Notionol Hqrdwood Assn. Celebrotes '60 Yeors of Progress'

The 60th Anniversary Convention of the National Hardwood Lumber Assn., held in Chicago at the Hotel Sherman the first week in October, fulfilled all of the advance predictions in every detail. The attendance was above normal, the speakers had messages of real interest to their audiences, and the entertainment at the grand banquet \\'as exception- ally well received.

President Hanlon called the meeting to order and presented his interesting talk entitled "6O Years of Progressand Tomorro'w." lfe sketched the course of the association through its 60 years and noted the splendid accomplishments which have been made during that period. He paid high tribute to previous offrcers and especially to the present board of managers and to immediate Past President T. M. Millett and lst Vice-President Franklin Griflin. He gave appropriate credit to the various members of the hea.dquarters and inspection staffs, and expressed satisfaction in the 'n,ay the affairs of the association have been handled this past year.

In his predictions for the future, President Hanlon stated that the long-term picture for hardu.oods never looked brighter. To emphasize this point, he stated, "The public is just now beginning to appreciate the exotic, exciting beauty of hardwoods in the h6ms-u,h6ther it be in the form of paneling, furniture or hard'rvood floors. It is true that we have lost some markets to substitute comlretitors, but r,ve must face up to the fact that our supply and clemand are in pretty good balance. There is no doubt that hardn'ood toda_v in ali its forn'rs sold to tl-re public needs a cr-rncentrated selling program-a direct to-the-public selling program, similar to that in effect in 1930 rvhen the consumption of hardrvood had dropped to a lo'rv level."

He pointed out that the gross I'alue of all 9 billion feet of hardt'oods produced yearly in the United States and Cana- da, based on $90 per M' equals about $800 million dollars a year and offered the opinion that if the NHLA l-rad an advertising fund of one-haff of one percent of tl-re dollar value, it Ivould have a very substantial fund rvhich, he stated, "rvould very likely b-e enough to sell ail the hardwoods that rve could possibly grorv and produce on a sustained yield basis and at a profit."

In his annual report of the Secretary's ofifrce, Mr. Penclleton told the convention that during the past year the Inspection Department had attained an inspection volume of nearly 2o8 million feet, close to an all-iime high, and a greater total than in the \\rar years. He pointed out that 107 full-time and nine part-time inspectors rvere operating out of 52 districts. The membership stood at 1584 at the time of the reoort.

John Fishei execqtive director of the Canadian Tourist Association, presented a thrilling talk on the progress u.hich is being made in Canada and the close ties that bind the tr.vo nations. He pointed out that the close comradeship *'hich exists betr'veen the hardwood lumbermen of the trvo countries is an outstanding example of the type of cooperation which, if practiced throughout the rvorld, could lead to peace and progress instead of srrspicion and cliscord.

In his messag'e on hardrn'ood progress, H. Keith Williams, vice-president cif tl-re Kroehler Mfg. Co., spoke of his optimism for the hardrvood industrv. The Hon. Everett M. Dirksen, United States Senator from Illinois, held his audience in rapt attention for over an l-rour as he gave a highly inspirational talk.

Pendleton and Barrier Advanced

In their annual meeting, the directors appointed },faurice B. Pendleton as secretary-manager :rnd executive oflrcer of tl.re association and comDlimented him on his administration this past year in an acting capacity, and they also er.idenccd