28 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



W. E. HOSHALL. DIRECTOK. NEW ORLEANS, 

 LA. 



EARL PALMER, DIRECTOR, PADUCAH, KY. 



C. H. BAKNAbY, DIRECTOR, GREENCASTLE, 

 IND. 



the bondod certifioates has resulted in perma- 

 nent additions which bring the present list of 

 salaried inspectors to thirty-five. It is expected 

 that some criticism from our meml>ership will 

 be indulged in, as the work these inspectors 

 are culled upon to perform is diUicult and .judi- 

 cial in its nature, and to please all of the people 

 ail of the time would be impossible. There are 

 always two sides to every controversy, and one 

 or the other is likely to be disappointed by the 

 decision of our inspector. Every possible effort 

 has been put foi'th to secm-e men of a high 

 order of intelligence, who are thoroughl.v com- 

 petent, but notwithstanding the care taken to 

 insure gettins the best, we are compelled to make 

 occasional changes, and with each change comes 

 some criticism, lieyond question, wo have dis- 

 charged a few inspectors who possess a thorough 

 knowledge ol the- grading rules of this associa- 

 tion, and for reasons which, perhaps, do not sug- 

 fest themselves to the members complaining, 

 ome of the inspectors talked too much ; some 

 of them worked pet theories or ideas too hard, 

 and others have shown their lack of the quali- 

 fications desirable in men holding such positions. 



It is my belief, however, that the inspectors 

 now in the employ of this association are as 

 competent a force as can be secured. A review 

 of the Inspection Bureau correspondence indi- 

 cates. l)eyond question, that a large m.ajority of 

 inspections on which any complaints have ari.sen 

 were due to a lack of information on the part 

 of the member or members affected, regarding 

 the rules governing original and re-inspections. 

 Our correspondence proves this to be the case, 

 and for their own protection as well as in the 

 interest of the association, I desire to urge upon 

 memliers the importance of a more thorough 

 knowledge of these rules, which are printed in 

 the official handbook, and also on pages 6, 7 and 

 8 of tlie book <tf inspection rules. 



Under "Original Inspection" the present word- 

 ing is as follows : 



"When an inspecti-a by an authorized In- 

 spector of the National Hardwood Lumber Asso- 

 ciation is completed, the inspector shall deliver 

 to the member requesting the inspection, a cer- 

 tilicate in duplicate certifying to the amount and 

 grade of lumber so inspected. This certificate Is 

 final for settlement as between buyer and seller 

 in all cases where an agreement as" to the appli- 

 cation of the National inspection exists between 

 the parties." 



I desire to submit the recommendation that 

 the wording of this paragraph be changed to read 

 as follows: "The inspector shall deliver one 

 copy of his certificate to the member requesting 

 the inspection and shall at the same time mail 

 to the buyer of the lumber the duplicate copy." 



This change will insure against delay in "de- 

 livery of the certificate to the buyer, who is 

 clearly entitled to It, where an agreement exists 

 as to the application of the National rules. In 

 some instances, under the present rule, the seller 

 nas overlooked sending a copy to the buyer and 

 unnecessary and annoying delays in settlement 

 have not been infrequent. Durin.g the present 

 year applications from memliers for inspectors 

 to be sent to various southern mill points, to 

 take up lumber purchased, have increased over 

 one hundred per cent. Inasmuch as it is Im- 

 possible to anticipate the volume of inspection 

 work of this class, that the association will be 

 called upon to perform, the recommendation is 



offered that a rule be adopted calling for at least 

 ten days" notice from members having more 

 than 75.000 feet to be loaded at sawmill or ship- 

 ping points. Lots in excess of this figure neces- 

 sitate the absence of our inspector for more 

 than one week from the market in which he may 

 be located, and frequently result in complaint 

 from members in such market, who are incon- 

 venienced as a result of the inspector's absence. 

 With the notice of ten days arrangements can be 

 made for the transfer of inspectors on lines 

 that are less likely to disturb the work on single 

 cars and smaller lots in the large centers. 



Meetings of the Board of Directors and Execu- 

 tive Committee have been held during the year 

 as follows : 



Board of Directors. June 11. 1909. 

 Executive Committee, November 18, 1909. 

 Board of Directors. January 12, 1910. 

 Executive Committee, March 24, 1910. 

 Board of Directors, June 8, 1910. 



