SELLING LUMBER 157 



every encouragement to go ahead with this work. If we work in- 

 telligently for the benefit of the people we will profit by it, but 

 if we work to their detriment eventually we will suffer for it. 



The salesmen have a greater opportunity to advance this move- 

 ment than anyone else, because they are constantly calling on 

 the trade, the buyer and consumer. All of us are failing to a 

 greater or less extent to make use of the knowledge we possess, 

 many of us because we were not directly interested at the time. 

 We overlook many opportunities to promote the general interest 

 of the lumber business, whereas, if all of us would look at it from 

 a broader viewpoint we would profit by it. For instance, we all 

 know that the creosote treatment has been successful for a num- 

 ber of years, yet the owners and manufacturers of timber are doing 

 but little toward introducing the treated material, seemingly wait- 

 ing for the public to find out what'it is and then call for it. And, 

 as a rule, they are standing ready with a wet blanket, so to speak, 

 to smother any ambitious user who comes to them with a little diffi- 

 cult specification. Until recently but little or no effort was made 

 by the lumbermen through the Association to promote in any way 

 the use of creosoted material, but since the Southern Pine Associa- 

 tion was organized some effort is being made along this line, but 

 nothing to compare with what it should be. The machinery of 

 the Association, however, is in good running order and well organ- 

 ized, but like the machinery of a sawmill, it cannot create anything 

 of itself, it must depend upon its subscribers together with others Association 

 interested in the lumber business throughout the country to furnish Work Is 

 it with material. That is why we are holding this convention. 

 There is no one in a better position to ascertain where the use of 

 our lumber can be increased, or how its present rate of consumption 

 may be maintained than are the retail lumbermen and traveling 

 salesmen. Remember, the Southern Pine Association is not organ- 

 ized merely for the interest of the manufacturers who are subscrib- 

 ers for its service, but for the benefit of every branch of the lum- 

 ber industry, and it is looking for information and suggestions from 

 every source. The traveling salesmen should make this known to 

 every retail dealer, every architect, engineer and consumer of lum- 

 ber throughout the entire country. 



The lumber industry is second in rank in the United States. 

 Let us make this organization the first of its kind, not only in 

 the United States but in the world. It can be done if we will all 

 set about it in the right way and pull together. With the proper 



