THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
20fl 
minds of the committee will be directed. 
(4) Purchasing supplies. I am confident that such an organ¬ 
ization as is proposed could, with great profit to the member¬ 
ship and without liability to the Association, assume the rela¬ 
tion of purchasing agent in the matter of supplies for the mem¬ 
bership. The question appeals to me as a sate business propo¬ 
sition and I doubt not, if put into effect, but that it will become 
one of the most popular departments of our organization. If we 
could go to the different mills over the country with a requisition 
for so many million feet of box lumber, it would be easier to 
handle and be possible of handling on a better basis than where 
each of us attempt to handle on an individual basis. Right now 
it seems to me to be not only a question of prices on box lumber, 
shingle-tow, etc., but a possibility of finding these things at any 
price. We need annually a given supply of these items and our 
needs are out of the ordinary. The regular mill-run on lumber 
will not meet our requirements and each order must be cut 
specially. This thing is always more or less of a problem, but 
this season, because of government contracts, the question of 
box lumber and supplies in general is one of the most serious 
problems that confront us. Whether there was any great amount 
of saving directly or not, such a scheme as I am presenting would 
at least prove a great convenience and, to say the least of it, 
would be worth looking into. 
(5) Transportation and auditing department. We are all 
hoping that the season of 1918-19 will show a big improvement 
over last season in matters of transportation, but we have little 
or nothing to base our hopes upon. As long as we are at war the 
question of transportation will be a serious problem, and after 
peace is declared it will still be a problem. I am confident that 
this organization should attempt to assist the membership in all 
matters of transportation, especially as it pertains to the matter 
of rates and movement of freights, and that under the direction 
of a capable transportation inan it would prove one of the biggest 
things we ever attempted. This department should become gen¬ 
eral auditor of freight and express bills for the members of the 
Association, and I am more than confident it will pay its way 
from the beginning and save the nurserymen many thousands of 
dollars annually. In connection with every other phase of our 
business, this particular question of transportation will need to 
be watched just a little closer during the coming season, and 
as long as present conditions last, than ever before in the his¬ 
tory of our business. This particular department of the organi¬ 
zation that is proposed can and will render the members of this 
Association a wonderfully great service and, of necessity, should 
be in the hands of a man who, through training and otherwise, is 
especially fitted for taking care of this particular phase of the 
work. 
General. As before stated, I will not presume to define the 
multitudinous duties of the office created by this resolution, but 
when, in addition to the work I have briefly outlined, we contem¬ 
plate the field of legislation, the credit and collection bureau, to¬ 
gether with the work of our numerous committees which would 
be more or less coordinated to the general office, surely I have 
justified the establishment of such an office and just as surely 
would the man who fills the place be kept busy. What I have 
had in mind all along is that this organization would become a 
clearing house for the membership of this Association, that it 
would attempt to serve intelligently the nursery interests of 
America in any capacity whatsoever and in ways prescribed by 
your Executive Committee. It would be idle to think that in a 
day or in a year we could so nearly perfect our plans that further 
thought would not of necessity have to be given them, but we 
can at least inaugurate this splendid work along such lines that, 
as is true of everywhere else in life, our plans can be reworked 
here and there as occasion may demand. As I have already sug¬ 
gested, the resolution we have before us must, of necessity, be 
considered in relation to 
The Market Development Plans. There will’ be presented to 
you on to-morrow the most comprehensive plan for Market De¬ 
velopment ever considered by the nurserymen. The majority of 
us are hoping that the committee having this matter in hand will 
succeed in this great undertaking, and to this end we have sub¬ 
scribed to an annual fund to be expended in the development of 
our markets. I believe, and with the best of reasons, that the 
hope of this great publicity plan is dependent upon the action 
taken on this resolution. The market development plan is an 
attempt at cooperative advertising. Now, cooperation is possible 
only among people who hold to a general standard. If we, as 
contributors to this fund, hold to a number of varying standards, 
and I use this word in its broadest possible application, we may 
not utterly fail, but we will fall far short of that larger success 
we strive for. Furthermore, one of the first questions which 
will confront the managers of the Market Development in dealing 
with publicity experts will be costs. “What is your system of 
cost accounting?” No corporation on earth, except a nursery 
corporation, would consider putting on a quarter of a million 
dollar publicity campaign without first determining such fun¬ 
damentals as supplies, costs, transportations, etc., etc., etc.. Now, 
this is just what this resolution would do, attempt to determine 
as nearly as possible those questions which would make possible 
the success of your market development plan, and until these 
vital questions have been determined, every dollar spent in co¬ 
operative advertising will bring meager returns. Do not think 
for a moment 1 am not in hearty favor of the very best it is pos¬ 
sible to obtain in publicity. I am willing to go my limit to fur¬ 
ther the plans now under consideration, but I think we should, 
by adoption of this resolution and proposed amendment clear the 
way for a successful publicity campaign, without which I am in 
serious doubts as to the results. Therefore, I am in favor of 
making secure the splendid efforts of the committee on Market 
Development by first adopting the resolution we have before us. 
AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VII OF THE CONSTITUTION 
I have taken more time than I really intended in the discussion 
of resolution before us, and, as I have already suggested, the con¬ 
stitution is broad enough to permit your Executive Committee to 
do all that is embraced in this resolution. The real question be¬ 
fore us, therefore, is the proposed amendment to Article VII ol 
the constitution which, to adopt, must carry two-thirds majority 
vote of active members present. If you vote to adopt this amend¬ 
ment, it certainly would be in order to adopt the resolution, 
which would be by majority vote, but if you deem it unwise to 
adopt the amendment, by no sort of means should the resolution 
be adopted as it would only embarrass your Executive Committee. 
You recall the report of your Secretary and Treasurer, and by 
this report you understand that the revenues under your pres¬ 
ent constitution have been inadequate to meet the current ex¬ 
penses of the Association under existing budget, hence, regard¬ 
less of whether you determine to continue under the present bud¬ 
get or under a new one, it seems necessary to revise our present 
financial plans. The condition of our treasury is not calculated 
to excite bouyancy of spirit, as it might were our balance “cash 
on hand” greater, and in considering this matter there may be a 
disposition on the part of some to criticise, but I am sure that in 
every instance your committee has been judicious in the expen¬ 
diture of Association funds. Furthermore, that from time to 
time the Association has, by direct mandate, directed the Com¬ 
mittee in all matters which called for the expenditure of funds 
out of the ordinary. May we, then, approach this question, not 
as it is related to the past but as it is related to the present and 
to the future. Your Treasurer’s disbursements from June, 1916, 
to June, 1918, are $3000.00 in excess of receipts, and this is the 
whole story in a nut shell. If the membership fees and dues are 
to remain the same as at present, it will be necessary for the 
Committee to completely revise its budget for the ensuing year, 
whether you adopt the resolution before you or not. But, my 
friends, it should not so stand, for a little study will,' I think, 
prove the desirability of a change. Under present constitution, 
members doing a $10,000.00 annual business pay the same annual 
dues and fees as members doing an annual business of $19,000.00; 
members doing $20,000.00 annual business and members doing 
$49,000.00 annual business pay the same; members doing $50,- 
000.00 annual business and members doing $99,000.00 business 
pay the same; while members doing $100,000.00 annual business 
and members doing $500,000.00 or $1,000,000.00 annual business 
pay the same. The inequality of this schedule is apparent when 
we study it aside from the fact that it does not create funds 
necessary to maintain our expense account. The proposed 
amendment, which, if adopted, will supplant Article VII of the 
present constitution, provides first for a flat membership fee of 
$10.00 to be paid by active as well as associate members, and for 
additional dues based on annual business as follows: $100,000.00 
or more, $100; $75,000 to $100,000, $80; $50,000 to $75,000, $60; 
$25,000 to $50,000, $40; $15,000 to $25,000, $20; $5,000 to $15,000 
$10. Is it not a reasonable tax for the benefits we hope to re¬ 
ceive? I would count myself niggardly indeed were I not will¬ 
ing to contribute so small a part of my earnings to make more 
tolerable the conditions in the nursery world, aside from the 
direct benefits guaranteed. This question of taxation, wherever 
we find it in life, and it is of necessity everywhere, is a problem 
which vexes and annoys. I am not unmindful of the fact that he 
who proposes an increase in taxes subjects himself to the wrath 
of even some of his best friends, and yet, gentlemen, a fair and 
equitable adjustment along such lines as will meet the needs of 
our financial committee is not only a necessity, but, judiciously 
expended as the funds will be, it will prove so beneficial that it 
will be acceptable to the entire membership. The plan which is 
proposed in amendment which you will vote upon will provide 
funds sufficient to guarantee the service briefly outlined in reso- 
