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By ROSS KINCAID executive vice president

THE FEDERAL Trade Commission Report on Misgrading of Lumber released recently states that oothe masquerad- lumber has bilked consumers of millions of dollars; has reduced the margin of structural safety in innumerable dwellings and, in the afiected market areas, has im. paired competitive mores among surviving wholesalers, retailers and contractors."

At its July 23-24, 1964 meeting, Western's board of directors passed a resolu-

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This is Rosboro , with o repulotion lor quolity linished lumber products. Our extensive mill lcryout qnd modern methods enqble us to do qll things thot qre done by the lorgest lumber operotions. ond to do it the most economicql woy. Yet, being smoll, we crre oble to give personol qttention to eqch customer's needs. Mixed cqrloqds ond combinqtions of plywood, lumber qnd "stock" glu-lom beqms qre crvqilqble to your specilicotions. tion which recommended the grade-stamping of all species of common lumber prior to shipment from the producing mills. On July 25, 1966 the board endorsed the national's board action on proposed new lumber sizes taken on May 11, 1966.

In view of the FTC report, there has apparently been very little change during the past five years in the abuses of grad. ing and grade-stamping. It is startling particularly if the industry has been aware of these practices and the imminence of federal rules and inspection of lumber. The Western and its members have been and continue to be concerned. The lumber industry can ill afiord to degrade itself in the face of growing competition from competitive products and industries.

We want to extend best wishes to the following new members: Ashton Building Center, Ashton, Idaho; Island tumber Co., Inc., Bainbridge Island, Wash.; Madison Lumber Co., Inc., Seattle; Manzanita Lumber Co., Manzanita, Oregon.

New associate membeis of WBMA are: Tommy Thompson Plan Service, Bothell, Wash.; Masons Supply Co., Portland, Ore.; Don J. Young Co., Inc., Yakima, Wash.; Neuman Supply Co., Eugene, Oregon.

ALSC Still Trying to Cope

The American Lumber Standards Committee, meeting recently, considered a number of issues relating to the proposed softwood lumber standard.

They did not achieve the required 75 percent majority vote needed to re-submit the proposed new standard to the Department of Commerce for processing under its new standards procedures. Failure to achieve this majority is attributed to earlier unsuccessful attempts to reach agreement on the grade writing jurisdictional issue. Key issues discussed by the ALSC included related sizes for dry and green lumber, working stress development and approval, and grade writing jurisdictional problems.

Newest efiort to defeat the proposed new lt/2" dry standard involved a proposal to establish the existing standard sizes at the green condition and equate dry sizes downward. The proposal was described by foes as being completely unworkable since it would result in odd unrelated fractional thicknesses and widths for dry lumber which would be unacceptable to designers and consumers. This group also proposed that Modulus of Elasticity values (MOE) for lumber be predicated on lowJine rather than the average values which have been used successfully for many years.

Committee debate on the grade writing monopoly for a single agency in each region was confused, many said, both by the wording of the motion and the unfamiliarity of new or alternate committee members with the complete issue.