HARDWOOD RECORD 



n 



Annual Grand Rapids Association 



The seventh annual meeting and banquet 

 of the Grand Rapids Lumbermen's Associa- 

 tion was held Wednesday evening, June 1, 

 at the Pantlind hotel. From clams to coflfee 

 and on through a program of enjoyable toasts 

 to "America," the parting song, it was a 

 conspicuous success. The entertainment com- 

 mittee, composed of H. J. Dudley, L. L. 

 Skillman and Charles Dregge, covered them- 

 selves with glory. 



Following the dinner came the business ses- 

 sion. Presideht Fred I. Nichols, whose ef- 

 forts in the club's behalf have been so suc- 

 cessful during the past year, read an exaugu- 

 ral which was in part as follows: 



President's Address 



One of tile chief objects of our organization 

 is to create auil maintain among its members 

 that friendly feeling and cooperation that should 

 exist between all persons engaged in similar lines 

 of trade. We all are apt to harbor wrong im- 

 pressions about our competitors by keeping far 

 apart from them, but by friendly association we 

 are enabled to iron out all these mistaken ideas 

 and know them as they are. None of us is so 

 wise that he can not loaru something from his 

 competitors, and an interchange of ideas helps 

 us as a body, and loses us nothing as individuals, 

 for we receive more information than we give. 

 I think this gathering this evening is good proof 

 of our success in this respect. 



We are today living in an age of organization. 

 All branches of business and trades have their 

 associations, organize to promote and protect 

 their best interests, and as the varied industries 

 are dependent more or less on one another, it be- 

 hooves each to become well organized that he 

 better may fight his battles and maintain his 

 relative position with other branches of industry. 



The lumbermen are hardly up to the times in 

 organization. The lumber industry is second 

 only in volume of freight tonnage in the United 

 States, but I doubt it the industry receives from 

 the railroads the consideration that this volume 

 of business entitles it to. Several of our most 

 active lumber associations have been trying for 

 several years to get the railroad companies to 

 furnish or pay for all car stakes, racks and 

 binders made necessary for the safe transporta- 

 tion of lumber and forest products, but so far 

 have been unsuccessful, and I think it is due 

 largely to lack of organization. The coal, stock, 

 horse and poultry shippers are all furnished by 

 the carriers wdth especially equipped cars. The 

 coal cars are even equipped to unload automatic- 

 ally in a tew minutes' time, yet the demurrage 

 rules apply to lumber and coal alike. These and 

 other inequalities might be corrected by well 

 directed efl'ort. Therefore we find it necessary 

 that local organizations should not only be more 

 active but also affiliate with state and national 

 organizations so that when a grievance arises it 

 can be properly and forcibly presented and 

 speedily corrected. 



Thoughts and ideas amount to little unless 

 crystallized into some definite accomplishment. 

 It is easy to theorize and make plans at our 

 meetings, ' but unless we are willing to carry 

 them out by actual work, it is time lost. To the 

 committees is assigned most of the hard work 

 of this association, and I am gratified to say 

 that they have been faithful to their trusts and 

 have accomplished by hard and conscientious 

 work many things which can not help proving 

 of value to our association, not only to its mem- 

 bers but to the community. 



Our inspection rules committee has brought 

 to our notice several wrong interpretations of 

 the rules by incompetent or careless inspectors. 

 This committee has also pointed out to us de- 

 fects winch now exist in our present rules under 

 which we are working, and has referred them 

 to the inspection rules committee of the Na- 

 tional Hardwood Lumber Association, with the 

 request to have them changed, which, if accom- 

 plished, will work to the best interests of both 

 producers and consumers of hardwood lumber, 

 and it is sincerely hoped that their request will 

 be granted. 



Our transportation committee has been suc- 

 cessful, first, in securing from the Pere Mar- 

 quette Railway Company a revision of Its west- 

 ern Michigan stopoff tariff, which has worked to 

 the mutual benefit of the railroad, our members 

 and lumber shippers generally in this locality. 

 Second, for their material assistance in secur- 

 ing the injunction to prevent the Michigan rail- 

 roads from putting into effect, May 1, the very 



drastic uniform demurrage rules which the In- 

 terstate Commerce Commission is trying to force 

 upon the public, and 1 trust that the Michigan 

 shippers will give our state railway commission 

 the active support it deserves, so that it will 

 result in making the injunction permanent. 

 Third, in securing for our association the services 

 of B. L. Ewing as traffic manager. With his 

 wide knowledge and experience in this line, our 

 association has the distinction of having and 

 maintaining one of the best traffic departments of 

 any similar organization in the country. 



Our municipal affairs committee has for its 

 aim "A Better Grand Itapids," and the effective 

 work done proves that the object of our asso- 

 ciation is not entirely selfish. This committee 

 investigates the qualifications of the various can- 

 didates seeking city offices and reports to our 

 members who in its judgment are the ones best 

 qualitied. 1 regret to say that some of the tim- 

 ber they have had to choose from has been very 

 defective, and in some cases certain candidates 

 have been rejected as scoots, which goes to show 

 that we as a city are allowing some timber to be 

 logged and brought into our municipal mill which 

 is not worth considering. 



In conclusion permit me to refer to one of the 

 things I would like to see our association accom- 

 plish this year. This is to start a movement 

 for the coalition of all lumber orgauizations 

 through the United States, to be divided into 

 local, state and national branches, but so affil- 

 iated that in questions of importance sufficient 

 influence and pressure can be brought to bear 

 quickly on any proposition at hand, so as to 

 secure the best results for the industry we are 

 eugaged in. 



