, 1874-06-17
LUMBER INSPECTION,
Meeting Of tho Leading C|,icag0
Dealers,
Lulnbermcn's Board Of Tradc.-.RuIes
Of inspection Adopted.
Agreement Entered Into.

A larEoly-attondod meeting Of the loadtnr
]umbormen Of Chicago waa hold last eyepjnr 1t
Tho Tromont House, in accordance with a unaul-
mously-signod calf for tho purpose Of consider.
Ing the matter Of buying lu,nbor by inspection.
Thcro wore pronent fully 100 lumber-doalera aud
tine-looking body of mon .hoy wcro.
Dir. T. II. Avery was callod to tho chair, and
Mr. John ShoriH was chosen Secretary.
Nr. q. X. Martin said
THE OBJECT OF THE MEETING
was TO Boo whothor a union could DO noourod
among tho largo lumbor-loalorB, and wlothor It
wns better to buy by inspection OF es they had
aono. A change was necessary In tho manner In
which lumber Was bought.
Mr, Hartman moved to adopt tho Saginaw In.
Bpootiou.
Mr. II. Mcdonald presented tho arra,m.nt
egnod by various dealers to buy no lumber in
Chicago for thirty days above tho prico of
hlaniAteo ploco stun unless bought according to
tho rules Of the Chicago Lumtermons Board Of
Irhde, and 4; Tor tho ensuing thirty days to buy
onlY by chicago inspection or BY othor inspoo-
mont, dntod Juno ., 1874, was signol by thirty
two firms.
Mr. Martin moved that cargoos Of lnmbor bot.
tor than common bo sold by inspection.
Mr. Doan said It WAS evident that
BONE CHANCE WAH NEcEEeAnY
IN tho mannor OF purchasing lumber In tbIa nar.
kot. Tho proHont rnodo was not an encourage
mont OF honesty or fair-doaling. There Bboilfd
bo some means whereby tbs manufaoturor ahonii
GET hla value. and tue purchaser tho worth Of hs
money, uo cav no other way to accomplish th;a
except by inspection, by this the true value Of
| the resolution.
air. olicor thought some system OF inspection
necessary M ~ order to remedy presont difficulties.
1 r. W1,onta 4 IL.
and wrang[ea waa to adopt some system Of buy-
lme ny inspection all grades better tl,nu common.
| Ihe timo to act had arrived md aomotlliur
! should he dono at onco.
bong urged to say something. a1siSa o.nreuuo HI.
sympathleB With tho feelings of tlic signo,a Of tho
agreement. It had boen mattor Of Burpriac
that the lumber trade of Chicago lad Bonn man
bonrht aoaa ad fSr years hs Ind
tho opening Of tho railroads IN the pnorioa ship
ping facilities for shipment had enabled manu-
lecturers to sell direct to tho East and South
obe.ro post Ho fradq a Leaving tho rest to
Of quality as THIS spring. Flo knew of q na,,tl-
| facturer who, becauBo ho was honest, for three
years got from % to 50 above the market price,
all neeause tho lumber was what tt WIS ropra-
sented to be. Dealers took it IN preferences to
piling up thoir, yards with refuse stun. Why
could not the lumber-deaiers, with their vast
capital unto and say they would only pay Tor
!Mmbor when they knew what they wero buying
There, Uas no reason why tho rulos Of other
branches OF tratlo should not 10 applied to tho
lumber trade Tho inspection plai, could bo en-
forced it tho leading doalesa would tako united
and firm stand They should not allow hvo or si1
mlddlemen to rule this market. TWAS threatened
to send tho cargo to Milwaukee. Tho leot that
atoodl Chicago to-day would glut tho Milwaukee
tue adoption Of tlo Saginaw ingpootion. which
was divided into three grados Ho Ind mover
a n inrH ID Su}o i
| now. Men had not the privilege OF buying on
| their Judgment, for they voro often compelled
to buy on the bida Of country dealers. There
would bo less money lost in pertecting tho in-
ent plan., Ho urged that tho dealers stand firm
after having adopted plan. Ho would guarau-
tee to Icy down In chicago tn,day for sl4 bot
tar quality q :, Of lumber than now brought SIT.
DIT. L. W. Harvoy approved OF tho suggestion
| to unite on tho Saginaw inspection Ho would
agree to this, and commouco tomorrow motn-
S1r. Van schaicl cordially approved Of tho ro.
perfectly fair ono az botwoon buyer aud soller.
Mr. 4. Il. Gray gad ho cnulI not add word
to whit Mr. Ayory had said. It was only to
unite like intelligent men and carry tho point;
kocp away from tia market until thoY could ret
what thoy paid for. Let tho NOW arrangement
cover tho entire aeason md buy tho lumber
somowhore else if 1T could not bo goti Chicago.
LIN. THOMPSON
I
parties to make q bargain-a buyer and seller,
and tho ylows.and feelings Of both should bo
considered. Ha approved Of the proposed plan,
but thought tho sellers should not bo taken at
short notice. There was not now in the market
4 sufficient number Of competent inspectors.
| From fifty to hundred educutcl Inspectors
| would be required to handle all tho lumber
which reached thiu market daily. Tho rule
| should be uniform. 1t waH not fair to start OF,
with big tleet in tho harbor, and cay they
nYG0nt n nf
epectlon. Such n course would kill the
Chicago Lumbar market, and forco dealers
| to buy at tho mills, and submit to the inspoc-
tion. The interests OF Chicago, and not OF tbs
wan untimely at presout. lu caao lumber mas
sold only on inspection, country dealers would
! be able to como hero and buy for themselves,
| and tho Chicago dealers would fud their trails
| slipping away. lie made teHo remarks only b''~
cause there scemed to bo no QUO to talk in behalf
| OF tho sellers.
Mr. Avory said thoro wore hundred dealers
! who had tive men each to Hparo who wore co1:s-
petent inspectors. There would be no difficulty
Tho rouolntion offered by Mr. Martin nus
adopted unan1r'ously.
RULES or INSPECTION.
hr. Harvey moved tho appointment Of COM
mitteo Of iyo to report rules OF inspection.
The motion prevailed, and Moasra. Harvey,
Dean, Martin, Gray, Winters, and Offlcor wero
appointed. On motion, Mr. Avery sas added to
[uo CQn1snILoe.
After brief retirement, tho Committee re-
turned, and through MIR. Dean, reported th"t,
~ tho present rules Of the Chicago Lumber
n'on's Board OF Trade wero adopted HI comp!ro..
misc to pleane all parties, it was recommended
that those rules be adopted by this mootng. 1t
was also suggested tlat lumber bo bought in four
qualities, oulls, common, select aud uppars.
Tho report Of the Committee WAS accepted, aud
adopted unanimously.
THE FOLLOWING AGREEMENT
was drawn up by Mr. uaryey and submitted TO
the meotng:
w. tho undersigned, mutually agree That we vii,
from anl utter tlIB dato arl during tho seasor u
Invitation Of 1s7i, buy lumber better than comrn,
offered Oh tho Chicago market, oxeept by the rucs q
inspecfon a1optod by tho 'ohicago Luinborme.s
boar of Trade.
:. Considerable discussion onRued as to whothnt
tho rulo to buy by inspection Bholad not apply
also to cargoos bought outside of Chicago, mud it
~aa decldad to amend tho agroomont 80 rs TO
mako it road Us follows:
We tho undersigned, mutually agrea TINT, from a1a
after this dstu, and during thu of navigation It
ls74 70 WI buy lunbcr bsttor than contson, Offer