Arrun tACo.

Privately owned housing starts totaled 124,600 units in October, up 2 percent over the revised September total of 122,100 and 13 percent above the 110,400 units started in October 1960. On a seasonallv adiusted basis October privately owned starts were at in annual rate of 1,442,0N units, up 4 percent over the revised rate of 1,380,000 units in Seotember.

Noir-farm housing starts numbered 124,9O0 units in October, down 1 percent from the revised September total of 126,200 units, but 13 percent greater than the October 1960 total of 110,100 units. Private non-farm starts in October 1961 were 721,900 nnits, compared with the revised total of 120,5W in September. On a s-easonally adjusted annual rate basis, October private non-farm starts totaled 1,409,000 units.

Bob H. Peqch Nomed Monoger of Hqrbor Kiln Co., Alomedo

Bob Peach was named president and general manager of Harbor Kiln Company or1 I)ecember 1. Harbor Kiln is a new shipside dry kiln and remanufacturing operation located at Encinal Terminal in Alameda. A native of \Alashington, Peach is a graduate of tl-re University of Washington and for 16 years was president and owner of Washington I-umber Sales, fnc., Tacoma, a wholesale lumber concern. More recently, Bob harl been with Simpson Timber Company at San Jose.

Ooklqnd Lumbermen Plqn U. 5. Steel Tour

Oakland Hoo-Hoo Club 39 will enter the lair of competition, so to speak, when the club tours the Columbia-Geneva Steel plant in Pittsburgh the evening of January 15. In charge of arrangements are Bruce Jacobsen, Sun Valley Lumber Co., and Jim McClintock, Diablo Valley Lumber Company. The plant tour will be followed by liquid refreshments and dinner at the Diablo Motel in Pittsburgh. Tour schednle and timing will be announced in a coming issue of the Club 39 "Meolv."

Herman A. Smith, legendary southland lumberman who started his wood products careerat the turn of .the century, died December 13.

Born in Canada, Herman was raised in Watsonville, Cafifornia and gained his basic wood products education at the mill level way back in 1906. He was ,considered one of the pioneer southland wholesalers and for many years was Los Angeles rnanager for Dant & Russell.

Since the close of World War II he operated his own wholesale lumber concern in Glendale, but retired several years ago.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret, and daughter, Jacqueline.

Herman Smith's 'passing is regretted by ali, and he rvill be missed by his many friends in the industry.

Maurice E. Collins,57,head, of the Chicago publ'ic relations firm bearing his name, died December 12.

A 1926 graduate of the University of Iowa school of journalism, he worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers in Des Moines, Ia., Springfield, \{o., St. Louis, Mo., Evanston, I11., and Chicago. At the time he entered the publicity field in 1937 he was city editor of the Associated Press in Chicago.

Mr. Collins was widely known in the lumber and tbuilding industry, having served as pu lic relations counsel for a number of trade associations and companies in those fields. Since 1955 he had also been executive secretary of the National Kitchen Cabinet Association.

Surviving are his widow, P.ggy; a daughter, Susan; a son, Dennis; and a brother, Julien.

U.S. Plywood Soles Hir Record Eornings Up 43o/o For Quqrter

Sales of United States Plywood Corporation for the second quarter ended October 31, 1961, were a record $78,994,000, up 16 per cent from $67,562,000 for the same quarter a year ago.

Earnings after taxes for the quarter were $2,786,000-up 43 per cent from $1,940,000 reported last year. The earnings, after Preferred Dividencls, were equal to $1.05 per comn-ton share in the second quarter, compared with $.75 in the same quarter in 1960.

Sales for the first six months ended October 31 were $150,997,000, a recorcl for the six-month period compared with last year's sales of $133,714,000 for the same period. Earnings, after taxes, were $5,339,000, equal to $2.01 per share on 2,566,927 common shares outstanding, comparecl with earnings of $4,061,000 or $1.58 per share on 2,451,O37 shares in the comparable period last year.

West Joins lntermountqin Lumber As Assistqnl Scrles Monoger

According to an announcement November 11 by R. E. Stermitz, Sales Vice President of Intermountain Lumber Company, Missoula, Nlontana, D.. W. West, Visalia, California, has joined the company's sales staff as Assistant Sales Manager, effective November 6. He will handle sales for Intermountain's new and growing factory op- eration which produces finger jointed and specialty wood products.

West brings to Intermountain a wealth of experience in the specialty lumber field. lfe was sales manager of Bridal Veil Lumber and Box Company, Portland, Oregon for seven years; Assistant Factory Superintendent, High Sierra Pine Mills, Oroville, California; and was in charge of millwork sales at Central Valley Box and Lumber Company, Oroville, California, for one and one-half years.

Intermountain Lumber Company, a large lumber manufacturer with an extensive line of mixed car lumber products, started the factory operation almost two years ago.

Mssonite Siding Scles Hit New High

Siding sales through the building products department of Masonite Corporation hit an all-time peak in August, to conclude the best quarter ancl the biggest fiscal year since the company entered the siding field nine years ago, accordi.ng to J. B. Palmer, merchandise manager.

The year's sales, led by X-Siding, rose tlramatically over the previous year, despite a drop of 13 per cent in single family housir-rg starts during the period.

Palmer said every division improved its performance over the preceding year, He also identified the leading building products salesmen as follows for their siding sales: R. B. Jones of Tampa, first, setting a new individual record; C. E. Shoun, Knoxville, second; Donald R. Smith, Chicago, third; tr. P. Naylor, Charlotte, N. C., fourth; W. R. Macy, Laurel, Miss., fifth; and C. A. Mower, Sacramento, Calif, sixth.

Responsible Representqtion of Quoliry Mills