156 



SELLING LUMBER 



be much easier to reach the summit than if a few pull at a time 

 while others lay back. Systematic organization is just as essen- 

 tial to the success of our business as to the success in battle or in 

 conducting the peaceful affairs of nations. 



Co-operation produces power. This power can be used to 

 build up or to destroy individually or collectively. Some associa- 

 tions misused the power they created, and as a result, the public, 

 not being familiar with the workings of all the associations, came 

 to the conclusion that many or all of them were detrimental to the 

 general public interest. But within the last year or two sentiment 

 has been fast changing. The public is finding out that not all 

 associations in industries are used to its detriment, but that when 

 conducted sanely they are of great benefit not only to the individ- 

 ual interested in the industry but to the people as a whole. We 

 are not created equal in ability 'in any direction. There are people 

 in all lines of business who are not capable of -conducting their own 

 business successfully. They are constantly destroying what some- 

 one else has produced, and, hence, their operations are detrimental 

 to the general interest, and business failures are the final outcome. 

 A business failure has the same effect as the death of an individ- 

 ual in a community. If the individual was a benefit to the world, 

 then the world sustains a loss by reason of his death. Failure in 

 business is not a benefit to the people as a whole, because those 

 interested in the industry are not the only ones who suffer as a 

 result the general public comes in for its share. Civilization is 

 built on co-operation, and unless we co-operate with one another it 

 would be impossible to carry on the world's affairs today. 



Through our trade organizations it is possible to obtain and 



Public Profit disseminate knowledge and information regarding our business 



in Trade _ which could not be secured and distributed otherwise, and put into 



rgamza ons e ff ec j- manv economical methods, thus benefiting the people as a 



whole. 



While through co-operation we cannot make all people equal, 

 we can make them stronger, and prevent many business failures. 

 Through association work we can reduce business failures to a 

 minimum. In some industries, I understand that their associations 

 go as far as to advance money to their members to assist them in 

 tiding over critical periods. The Trades Commission has strongly 

 urged that the individual concerns interested in the same industry 

 co-operate toward their own upbuilding. The President has writ- 

 ten the Commission strongly approving of its action, so we have 



