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JOE MAYFIELD president of the Lumber Merchonts Associotion of Norlhern Colifornio 4516 El Coninc lol, Sullc 0 lor Aftor, Co. 91022 (4151 9/al.l6l7

T HIS is a special message to all I retail lumber and buildine material dealers of Northern California and Nevada who are not members of LMA and to the suppliers who are not members.

There is no doubt in anv of vour minds that inflation is going io be with us until it has run its course. Reeardless of what the federal gouernme-nt may attempt to do all we can do is keep our heads above water.

We are all in the industry to earn our livelihood and our existence is being threatened. Those members of LMA have been sharing the burden of fighting state and federal legislation designed to take away our livelihood. The battle is becoming morE fierce and we need the help of all dealers. not iust the 60% who currently belong to the association.

New legislation is adding hundreds of reports to our overburdened store staff More are coming. Under the disguise of inflationary expediency new government bureaus will be born and new legislation with attendant reports will be coming at us. More restrictions will be placed against us and our ability to operate under the free enterprise system.

All of you should be members of your trade association rather than let us carry your load also. We need your assistance. We need youi moral support and we need your numbers if we are to effectively represent the entire industry. We are at a time of crisis in our industrv historv when we must confront our legislators en mass as total industry representation.

We have witnessed our effectiveness on Caoitol Hill in saining passage of the Forest and Resources Act and the Omn-ibus Housing Bill. We have also witnessed defeat this year of the Consumer Protection Agency. We know what numbers in our industry mean to the legislators. There are even tougher legislative problems ahead of us; problems that require l007o of the industry backing if we are to prod legislators to vote in our favor.

You can no longer sit back and let the other guy shoulder your problems in addition to his. He is doing his damndest to help keep his industry alive. Now it is your turn. Contact us at the above address.

Woltern Lumbcr md Bulldlng iletcrlalr IUIERCHANT reporting to our office. Results count and we are informed that several associations indicated they will institute similar programs for the young industry people in their regions.

By ROSS KINCAID executve director

Arny Kirkebo is doing well. Following an examination that indicated an excellent recovery to this point, his doctor last week gave permission for short walks. No projection, yet, as to when he can return to the office.

The executive committee has concurred with the decision by Arny & Emilie that he should not again be placed under the stress of the executive director's position; instead Arny will, when sufficiently recovered, return to his former duties.

Yours truly has been named executive director for a period of two years or until such time as a successor has been determined.

Gay Rochel has been employed in the general office activity as a replacement for Ginger Lewis who on November I joined her husband in a business venture.

Shelley Szpek terminated her employment with WBMA on November 22, following the convention. She is moving to Aberdeen where her future husband is employed.

Four members of our Young Westerners' Club: Andy Boyd, Boise Building Supply; Art Burke, Simpson Building Supply; Larry Knudsen, Lumbermen's of Washington, Inc. and Ron Pulliam. Palmer G. Lewis Co. received high praise for their individual and collective presentations. "Fantastic" was the word used by one person

The National president was sufficiently motivated by our Young Westerners to plan immediately for such an effort nation-wide. Congratulations, fellows, for a splendid job!

C.E. "Chuck" Link, Boise Cascade Corp. and immediate past president of WBMA was elected to the high office of secretary of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. Congratulations to you, Chuck! WBMA was well represented at the annual meeting that topped recent years for numbers in attendance (in addition to those above): W. Stewart Orr (NLBMDA director) Three C's Lbr. Co., Grants Pass, Or.; Robert Slettedahl (NLBMDA treasurer) Lumbermen's of Washington, Shelton, Wa.; Jerry Williams (NLBMDA alt. director and WBMA president) Valley Best-Way Building Supply, Spokane, Wa.; Robert Linville (WBMA director) Boise Building Supply, Boise, Id.; Pete. Sylvester (WBMA director) Pete's Lumber & Supply, Seaview, Wa.

NNONTANA NtrWS

By R.V. PETERSEN executive secretary

Accepting the inevitability of adoption in this country of the metric system, the lumber industry has been gingerly approaching the problems which this change will pose throughout the industry.

Adoption of new standard lumber sizes which can be represented in millimeters instead in inches is currently a matter of serious discussion at both the manufacturing and retailing levels.

Presently, serious consideration is being given to reduction of present dimensions in nominal 2" lumber to some figure below the present actual l%" dimension. Attention seems to be focusing upon a l-3/8" basic dimension. Under this scheme, a "2 x 4" would have actual dimensions of l-3 18" x 3-9 116". Converting this to the nearest equivalents in the metric system would give a size of 35 x 90 millimeters. Under such a change, nominal 6" widths would remain at the current 5y2" - or 140 mm; 8" lumber would become 7-7 ll6" or 190 mm. Similarly, 10" and 12" nominal widths would scale 240 mm and 290 mm respectively (9Y2" and I l-9l16").

At the retail level, many dealers feel that the proposed l-3/8" dimension is too small and would not serve the requirements of the industry. Nor are the considerations sufficiently advanced at the manufacturing level to have produced any unanimity of thought. Doubtless, much debate and argument will have taken place before any approach to general agreement can be attained. Even though the ultimate conversion date is still several years in the future, the psychological conversion required of the individual and the change in physical characteristics in the product are problems which must be given serious attention.

Speaking on this problem at the Phoenix meeting of NLBMDA, from the background of experience in Australia's recent conversion to metrics, C. Max Hayman, visiting with the Australia Timber and Building Material Merchants, outlined the difficulties faced by their industry. He reported the situation as one of confusion and frustration which will take some time to overcome,

1975 Distribution Directory

North American Wholesale Lumber Assn. has published its annual directory of members and is distributing the 84-p. book to over 5,000 wholesalers, manufacturers, large retailers and industrial buyers.

Termed the "Who's Who" of forest products marketing, the directory provides an up-to-date listing of 415 wholesale and 110 producing firms that make up the 525 member trade organization.

Over 50 new member company listings are in the directory for the first time, reflecting NAWLA's growth.

New Denver Glub Officere

Dick Gittings, Gittings Lumber Co., Denver, is the new president of Denver Hoo-Hoo Club. Don Quist was elected v.p.; Darrell Barham, sec. and Max Hittle, treas.

First order of business was to transfer a portion of their treasury to W.O.O.D., Inc., the energetic local forest products promotion organization.

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Sierra Glub Criticized

During Congressional debate recently on a bill to enlarge the boundaries of the Grand Canyon, Rep. Craig Hosmer (R-Ca.) lashed out at the Sierra Club's motives in no uncertain terms.

Among other things Hosmer had to say about the Sierra Club, a long time lumber industry foe, was that "it is an organized lobby consisting of a bunch of people who go out throughout the country and get other people to contribute money to them, and who make fat salaries, as they run around fighting on the socalled environmental issues that they probably dredged up themselves to begin with.

"Then, in this instance, the bill here, what have they done? They come in and jump on some poor Indians, less than 500 Indians, who are trying to develop some property so that they can live. They oppose the bill on the grounds these natives of America would spoil the environment. How mixed up have we managed to get? That is the issue here.

"The Sierra Club lobbyists have to have another victory so they can keep themselves in their lush jobs. They go from battle to battle like paid mercenaries without regard for values other than their own, without regard to the ultimate costs to society from their depredations.

"I am not a voice crying in the wilderness. I am a voice crying from downtown America which the environmentalists are trying to lock up and turn into a park for birds and bees and animals first and people last. "

TREES At{D