Story at a Glance

long run. Stanley Dennison of the Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports said that his group is pleased that the U.S. has recognized that Canada is subsidizing its lumber industry and that they are hoping for a negotiated settlement.

Harold Fletcher, executive vice president at Stringfellow Lumber Co., Birmingham, Al., said "It hurts" although he says he is caught in the middle because they handle both domestic and Canadian species.

''I'm glad it was retroactivel' he said. "As a wholesaler of both Canadian spruce and domestic production it is very unfortunate. We depend on the best of both American and Canadian lumber and understand that both sides have valid positionsl'

"I think it will be resolved by the Canadian government coming up with some sort ofinternal taxl'he said. "I'm sure they would rather keep the money than have it go to the Statesl'

Some retailers were livid over the duty which they feel will increase the price of lumber and hurt both sales and profit. A spokesman for Lowe's said he personally has been opposed to the tariff from the beginning and so told the committee (those hearing testimony from retailers in considering the question). He termed the dufy an unnecessary inflationary price increase harmful to the building industry. The effects are being felt with significant price increases already, he emphasized, creating "an accounting nightmarel'

Skip Plage, a lumber buyer at Scotty's, Winter Haven, Fl., said "I was against a tariff, but now it's a fact. There's not a whole lot you can do about it. After all the initial hoopla is over, it'll just become another cost of doing business, just like freight or anything elsei'

Regardless ofhow they feel about it, you can be sure that retailers, wholesalers and producers on both sides ofthe border are keeping a wary eye on the calendar and hoping that a truce is reached before the spring buying season is in full swing.