Secretary Hoover expressed the belief that the indus- 

 try including all kinds of lumber should strive for 



1. The construction of grades and specification to 

 best serve the public and standardization of nomencla- 

 ture as nearly as possible. 



2. The grade branding of lumber at the mill and 

 guarantees to the public that it will obtain the grade 

 that it buys. 



3. The simplification and standardization of sizes 

 as will make for greater economy in transportation, 

 production, distribution, etc. 



Mr. Hoover also expressed the view that there should 

 be created by the industry, itself, a national instrumental- 

 ity of an entirely independent character that would be free 

 from suspicion and enjoy the confidence of the public for 

 the administration of inspection rules on all kinds of lum- 

 ber, in cases of disputes between buyer and seller; the ser- 

 vice of this organization to extend to foreign markets. 



Your committee voted in favor of all of these proposi- 

 tions and they met with the almost unanimous approval of 

 the delegates in attendance. 



The opinion prevails that unless the industry itself 

 brings about a betterment of conditions, that governmental 

 control and regulations was the alternative. 



This view is absolutely correct, but I think it is agreed 

 that such intervention would be ill advised and would not 

 accomplish the same beneficial results which we, ourselves, 

 are capable of bringing about. 



I am not appealing to you, my friends, however, to 

 join in and support this movement because of fear of gov- 

 ernmental intervention, for to my mind, "he who refrains 

 from crime because of the fear of punishment, is no bet- 

 ter than the criminal, himself." I am appealing to you to 

 join in this great forward movement because it is right, 

 and being right, it must eventually result to the material 

 good and profit of yourselves and of those you are seeking 

 to serve. 



That the specifications covering the inspection rules 

 of hardwood are inadequate and are not scientifically con- 

 structed has long been realized by everyone who had given 



28 



