Urges Co-operation to Make Recoverv Act Successful

Address of President, H. \fl. Swafford, at the Annual Convention, Paciftc Coast Hardwood Dealers' Association Held in San Froncisco

At our last Association meeting held in Victoria in 1931, a number of our staunch members were absent because they felt we were in the midst of a depression, but it remained for 1932 and the first quarter of 1933 to teach us what a real depression can be ! These were times that tried men's souls, and lumbermen were not excepted. Because of the conditions it was impossible for your officers to muster sufficient interest to insure a representative meeting of the Association in 1932. It took an Act of Congress and the signature of the President of the United States to bring about this meeting today.

Here we are, and after you have heard the reports of the work which the Pacific Coast Hardwood Dealers' Association has accomplished during the past several weeks, I am sure you will agree that henceforth we should hold our meetings annually, regardless of business conditions.

When the new Administration took charge in Washington the country .itt"d for action, and that call was not in vain. Action has been abundant and rapid. More new legislation has been made effective by the last Congress than during any other session of Congress since the founding of the nation. Included in this legislation is the revolutionary National Recovery Act, which vitally affects all industry and is fast changing the course of American business. Regardless of political faith it is up to every American to co-operate with the Administration to make this Recovery Act su'ccessful. If the American people will put their hearts and shoulders behind this National Recovery Act with the same enthusiasm and determination with whi,ch they fought the World War, it will be a success.

From the speakers at this convention you will learn more about the Recovery Act and Lumber Codes and their effect upon our business. However, it might be well to set forth here the part our Association has taken to date in this matter.

The fact that the hardwood dealers along the Pacific Coast were organized into an Association enables them to marshall their full strength at on'ce behind our interests, which proved to be no small factor in preserving our position as wholesalers in the new lumber codes. From the beginning our Association had as one of its major objects representation on the board of directors of the National Hardwood Lumber Association. Such representation was attained, which has doubly fortified us in this emergency. Those who have been in the front ranks fighting our battles were:

D. J. Cahill, our National Director.

Harry C. White, our former National Director.

L. S. Beale, National Hardwood Lumber Association Secretary, delegated to represent the Pacific Coast.

Kenneth Smith, our delegate to the Chicago Lumber Code Convention.

Roy Barto, member of the Coordinating Committee in Washington, especially delbgated to represent our Association's interests.

Your Secretary and President.

This group of men did yoeman work and rendered extraordinary servi,ce to our Association, and it is my feeling that their work will have the lasting gratitude of our membership. Details of the great work accomplished will be set forth in the speeches that come to us during this convention.

While everyone is thinking and talking codes these days, it is appropriate to read a part of our Association's constitution and Code of Ethics, which was adopted at our first meeting held Jan. 18, 1924, at Del Monte, Cal.: (Portion of our Constitution)

ARTICLE 2. OBJECT:

a. To further and intensify a spirit of mutual respect, confidence and good-fellowship among its members.

b. To encourage the adoption of a code of ethics looking to the elimination of unfair competitive practices among its mernbers, and their respective salesmen.

c. To exchange ideas regarding credit extensions and encourage the free interchange of credit information.

d. To stimulate a determination on the part of its members to ascertain accurately the cost of doing business in order to insure an adequate profit in all departments.

e. To develop and carry out methods of advertising the advantages of hardwoods for interior finish, thereby increasing their use in the building industry.

f. To secure for its members, protection against the careless and unreliable shipper, and to insure in return fair and equitable treatment of all shippers, to the end that mutual confidence may be established and maintained.

g. To work towards the permanent establishment on the Pacific Coast of an authorized inspection service.

h. To cooperate in dealing in a friendly and reciprocal way with hardwood manufacturers who are found selling or soliciting the consuming trade.

Code Of Ethics

No. 1. To develop in our relations between ourselves, our 'customers, and our shippers the spirit of the Golden Rule.

No. 2. To establish the spoken word on the basis of the written bond.

No. 3. To cultivate true friendship, therefore con.fidence between persons engaged in the Hardwood industry.

No. 4. In our dealings with our customers to give them one hundred per cent value for every dollar spent with us.

No. 5. To conduct ourselves and our businesses so that we may render service to society.

No. 6. To recognize the square deal as the keynote of our business.

From this it is seen that the Pacific Dealers Asscoiation was nine years ahead codes:

The three outstanding problems calling today are as follows:-

Coast Hardwood of the country on for our attention a. To this end I strongly urge this convention to adopt a program of an effective general advertising campaign to be sponsored by the Pacific Coast Hardwood Dealers Association-the division to be by states, each state to set its own policy and take care of its costs. b. I strongly recommend the appointment of a permanent advertising committee composed of a minimum of three and a maximum of five members; this committee to develop the advertising policy and work out proper methods of finance.

1. That a continuous battle be waged with the national lumber group to safeguard our interests as wholesale lumber dealers in connection with the lumber code.

2. That each state group (California, Oregon, Washington) prepare a lumber code to conform to their respective state law and the National Recovery Act, to include minimum weekly wages, maximum weekly hours, etc. A committee will be appointed to work on this vital'problem.

3. That the Pacific Coast hardwood group recognize its greatest commercial problem, namely, to increase the use of hardwoods in home construction, office and public building ,construction, and industrial usage.

These advertisements should be so worded as to enlist the active and continuous co-operation of the architect, the ,contractor, the mill man, and the retail lumber merchant. What we need to do is to sell the public the idea that a modern home must include hardwood flooring, hardwood finish, and hardwood paneling.

The automobile industry has forgotten how the 1920 model looked ! Why not take a page out of that industry's book and fit it into our industry, and educate the public to ne\/er designs and newer models that call for hardwoods?

Move Sales Offices to St. Paul

The general sales offices of the Wood Conversion Com.pany, Cloquet, Minn., manufacturers of Balsam-Wool and Nu-Wood products, have been transferred to the First National Bank Bldg., St. Paul, Minn.

All matters pertaining to sales and sales promotion will be handled from the St. Paul office, while matters of production, accounting, credits, and traffic will be handled from the Cloquet office as formerly. The Northwestern district sales office, previously located in the Baker Bldg., in Minn6apolis is now located in the group of offices with the general sales department.

Guard Against the Fire That Starts ltself

Behind every spontaneous combustion 6re, there is always some human carelessness or ignorance of chenical re-action. lfith adequate knowledge, care and vigilance, every such 6re can absolutely be prevented. Our policies offer specialized protection, expert couns€l in fire prevention, prompt adjustrnent and payment of losses, and substantial cost-reducing dividends.

Ask any of our companies about our fire preoention seraice and, the protection and sating ol our policies.

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