314 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
NOTi:S FROM THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY’S 
OFFICE 
American Association of Nurserymen 
November 24, 1919. 
Legislation : The attention of all members is called to 
the following bills in Congress. 
Senate 2904 by Senator Jones, of Washington, provides 
as follows; 
“That the manufacturer of any article produced af- 
‘‘ter the passage of this Act and intended to be put 
“into inter-state commerce shall plainly mark upon 
“or attach to such article the cost thereof. 
“Sec. 2. That every retailer of any manufactured 
“article carried in inter-state commerce after the 
“passage of this Act shall put upon or attach to such 
“article before sold to his customers in plain figures 
“the cost of such article to him.” 
Violation of this Act will mean a fine of not more 
than $1000 or imprisonment for not more than one 
year. 
11. R. 8315, introduced by Congressman Siegel, provides: 
“That every person in the United States before trans- 
“acting business either as manufacturer, whole- 
“saler or retailer, shall be required to obtain from 
“the Collector of Customs of the district wherein he 
“transacts business, a license or permit to transact 
“business within such internal-revenue district for 
“a period of one year. 
“That any person now or hereafter engaged in bus- 
“iness in the United States to whom a permit or li- 
“cense shall have been issued, who shall expose or 
“offer for sale or cause to be exposed or offered for 
“sale to the public any article of goods, wares, or 
“merchandise without having a card showing the 
“true, actual cost thereof, such person shall be 
“guilty of profiteering and shall be punished as 
“hereinafter provided.” 
The penalty is a fine of not to exceed $5000 or im¬ 
prisonment for not more than two years, or both. 
It is understood that both bills have strong support. If 
members are not in favor of them, they are advised to 
w rite immediately to their Senators and Representatives 
in Congress to that effect and to notify the Executive 
Secretary of the Association. 
Could Rill : There will be a hearing on this at the next 
session of Congress, in December. Many members have 
failed to reply to my circular asking for instructions. 
You, who read this: If you have not already written me 
about the Gould Rill, won’t you do it today? If you have 
already done so, thank you. Your officers can’t rep¬ 
resent you intelligently nor efficiently if you don’t tell 
tliem w liat you want when they ask you for instructions. 
Speakers Committee: Last month, I suggested the 
gu-cat opportunity to present the Association and its work 
in a favorable way by our members speaking at meetings 
of Horticultural Societies, Garden Clubs, Farmers’ In¬ 
stitutes, etc. President Moon has appointed a Speakers 
Committee to see that every meeting is attended by a 
meniber. The others are just as much within the oppor¬ 
tunity to put our story across. Don’t neglect any chance 
to get yourself invited to talk at every meeting of persons 
interested in trees and plants. 
Lectures: We have, as you know, two sets of colored 
lantern slides which are suitable for illustrating lectures 
before garden clubs and farmers’ institutes. Our efforts 
to interest home-owners in using our products intelli¬ 
gently and profitably, are being recognized. We have 
been officially invited by the Department of Agriculture 
of New Jersey, to cooperate w ith them in their Farmers’ 
Institute work, by sending our members to fill engage¬ 
ments w ith our illustrated lectures. The State not only 
recognizes our work but pays expenses of our speakers. 
The opportunity to represent the American Association 
of Nursciymen and its members, is not overlooked. Can’t 
members in other states get the same invitation to cooper¬ 
ate? 
From Peru: From far-off Lima, Peru, we received a 
request for our illustrated lecture. They heard of it 
down there. We can more profitably fill some open dates 
in Michigan and Texas and Indiana and other states. The 
use of the slides costs members nothing—only express 
charges. Anybody can talk interestingly with these 
beautiful pictures of houses made homes. Your local 
Garden Club, Board of Trade or Civic Association w^ould 
find enjoyment and profit in these slides with a talk from 
you. 
Traffic Matters: Mr. Sizemore says: - 
“The longer Government operation continues the more 
trouble I am having with the freight claims, and the Ex¬ 
press claims are just simply a fright. There does not 
seem to be any head anywhere with them and from Traf¬ 
fic Papers it seems to be the general plan with them of 
‘passing the buck.’ 
“Further, hardly any of the Express claims sent me by 
the members have the Express Claim number and it 
makes double w ork. I have repeatedly during the last 
seven or eight years in talks before the convention told 
them to alw ays get the claim number but it does not seem 
to soak in or if they do get it, it is lost or no record made 
of it. About five weeks ago, one member sent me about 
thirty-five Express claims that did not have the express 
claim number and they advised me they never received 
any. After building up the record it developed that a 
number of them had been paid or withdrawn. 
“The decision referred to in the statement is, that suits 
for loss and damage must be instituted within twm years 
and one day after arrival of the shipment or be barred by 
the statute of limitation. This clause has been sustained 
by the Supreme Court and by several State Courts but it 
seems to be in cases where no claim or any action w-as 
taken at all until after the clause had expired; but last 
spring the Joseph E. Decker Co., of Dubuque, had one of 
their claims returned by the carrier w ho simply advised 
that the two-year clause and one day had passed and they 
could not pay the claim altho it had been properly filed 
within six months after arrival and had been prosecuted 
right along and the papers had been back and forth be¬ 
tween the R. R. Co. and the shippers for this and that in¬ 
formation; so the Jos. E. Decker Co. have filed suit and 
are going to carry it to the Supreme Court of the U. S. as 
they claim it is a rank injustice to a shipper to worry 
along with a just claim for two years and decline to pay 
