266 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
part of the railroads has been inaugurated for the advance 
of freight rates. The Industrial Traffic League at its meet¬ 
ing in Chicago a short time since, carefully considered this 
matter from the standpoint of large shippers, and it was 
estimated that the proposed increase would aggregate the 
enormous sum of $170,000,000, annually. If the proposed 
advance is permitted, the nurseryman will of course have to 
bear his share of the additional burden. 
The adoption by the Western Classification Association 
of what is known as “Rule 4,” by which Western railroads 
are to be released from liability for loss or damage to goods 
in transit, unless 20% is added to the tariff rates, is one 
which, if enforced, will result in a great hardship upon the 
members of this Association. This rule, I am informed, 
became effective on May 20th, but one of the leading west¬ 
ern roads notified the Interstate Commerce Commission of 
its refusal to concur therein. Mr. Stannard, Chairman of 
the Transportation Committee, inaugurated a plan by 
which I think the remaining roads may be induced to regard 
the matter in the same light. Your committee in this and 
all other matters should receive your hearty co-operation, 
and every nurseryman should respond promptly to sugges¬ 
tions made by it. I feel that the chairman of this commit¬ 
tee should have an emergency fund placed at his disposal to 
permit his attending the meetings of the classification com¬ 
mittees whenever matters of importance are liable to come 
up, in which we are interested. 
Legislative Department. —In this department some good 
results have been accomplished during the past year in the 
modification of the South Dakota law, as'you will learn from 
the report of Mr. Pitkin, Chairman of that Committee. 
The states of Wisconsin and Wyoming, however, have 
enacted unreasonable laws which have given members of 
this Association much annoyance and unnecessary expense 
during the past year. I am advised that the Secretary of 
Agriculture in one of these states, has been unusually 
arrogant and over-bearing in his dealings with outside 
nurserymen making shipments within his territory during 
the past season. 
I recommend that the proper committee be authorized to 
investigate as to the constitutionality of the laws in these 
states and Oklahoma, and proceed at once to test the same 
with the least possible delay. It has been suggested that 
the Executive Committee be given discretionary power to 
appropriate funds and to proceed through the Legislative or 
through their own Committee to test these or any other laws 
which in their judgment are a menace to the interests of the 
nurseryman. I shall be pleased to have you give this mat¬ 
ter your consideration, thus avoiding unnecessary delay on 
account of no appropriation of funds except for special cases 
which confronted your committee during the past year. 
I personally wrote the various Vice-Presidents this year, 
requesting that they keep a sharp look-out for proposed 
adverse legislation in their respective states during the ses¬ 
sions of their general assemblies last winter, and promptly 
report same to the Legislative Committee. Few of the 
states held any session last year, but I urge upon these 
gentlemen the great importance of watching this matter 
during the coming winter. The passage of many of these 
laws can be prevented if proper action be taken beforehand. 
Advertising. —I want to repeat, with greater emphasis if 
possible, what my predecessor stated at our last session 
regarding the necessity of giving greater publicity to our 
products through the medium of newspaper advertising. 
We are living in the greatest advertising age the country has 
ever known, as may be easily ascertained by closely examin¬ 
ing the columns of our leading papers and magazines. The 
live, up-to-date nurseryman can ill afford to follow listlessly 
in beaten paths because they led his father to success, or to 
continue the methods that he, himself, even adopted ten 
years ago. We must adapt ourselves to new methods and 
the changed conditions brought about by this era of adver¬ 
tising. 
Exhibits. — I desire in this connection especially to call 
your attention to that feature of our convention known as 
“Exhibits” under the skillful management of Mr. Meehan of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Bernardin of Kansas and Mr. H. B. 
Chase, of Alabama. This feature of our annual meetings 
has been developed until it has become one of the most 
interesting departments of the Association work. You will 
find here not only a display of nursery stock, fruits, flowers, 
etc., which will interest you, but machinery and labor-sav¬ 
ing devices, which will appeal to every “wide-awake, up-to- 
date” nurseryman in attendance. It has required the 
expenditure of much time and labor on the part of the 
gentlemen which is greatly appreciated. 
Insurance. —The question of mutual insurance among the 
members of this Association has been given much thought 
and investigation by the Committee to which it was referred 
last June at Detroit. 
On account of the varied exposure in the different plants 
and the constantly changing contents of the buildings, it 
would necessitate a personal examination by a representa¬ 
tive of the Insurance department. And on account of the 
widely scattered patronage which must necessarily be 
secured, it would be almost impossible for this personal 
examination to be made without great expense, hence this 
proposition is deemed impracticable, and we recommend 
that it be dropped for the present. 
Editing Annual Report. —I recommend that the task of 
editing the minutes of the Association be placed in the 
hands of a committee of which the Secretary of the Associa¬ 
tion shall be Chairman. My reasons for so doing are from 
the simple fact that he is always present at each session of 
the Convention, and knows more about the proceeding than 
any other member. In the second place, he is compensated 
for his services and, in my judgment, this is a part of his 
work. He can take a portion of his manuscript and edit it 
at his leisure, thus saving time in completing the work, with 
the result that the reports will be mailed to the members 
upon a much earlier date. 
Forest Reserve. —The subject of Forest Preservation is 
one of the most important questions confronting the people 
of the United States today and one in which, we, as nursery¬ 
men, should be vitally interested. If the ruthless devasta¬ 
tion of our forests, coupled with the natural demands for 
lumber and railroad ties, is continued we shall within 
another decade be confronted by a very grave problem. 