Secretary's Annual Report 



Eetiring Secretary Charles Dregge pre- 

 sented his report in brief as follows : 



In reviewing the events of the last year, the 

 thought that stands out most prominently is the 

 greatly increased interest the members are tak- 

 ing in the association work. 



Tile membership enrollment and average at- 

 tendance at the monthly meetings present strik- 

 ing proofs of this fact ; the membership from 

 January 1, lyuO, has increased 1!S per cent, while 

 the average attendance at the monthly meeting 

 has been a little better than two-thirds of the 

 enrolled members and their representatives. 



It is unnecessary for me to summarize the work 

 accomplished, as this has already been covered 

 by our president's report, but I cau not pass by 

 the opportunity to impress upon the association 

 the possibilities of broadening our commercial 

 horizon, and with this under way our ideals in 

 other walks of life necessarily will seek a higher 

 plane. 



The personnel of our membership stands for 

 large abilities, and it is therefore not surprising 

 that we have realized that competition does not 

 mean piracy in business and that the association 

 represents a common ground for our mutual ad- 

 vancement; but the work has only begun. Our 

 meetings are held only once a month, and this 

 is not often enough. If the experience in my 

 office entitles me to make a recommendation it 

 would be that in some way the new administra- 

 tion arrange a more frequent getting together 

 with less formality. 



Grand Rapids lumbermen occupy an enviable 

 position in the commercial world, but "still 

 higher" should be our slogan. 



We come next to the question of our duty 

 toward civic questions, and if you wish to carry 

 the thought further, toward the higher ideals of 

 life that occupy the attention of all thinking 

 men. 



It is the privilege and duty of all men or asso- 

 ciations of men to study our civic and social 

 problems. It is safe to assume that if every 

 organization in this city had given the thought 

 and energy to conditions that have been shown 

 to the lumbermen through the activities of our 

 municipal affairs committee, there would be a 

 more widespread knowledge of present needs, and 

 with the knowledge at hand the remedy would 

 quickly follow. 



Let us place our ideals continuously higher, so 

 that the results may not only content ourselves, 

 but assure to all with whom we come in contact 

 a broad and lasting benefit which will increase 

 our dignity and usefulness. 



The Finances 



The report of the retiring treasurer, I. 



Preston Rice, showed receipts during the year 



of $1,571.69 and disbursements of $1,182.06, 



leaving a balance on hand May 31 of $389.63, 



indicating that the association is in a most 



satisfactory financial condition. 



L. L. Skillman of the Railroad and Trans- 

 portation Committee reported success in get- 

 ting the Pere Marquette to put into effect 

 a very satisfactory resorting and reconsign- 

 ing lumber tariff. A promise has been re- 

 ceived from the Grand Rapids & Indiana rail- 

 way to issue as soon as possible a new tariff 

 to take the place of its G. F. D. No. 430. The 

 report closed with suggestions as to the new 

 committee's work. 



Charles Drcggc of the Membership Com- 

 mittee reported that when the committee took 

 charge the association had an enrollment of 

 25 firms and about 20 possibilities for new 

 members. Of the 20 possibilities 10 had been 

 secured. There have been three resignations, 

 which leaves a net membership of 32, the 

 largest in the history of the association. 



Carroll F. Sweet of the Committee on 

 Municipal Affairs stated that the members 

 of his committee had invariably given will- 

 ingly of their time and judgment and in the 

 committee's actions it has been guided solely 

 by its best opinion of the needs of the case 

 before it. It recommended that future advice, 

 reports and the work of the committee be con- 

 sidered confidential by the membership, un- 

 less the case demands publicity. 



Under the new system two sets of otEcers 

 were placed on the ballots by the nominating 

 committee. The result of the election was 

 as follows: 



President — H. J. Dudley, Dudley Lumber 

 Company. 



First Vice-president — H. P. Grover, Dregge- 

 Grover Lumber Company. 



Second Vice-president — Charles F. Perkins, 

 Perkins Lumber Company. 



Secretary — H. L. Foote, Nichols & Cox 

 Lumber Company. 



Treasurer — George B. Daniels, Winchester 

 & Daniels. 



The new officers were in turn called upon 

 for remarks and made happy responses. Mr. 

 Nichols then turned the meeting over to Car- 

 roll F. Sweet as toastmaster, whose witty in- 

 troductions and clever stories kept the ban- 

 queters constantly amused. 



The subject ' ' Our Ladies ' ' brought out a 

 most entertaining response by Otis A. Felger 

 of the Hackley-Phelps-Bonnell Company. He 

 told many clever stories and proved himself 

 well able to handle his inspiring subject cred- 

 itably. 



Eloquent responses by H. P. Grover on 

 ■ ' Sentiment in Business, ' ' and by Rev. F. E. 

 Godolphin on "Benefits of Organization" 

 followed. F. A. Diggins of Cadillac, who was 

 on the program, was unable to be present, 

 and in his place Douglas Malloch of the 

 .American Lumberman gave an interesting 

 talk. 



The toastmaster read letters of regret from 

 President Agler of the National Hardwood 

 Lumber Association, and Secretary Holmes 

 of the Michigan Retail Lumber Dealers' 

 Association, who were unable to be present. 

 The following Grand Rapids concerns were 

 represented at the banquet: 



