Progress ,in Private Forest Management Discusses Special Problems of the Lumber

(Continued from Page 6) ests by selective cutting. Such old growth slands give the real opportunity for sound forest practices. In the Western Pine Region, according to latest government statistics, there still remains upward of 30,760,000 acres in all ownerships classified as old growth. The total volume in all ownerships is estimated at 503 billion board feet of metchantable softwoods of which one-third is listed as privately owned. California's pine area is estimated to have over , one-third of the total; or 171 billion board feet. Oregon's pine area is second on the list with 103 billion board feet or about one-fifth of the total. Idaho is our third Western Pine state with 61 billion feet: Montana is fourth with 52 billion feet; and Washington is fifth with 45 billion board feet.

It's not all a matter for the future. In this business of assuring a long-time timber supply there have been some noteworthy activities in the woods. In 1946, for example, individual trees were marked on a.selettive basis in Cali.fornia by foresters on 68,792 acres, and of this 19,479 acres were privately owned. In addition, practically all the remaining private land harvested in 1946, amounting to over 124,W acres, was cut under the diameter limit method. By this system trees below a specified diameter are left as a seed source and for a second crop. The diameter ordinarily observed is from 18 to 22 inches for the pine species and in some cases it was as high as 36 inches at breast height. From a forestry standpoint it's not so much a matter of leaving a certain size but rather to have sufficient numbers oI seed trees left and an adequate number of trees reserved for the second harvest cutting. There is ' good indication that such developments will continue toward more and more intensive forest Dractices.

Change in Name

Shevlin Pine Sales Company announces that efiective January l, 1948, its operations will be conducted under the name Shevlin-McCloud Lumber Company.

The new name is the only change involved and the policies, offices, personnel and products sold will remain exactly the same as heretofore.

Industry at Wage-Hour Law Hearing

Washington, D. C., December 19, 1947---The special problems of the lumber industry in cohnection with existing and proposed definitions of "executive, administrative, and professional" employees under the Wage-Hour Law were laid before the Administrator of the Wage-Hour Division today by R. A. Colgan, Jr., executive vice president, National Lumber Manufacturers Association.

In discussing "executive" employees, MrlColgan recommended the elimination of both the salafy test of $30 per week and the 2O per cent tolerance as to the number of hours of nonexempt work that may be performed. He pointed out the variety of jobs in the lumber industrv which are truly "cxecutive" because of their responsibility, yet cannot be judged by such artificial criteria as the 20 per cent tolerance test.

"We believe that the only fair and logical way to apply the executive exemption prescribed by Congress is to judge the job on its actual content, and drop both the salary requirement and the hours of nonexempt work requirement entirely," Mr. Colgan stated.

With regards to "administrative" employees, Mr. Colgan also pointed to the fact that "fairness can be achieved only by judging the job on the basis of its content." ". it is an economic reality that administrative work is variable and the employees doing it simply cannot be restricted to doing particular things 'at particular times," he said.

In discussing "pfofessional" employees, Mr. Colgan urged that the regulation be .amended to give less emphasis to the provision that the specialized knowledge of professional employees be customarily acquired through formal education. He cited timber cruisers as an example of a highly professional category whose training must stem from onthe-job experience rather than from any formal education.

"We believe that this type of employee is actually a bonafide professional man and should be permitted to come within the professional exemption," he said.

"Increasing the salary requirement or reducing the allowance for nonexempt work will deprive bonafide executive, administrative, and professional employees of the exemptions to which they are entitled," Mr. Colgan concluded.

Purpose of Western Pine Grading Certificates

For many years the Western Pine Association has issued Grading Certificates to capable graders whose work is checked regularly by the Association's Grading Bureau and found to be up to required standards. These certificates are issued to graders as "badgbs of merit," and as incentive for graders to do better work. They also give employers or prospective employers an indication of graders' ability, reliability and experience.

fn order to safeguard its use, each Grading Certificate states clearly on its face that it does not entitl6 the holder to make official Association inspections of 'shipments, expires one year from the date of its last renewal by the Association's Chief Inspector and is automatically canceled when the holder is no longer employed where his work is checked regularly by Grading Bureau inspectors.

The ability of certified graders is so well known in the industry and among its customers that a few shippers have attempted to capitalize upon that reputation by having graders who may hold certificates, now invalid because their work is no longer being checked, sign statements on invoices, giving the numbers of the certificates issued to them and "certifying" to the grade and tally of the shipments. