THE SCUTHLANE

By WAYNE GARDNER executive vice president

THERE has at times been a fad among children to adorn themselves with various decorations resembling what we know as "tatoos." The one big difference is that the adornment is temporary, lasting only from the time of application until the next time the bathing ritual is performed. A real tattoo, though, is quite lasting.

The lumber industry worked diligently for years to attain a degree of uniformity with its product. Grade marking is one of the elements of the sophistication we have achieved' A grade mark denotes quality and integrity and assures the consumer that he has obtained material in accordance with his specifications, The building official can look at a building and determine that the structure was erected with material that meets the requirements of the building codes. Even those within the lumber industry must rely on the integrity of the grade mark to be aseured that the product they have is what they bought or what the customer needs.