The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-14

mental labor. ] had IL to do ou account
OF high water. | was up 10 my waist In
water, and so were my men. Now. do you
expect me to make a speech to you intclll-
gent gentlemen. after doing such work as
that? BE this as 1t may. MIR. President.
am here for business. | have heard the
reports Of all these committees OF this tao
Eleventh annual convention. OF which |
was one of tho orginators. and l generally
try to be present at every meeting and |
am here today, but wanted TO see what
was going on and confer with you gentle
men In regard to the future OF our bust
hess. You have heard great deal said
about the depression outside of the lumber
business well as in 1t. l have not heard
a remedy. Mr.. President. Have YOU heard
| a remedy from these committees? with
all their reports | have waited patiently.
| thinking there would be a remedy for the
woes that we have had for the past year.
| Nothing has been done at the committees.
What are we to do? Tho question arises
at the present time. What is 10 be done
| What Is the matter with the lumber bust
ness? | can tell YOU. Yes. see you gaze
| in my face for an answer Supply and de-
mand? Tho supply is more than the de-
mand, and YOU have tried to remedy this.
and have YOU done it? No. What you
have got to do Is to get a market outside
of the United States. You have too much
|
many retailers Then. wha. are we going
to suggest for a remedy? You have heard
r.othing so far. and Won have heard nothing
| fer the last eleven wears. Nave YOU please?
| Now, II is better to think of these things.
| We have hard times: the lumber business
has bean depressed. did not expect to he
here TODAY and ! did not expect TO make
a speech, AMI am not making a speech.
| but IL occurred TO me on the slecner-I
generally awake at o'clock IN the morn
| ing-to think Of this convention. and l
thought of a remedy or suggestion, and
It seemed TO me like this that If we could
! formulate large corporation for export
and general business and capitalize that
! corporation NJ half a million Or a million
dollars for the purpose of exporting lum-
| her outside of tho States in which We
manufacture. and have offices at the differ
| cnt leading points--Galveston New Or
leans and some points in the foreign coun
tries such as London or some Of the sea-
| ports on the COMMUNICATING all these
| offices harmonious with the general office
in the United States. for that reason We
could dispose Of large amount of lumber
outside of the United States. Unless Won
do you have got to curtail YOUR manufac-
ture, l am talking about the manufactur-
ors. Unless YOU curtnil the product of
your manufacture you have got to have an
outside market at the present time Why?
Because the products that we raise in the
United States are very low. AS our wor
thy MAYOR Of Houston said-and he is
quite an enterprising gentleman. and he
spoke to he point .ehen tho cotton crop
is bad the lumber business Is nothing.
And II we raise big crop of cotton or Il
big crop of wheat. or any product we de
pend upon, and bring but little money.
what are We going to do? We have 10
find foreign market. and we nave i'd
vHntagcs that no other country in the
wcrld has. We can export lumber to every
portion of the globe if we only put our
heads together. Whv. when | look at this
intelligent body Of men. and the amount
Of capital that is invested in this lumber
business throughout the South. and here
is the eleventh annual convention md not
one of YOU has ever come forward for the
purpose of formulating anything of the
kind so that We can export. OF course
there is a good deal Of exporting being
dcne which is helping manufacturers; I
admit that. but whether il Is done In the
right kind Of way | am al a loss TO
know; | have not heard. And I mention
these things because. gentlemen. | mean
business. don't want TO come here and
sit down and have n good time although I
like n good time in its place II I am an
old man-but I like TO he here and confer
with you young men and add my ideas to
yours. il ] have any that are worthy OF
your consideration. and II seems to me that
intelligent gentlemen such as we are-I
know that we are as smart any one in
the United States or in the world-shoud
do something. ! don't give up to any one.
and we have tho capital. and l can look
upon n good MANY faces here that have
been successful in business: and why
should we stand idle and fold our hands
in this beautiful city of Houston? Thev
have made us welcome here. and what are
we doing. sitting like stulting bugs doing
nothing? Now. gentlemen. IL wns in tho
vigor Of life could take hold of this thing
aud push it through TO finish with your
backing. and know that it will te sue
cessful: and will mention here that with
what interest I have in the manufacture
OF lumber, that ] will nut in $4,000 in
stock. or moro II necessary because II has
been hobby of mine. and have exam
ined into H. md I know II can be made n
success, Now, YOU NAV think OF these
things during the convention.