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E!a urews & E] v[@ws
JIM WEBBER president of the lumber iterchontr Associotion of Northern Cqlifornio'a5a6 El Gonlno leol, Sulb O
16 Afto., Ca.91022 lar51 94r-r617 f AM going out of office as Your r president ln a blaze of glory. It is gratifying to know that during mY term of office a major action has been accomplished by the dealers .as a group.
Many of you aro unaware of the tremendpus amount of time and Personal expense a few of our members expended to represent all retail lumber and building material dealers in our march on \Mashington' We are grateful for this outstanding representation. l*'t tt*'*
As I fade into the dusk of past presidents it is important that I summarize our march on Washington for you and tell you that as a result many congtessional and committee actions are now being taken to help us in our crisis.
With the LASC group we visited Senators Cranston and Tunney and 18 state representatives to impress upon th-em the seriousness of the current crisis and the need for con' gressional action. The following recommendations were given to them: (1) Control or limit log exports. (2) Permit the allowable timber harvest from federal lands to be cut and increage allowable cut when required. (3) fite federal budget must include more money for the increased reforestation and better management, using modern technology, of federal forest lands. (4) Seek ways to increage rail-car production to meet the nation's growing needs and remove the chronic rail-car shortage. (5) Congress was urged to give careful consideration to the need of maintaining and increasing lumber production without imposing the rigid profit control mechanisms which have proven to be counter productive.
Both senators Cranston and Tunney expressed concbry'r and agteed in the actions proposed. T\relve of tie 13 representatives contacted were of the same opinion and indicated support; however, our representative stated this problem was not in his area of interest and we should seek action elsewhere.
The general opinions resulting from all contacts made are: (1) There is little hope for an embargo on erports because of the balance of payments problem; however, there is a possibility of a temporary or limited ernbargo on log export depending upon the pressure put on President Nixon who hag authority to impose an embargo. (2) Senators were familiar with the lumber problems but. representatives, in most cases, were not. (They were after we departed). (3) Representative Wilbur MiUs stated that he favored an increase in the Forest Service budget to increase present allowable and actual cut and to permit proper forest management to insure a sustained yield for the future. (4) Representative Dave Martin (a Nebraska lumber dealer) re-introduced a bill. Thet bill includes most of our recommendations mentioned above.
'We are certain you will all agree that this march or lVashington was highly successful to this point, but con. tinued pressure and follow through action are required.
Hobbs Wall does more than offer you lumber from a the phone daily cedar, hemlock And we take of those mill best buy n mills. We take to best sources of fir, pine, everything in redwood* regularly to check the outPut 0ur goal: to arrange the delivery every tiine you order.