THE WHOLESALE LUMBER DEALERS' 



CONVENTION 



REPORTED BY 

 Mrs. Lydia Adams-Williams 



'T' HE sixteenth annual meeting of 

 A the National Wholesale Lumber 

 Dealers' Association was held at the 

 New Willard Hotel, Washington, D. 

 C., March 4 and 5, 1908. 



The attendance was representative, 

 delegates coming from all parts of the 

 United States. 



The most important questions con- 

 sidered were those relating to lumber 

 transportation and rates. The preser- 

 vation of the forests received much at- 

 tention, about one-fourth of the time, 

 exclusive of the banquet, being devot- 

 ed to that subject. The work of the 

 l_'. S. Forest Service was highly prais- 

 ed. Resolutions were adopted favor- 

 ing the Appalachian Bill and com- 

 mending President Roosevelt's ef- 

 forts to increase the effectiveness of 

 the work of the Forest Service. 



OUR LITTLE SUCCESSORS 



A pleasant feature of the conven- 

 tion, early in its progress, was a re- 

 ception tendered the delegates and 

 their guests by President Roosevelt. 

 The President said to them : 

 "It behooves every man who wishes 

 to see the land leftjbetter, instead of 

 worse, -for the children that come after 

 him. to join with the Government in 

 trying to take steps to make the lum- 

 ber industry a permanent industry, to 

 perpetuate, through use, the forests of 

 this country. We. all of us, in this 

 O'untry, must turn our attention more 

 and more to the conservation of the 

 natural resources of the land ; but 

 there is no body of our citizens to 

 whom it is a matter of such immediate 

 moment as this body that I am now 

 addressing." 



Mr. Roosevelt remarked on the 

 presence of some little representati-. 



of the next generation, in whose beh 

 he was speaking. 



-I NESS ACTION 



The annual address of the president 

 of the Association, Mr. ]. M. Hast- 

 ings, of Pittsburg, Pa., dealt princi- 

 pally with the year's business condi- 

 tions. 



Secretary E. F. Perry gave a very 

 complete report of the year's work. 

 He urged the formation of a plan of 

 co-operation with the Forest Service, 

 whereby the study of Forestry may be 

 introduced into the public schools of 

 the country. 



Committees were appointed on nom- 

 inations, resolutions, and trade rela- 

 tions : and reports were heard from the 

 committees on hardwood inspection. 

 fire insurance, trade relations, arbitra- 

 tion, and marine insurance, and legi-- 

 lation. 



FOREST I'KESKKVATIoX 



The second day'- session wa 

 voted to topics connected with fre-t 

 preservation. The chairman of the 

 forestry committee of the National 

 WhoU^ale Lumber D 

 tion, Hon. Nelson I'. Whci-lor. an old- 

 time lumberman and a member "f 

 Congn--- from Pcnnsylvani.i. present - 

 ed a very interesting report, in which 

 he said that o lumberii 



is getting be the rule, that all 



parts of the IP n the 



scraps being ral Vr and -ent 



to the pulp mill-. He -'iid that the 

 lumbermen are probably, 



than any other agency to promote the 

 cause of forestry; that they approve in 



-era! of 'he National Forest p-.licy 



the Government : and that under 



such management the foi -In mid 



