Hordwood Lumbermen Hold Outstqnding Meeting

The 58th annuai convention oi the National Hardrvood Lumber Association held at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago, October 11-13, was the complete success that was indicatcd in the big advance registration and the informative and entertaining program which had been carefully prepared. The large ballroom of the hotel was filled with members and guests from all sections of the hardwood producing and consuming industries as President Millett rapped his gavel, forrnally opening the big three-day event. From that moment to the adjournment, many important items of association business were transacted.

The first day's meeting was opened rvith the singing ot the national anthems of the United States and Canada, led by Virgil Leech ofDetroit. This was followed by the invocation given by John O. Shafer, a fifty-year member of the NHLA, from Logansport, Ind.

President Millett presented his annual message in which he briefly covered historical economic facts having a bearing on the health of NHLA since 1922, pointing out that while we are still in an age of comparative inflation, he saw nothing to be alarmed about.

"There is no evidence," he stated, "that we are going to runinto any inevitable ruin by reason of uncontrolled price advance." FIe advanced the thought that the industry can take particular pride in the fact that lumbermen are probably giving the soundest value in the raw material field today and that general conditions have kept our prices low and competitive.

He counseled the members to guard against careless manufacture in order to maintain rightful markets of our product and that we should not debase our standards of quality for the sake of production volume alone. He paid higl-r praise to the work of the association through the years and to the present individuals who are maintaining the high standards of the NHLA. "No agency in the nation," he stated, "is more potent in safeguarding the interests of both parties in transaction of purchase ar-rd sale of a material than is the National Hardwood Lumber Association."

The president's address was followed by the annual report of Secretary-Manager and Executive Officer Joseph L. Muller, who gave a detailed accounting of the association's work during the past year. He pointed out that the increased business activity throughout the country directly reflected in the volume of the NHLA's inspection, which amounted to over 283 million feet for the year. To handle this work over a 100 full-time inspectors were employed in 50 districts throughout the United States and Canada. Of the total volume, 125 million feet originated in Canada.

He reported that 92 students had been graduated from the training school in Memphis during the fiscal year and ouat to date, 680 men have been trained for important positions in the industry since the school was organized in 1948.

Roy Halliday, president of the Canadian Lumbermen's Association, was the guest speaker representative of the Canadian lumber industry. Halliday gave a most interesting talk on general lumber conditions in Canada and pointed outthat many of the problems arising in the Dominion have their counterpart in the United States, although most of the standing timber is owned by the government in Canada, and that exacting restrictions are placed on contracting firms removing and cutting the timber for domestic and export use.

Next on the program for the first day was the featured speaker, Dean Clarence Manion, who gave a most interesting and challenging talk entitled "The Constitution Is Your Business."

He pointed out that the Constitution is the bulwark of the American way of life, particularly American business, and that it is the duty of every businessman not to take the Constitution for granted but to lend his assistance every day in guarding it and aiding in its defense for the protection of our liberties.

"The government is our responsibility," he stated, "and is a partner in our business enterprises to a large degree and, while it takes none of the risks, it takes a great portion of the profits."

Manion's thrilling speech r,vas certainly the highlight of the day's program and it would be unfair to attempt to extract portions of it in a report of this kind. Only by a thorough reading of the entire speecl-r can its real brilliance be appreciated. The attitude of the members can best be summed up by repeating remarks made by several, that hearing the speech was worth the entire trip and cost of attending the convention.

The second day's program was featured by the discussion and voting on the proposed rules changes. The proposed rules that were rejected were those on Cherry, knots and burls. The other recommendations were adopted but the one on Walnut and Butternut was voted only after extensive and heated debate culminating finally in a written and signed ballot which was ruled desirable by the president.

An additional change in the rules was voted at the convention and presented by Maurice Grundy of New Orleans, La. He asked that the paragraph on the grades of Firsts and Seconds of Plain and Quartered Red & White Oak on page 29 of the current Rules Book be eliminated, which states: "First and Seconds must have 66-2/3/o of. heartwood in the aggregrate on one face, the reverse side may be all sapwood. Ary part of the sapwood may be included in the cuttings." The resulting vote was favorable to Mr. Grundy's proposal.

The guest speaker from the furniture manufacturing industry was Clyne Crawford, immediate past president of the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers. He gave his listeners an interesting and intimate insight into the problems which confront furniture manufacturers today and remarked on the close margin of profit on which most firms operate. He urged that lumber manufacturers become more intimately acquainted with theway their product is used by their customers and to do everything possible to provide a well manufactured raw material for the furniture industry at the lowest reasonable cost.

Deloss Walker, a nationally known speaker, gave a convincing and, at times, hilarious talk on selling and business conditions generally. Charles A. Rinehimer, president of the Architectural Woodwork Institute, gave his listeners

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