timber 

 lands themselves is not only to the present stand 

 but to the small and growing timber, witli 

 which the present owner is not much concerned, 

 but which is of importance to posterity. Fur- 

 thermore, forest fire endangers not merely the 

 property of the timber owner but the property 

 of other individuals and interests. For these 

 reasons the states should coiiperate with timber 

 owners in the prevention of forest fires. Timber 

 owners should also see to it that laws which 

 are enacted not only properly divide the expense 

 but that where they make restrictions upon 

 cutting the regulation should be reasonable. Since 

 this subject has become national in scope ana It 

 is attempted to cover its main features by uni- 

 form state laws the National association is the 

 proper body to handle the matter. The subject 

 of fire protection is simply a part of the broader 

 subject of forest conservation. 



Forest Conservation 

 This subject also has been taken up in such a 

 national way that the National Lumber Manufac- 

 turers' Association is the proper body to deal 



