St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-24
FIRST BUSINESS SESSION.
Annual Reports of President Price
and Secretary Hollis.

Annual Reports of President Price
and Secretary Hollis.
The first business session of the con-
ventiOn came in the afternoon. The
enthusiastic members of the ASSOCIATION
were agreeably surprised by the gratify-
ing attendance at the first session. Fully
400 members of the association were on
hand wneu President L. II. Price, of
Sioux City, requested order. The pres
idents annual report came first.
President Prices report was received
with interest. lie spoke Gf the abrOga-
ton of the clause in the bylaws forbid
ding the shipment, by a member of the
association, of lumber to the consumer
on the order of a dealer not member OF
the association. That rule WaS abolished
because it seemed best to do so. He and
the directors hoped the time would soon
come when it could be established again
and re-enfOrced. PresldentIrlce also mad
a little fun with Judge Cornish. before
whom the suit to smash the ASSOCIATION
has been. he made some cauStlc re-
marks about the delay to which the case
had been subjected. decision having
been delayed from May until December.
President Price said he believed the
Der generally were GLAD OF the existence
of the association. He also believed the
association would briug the manufact-
urer and the retailer closer together.
Secretary W. &. Hollis report was the
report of the meeting. Everybody
wanted to hear all the details of the IN
junction case before Judge Cornish.
The Bonn Manufacturing company, of
st. Paul. violated the association agree
mpnt. The board of directors made a
ruling on the violation. The BOhn Man
utacturing company refused to abide by
that decision. 1t began an action for an
Injunction on the ground that the aSso-
citation is a trust. The temporary in
junction was served on the secretary
Nav II, 1892. The answer of the asso-
citation was filed ten days later. The
attorneys Of the plaintiff we're not
ready for trial. Then arguments were
made to dissolve the temporary injunc-
ton. Judge Cornish intlmated that he
would take the case under advisement
Immediately For reasons unknown to
the secretary, Judge Cornish made no
decision until last December. Then he,
in effect refused to dissolve the injunc-
ton. The case is now set for trial on
Jan. 80. OF this case Secretary Hollis
said:
l viii take this opportunity to say for the
satisfaction of our members present that so
far as the merits of our case are concerned.
the decision Of Judge Cornish does not at
feet it. In any event. the questions involved
are qnite likely to 90 to the supreme court of
Minnesota and our attorneys request me to
say to YOU that they firmly believe we have
the law on our side. From the decision of
Judge Cornish II IS quite evident the learned
Judge has miscOuStrued The real purposes OF
our organization. Assuming that we are fix
ing and controlling the output and price OF
lumber he brands The association as a mo-
nOpoly in restraint OF trade. We are all OF
US well aware that this impression IS entirely
an erroneous one. and the question needs no
discussion here. That the association l5
conducting its YORK in Il perfectly legal man
ner. and thaLnOne Of its objects IS Illegal
is the firm conviction. not only of our attOr-
ueys. but of all the officers Of the OTganIZa-
ton. We confidently expect a final VIC
tory in the supreme court. and lnasmuch
as the questions involved are novel ones
which have never been decided by the high
er courts in this or any otner state. we are
uuil as anxious as III plaintiffs can posi-
bly, be 10 establish once and for all as to
whether any body of men can join together
ii voluntary organization for the prOtec-
ton of their individual and collective rights
l will not attempt IN mis- report 10 tOreStaIl
ANYTHING which our attorney may say to yOu
as he is. | thiuk. quite competent to demon
strate to YOU that YOU stand on perfectly safe
ground If every member of our aSSOcid-
ton will promise himself TO stand by the
principle for which we are organized. and to
stand by the association as long as it has an
existence your officers and attorneys will
feel great confidence in continuing this case
TO a final victory. We need your moral sup
port and we trust that 10 member, whatever
his ideas may be on the subject will desert
the ship under any circumstances until the
highest courts of Minnesota have passed on
the question involved.
Secretary Hollis followed the same
line of argument as President Price did
in speaking of the abrOgatiOn of section
So of the bylaws. the section forbid
ding the shipment by members of the
association of orders TO consumers OIL
the order OF a retail dealer not mem
Der of the association. The secretary
averred that time and patience would
result in the re-establiShment of that
rule.
Secretary Hollis spoke cheeringly Of
the financial standing of the associa-
ton. He commended the social feat
ures. On the annual junket the manu-
facturer and retailer get closer together,
and every member derives benefit from
contact with tee others. OF the future
lie said:
The nature of our association today is
naturally a very bright one. In the territory
which we cover there are 1920 legitimate re-
tail yards. Out of that number as I have