At these meetings, which have been well at- 

 tended, all suggestions from the membership 

 have been carefully considered. A few ol our 

 members engaged in the export trade have sug- 

 gested some action toward the establishment of 

 inspectors in foreign ports, thus providing facili- 

 ties for re-inspection, but the board have de- 

 cided that this move would involve expense in 

 excess of our present revenue. The figures con- 

 tained in this report show that we have been 

 able to promptly discharge all obligations dur- 

 ing the year, but that at no time has there been 

 a surplus of moment or sufiicieut funds to under- 

 take the foreign inspection proposition. It is 

 the belief of the secretary that a discussion of 

 this subject by the members interested in the 

 export trade would prove of interest at this 

 meeting. If it is possible for the association to 

 increase the protection furnished under the pres- 

 ent plan on export shipments, let us find the 

 way. 



Me.mbeeship — Since our convention held in 

 Detroit on June 10, and 11, 1909, there have 

 been 114 new members admitted, resulting in an 

 increase in our support and bringing the present 

 membership to G82. A numtjcr of applications 

 have been rejected and the standing of the mem- 

 bers admitted has been thoroughly investigated. 

 The fact that eighty per cent of the members 

 joining during this year are engaged in the 

 manufacture of lumber may be of interest, and 

 an analysis of our present membership will show 

 a majority to be engaged in the manufacture of 

 liardwood lumber. 



The recommendation of the president, sub- 

 mitted to the membership at the Detroit con- 

 vention in June, 1909, that a change be effected 

 in the by-laws, providing for an initiation fee 

 of .$2.">, to be paid by each new member in addi- 

 tion to the regular fee of $2ri for dues, which 

 was unanimously adopted, has increased the 

 revenue since becoming effective in the amount of 

 $2,275. 



The earnings of the salaried inspectors show 

 substantial gain over any previous year, and 

 the entire country, with the exception of far 

 western points and Pacific Coast territor.v, is 

 now covered by the Inspection Bureau service. 

 The figures in detail, showing quantity inspected 

 in each market, with amount earned and the 

 expense of maintenance, are as follows : 



Market. Feet inspected. Earnings. Expense. 



Chicago, III 9,641,279 $G,070..55 $5,383.53 



St. Louis, Mo 7,750,836 3.971.64 3.965.77 



Memphis. Tenn... 5,878,382 3.511.09 4.000.95 

 New Orleans. La. 5.159,407 2,915.18 2,590.59 



Boston, Mass 4,298,245 1,878.74 1,900.63 



Philadelphia. Pa.. 3.643.293 2.006.04 2.040.89 

 New York City.. 3,526,286 2,137.15 2,116.43 

 Detroit, Mich.... 3.401,946 1,855.23 1.670.63 



Buffalo, N. Y 2,916,427 1,569.43 1,476.68 



Minneapolis. Minn. 2.898,838 1,577.43 1,773.87 

 Baltimore. Md. .. . 1.979,910 1,230.06 1,255.54 

 Louisville, Ky.... 1.S72.2G3 1.169.26 1,425.22 



Pittsburg. Pa 1,449,076 925.17 1,099.98 



Cincinnati. Ohio 



(Pee) 7,051,825 352.60 



Grand Rapids, 



Mich. (Fee) 3,905,580 195.27 



Michigan Mill 



Points (Fee) .. .21,444,570 1,072.23 

 Southern Mill 



Points (Fee).. .26.962,291 1,348.11 



As indicated by these figures, the reports from 

 the salaried inspectors in the employ of the asso- 

 ciation show the total number of feet inspected, 

 53,117,178 feet, a gain of 2,000,000 over last 

 year, and adding to this 60,669,276 feet inspected 

 by fee inspectors, gives a total of 113,786,454 

 feet inspected under the bonded certificate dur- 

 ing the year, which shows a total gain of 13,498,- 

 743 feet. 



Receipts and disbursements in the general fund 

 for the year are as follows : 



Receipts. 

 Balance on hand reported 



at Detroit and received 



from George D. Burgess. 



treasurer $ 1.026.13 



Cash and checks in hands 



of secretary June 10. 



1909 626.46 



From membership dues.... 17.294.75 



From Inspection fees 35,434.62 



From inspection rules 305.06 



Total $54,687.02 



Disbursements. 



Salaries and expense of in- 

 spectors (including chiet».i;35.311.11 



Salary of secretary-treas- 

 urer 6,000.00 



Salary of stenographers... 1.870.50 



Secretary's traveling ex- 

 penses 764.75 



Postage 1,168.10 



Convention, Executive 

 Committee and standing 

 committee expense 290.01 



Printing 2,007.75 



General office expenses, tel- 

 ephone, telegraph, light, 

 office supplies, ctc..'-..i. 2,149.00 



Exchange ....i.'. 114.10 



Re-Inspection settlements.. 2,757.75 



Rent 960.00 



Total 53,393.07 



Leaving balance on deposit 

 at the Fort Dearborn 

 National Bank, Chicago, 

 111., on June 4, of $ 1,293.96 



