National Wholesalers Meet at Atlantic City

At the annual meeting of the National-American Wholesale Lumber Association held at the Ambassador Hotel, Atlantic City, N. J., on May I9-2O, John I' Coulbourn, Philadelphia, was elected president for the coming year' Robert C. Pepper, Springfield, Mass., was elected first vicepresident; J. A. Curry, New York, second vice-president; William Schuette, Jr., Nerv York, was re-electecl treasurer; Sid L. Darling rvas re-elected secretary-manag'er' and Roy A. Dailey, Seattle, Wash., was re-elected western manager.

The following directors were elected to serve for the three-year term ; Hugh P. Brady, Seattle; A. M. Foote, Jacksonville; George W. Duffy, Spokane; Elliott K. Harroun. \Matertown, N. Y.; Austin Braun, Omaha; Edward F. Magee, Philadelphia; A.J. Russell, San Francisco; A. A. Henry, Chicago; O. N. Shepard, New York'

President Otis N. Shepard in his annual address covered important matters of current interest, and the reports of Secretary Sid L. Darling and Treasurer William Schuette, Jr., were rvell received. Roy A. Dailey, North Coast manager, talked on conditions in the Northwest.

Part of the opening session was given over to an impressive memorial to former Secretary W. W' Schupner, who passed away recently after having served the association for thirty-five Years.

One of the principal addresses of the convention was made by I. N. Tate, vice-president and secretary, Weyerhaeuser Sales Company, and many in attendance stated that they felt well repaid for the time they took from their bnsiness to attend the meeting and listen to his inspiring and. encouraging heart-to-heart talk, entitled, "Where the Lumber Industry Goes from Here."

A suitable resolution 'was adopted following the address of A. S. Boisfontaine, of the Southern Pine Association, on grade marking of lumber. A committee will consult with the grading rules committees of the various manufacturers' associations on this matter.

A new campaign will be started on trade promotion under the direction of Chairman Max Myers of that committee. Former Director Henry J. Eckstein, now president of Foresta Factors, Inc., covered comprehensively the sub- ject of markets and market conditions. The importance of federal legislation was pointed out by Attorney Henry P. Fowler, of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and D. Theodore Kelly, association counsel.

Bruce Wilson gave an informative report on the activities of the Federal Housing Administration. W. W. Woodbridge brought a message from the Red Cedar Shingle Bureau, and Oliver J. Veling, president of the Northeastern Retail Lumbermen's Association, talked on the subject, "The Road to Our Common Objective." In the absence of E. R. Safford. chairman of the wholesale cost committee, the report of that committee was made by William H. Schuette.

Acting on the recommendation of the board of directors, the convention adopted the following amenclment to the by-laws, defining a wholesaler as follows:

"A wholesaler is a person 100 per cent of whose business is the active and continuous buying of lumber and timber products and re-selling and distributing said products to wholesale trade, who maintains a sales organization for this purpose, assumes credit risks and such other obligations as are incident to the transportation and distribution of said products and rvhose sales irr dollars to rvholesale trade are at least 60 per cent to others than his owners' stockholders, partners, affliated firms, subsidiaries, or to others with whom he has a direct or indirect financial interest."

The convention reaffirmed the following statement on wholesale trade as passed at the 1935 convention:

"The association recognizes that the term 'wholesale trade' is subject to varying interpretations influenced by local conditions affecting both softwoods and hardwoods. It believes that long established distribution practices should be continued in the interest of wholesalers as rvell as retailers and that retailers are fairly entitled to protection on retail business they normally serve in their respective regions. As a guide for consideration of future applications for membership, the association recommends that, subject to established local practices, wholesale trade means sales in any quantity to lvholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers of