\merican celebrates 75th anniversa ry

of a dul1. ac.cltditt'd grading age,rc-y," Corman said.

The congressman also pointed out that congressional committee hearings currently underwav ori "Voluntary Industrial Standards and their Effect on Small Business" have demonstlated a need for. fuller participation by small businessmen in tht, entire -standards - making process. He also said there appears to be insu{ficient liaison between the Fedt:ral Housine Administlation and the standards pro. grams administered by the Department of Commerce,, resulting in separate standards.

"I am fcarful that the present plywood standard is resulting in the consumers receiving some ploducts that are woefully inadequate." Corman said, although he commended the basic approach of the ply. n'ood industrv in basing standards purel.v on performance. He said the lumber industry, in time. will also have to adopt such an approach. and he called for a simple method for stress grading.

"The case {or mandatory grading . is becoming stronger; however, I don't feel that this should imply the need for federal grading other than as a last resort," Cor.man told the lumber wholesalers.

Outgoing \AWLA president A. D. Bell. Jr. of San Francisco, told delegates that ". it is up to lumber wholesalers to bring alrorrt an a\rareness on the part of oui suppliers of their deteriorating position in their st'arch for the building dollar." Bell said that manufacturers are still lareelv production-oriented and that mill sales managL.rs have too little knowledge of the ultimate use of their products.

B. M. Hoffmeister, Vancouvcr, 13. C. president of the Council of Forcst Industrie,s of British Columbia. reuorred that ''a critical slage ]ras been reached in the lumber industry, and it is not just a matter

Story dl d Glonce

Merchant Magazine publisher (and N-AWLA outgoing president) of making a change or two in the pattern o{ marketing and distribution. but rather a struggle for survival."

Al Bell went out in grand stylesee pictures. ceremony was one of only six at Banff in the last decade. More than 600 heard reports on historic industry changes.

Ho{fmeister said that distribution is only one oI the facets of marketing, and that the best distribution system in the world is no use to a manufacturer with a "buggy whip" product. He said that everyone in the industry the logger, mill operator, wholesaler and retailer . should be as interested in the consumel market as the building contractor. He said the lumber industry must stop selling the proper. ties of a 2x4 and talk to women in terms of the complete package, even if it includes the lot, the mortgage, the design, and tht' range and barbecue.

(). C. Edgett, Portland. vice president of the W'estern W'ood Products Association, reported on rccent decisions of 16 major lumber trade associations to concentrate a portion of their promotion dollars in cooperative ventures aimed at improving the industry's image in thc marketplace.

Paul S. Plant, Vancouver, B. C., lrrttber wholt-'saler, said the lumber manufacturer must come to know there is a difierence between merchandising a product and trading in a commodity. He said that merchandising is the creating of a nced, while trading takes place where a need already erist-s,

A. H. Zimmerman, president of Northwood Mills, Ltd., 'foronto, told the 600 attending that prices of Iumber must be raised to "at least a subsistence level so that some realization can appear on new capital and results might justify wage and other costs now incurred."

"Changes, however, are taking place in the character of the whole industry which will permit its economic survival," Zimmerman said.

"(Jn the domestic scene we believe that in the near future lumber will be sold packaged to widths and lengths and. where necessary, paper wrapped and loaded on A-frame type flat cars holding 70.000 to 80.000 feet." Zimmerman said.

Next year's National-American meeting will be held at The Homestead. Hot Springs, West Virginia.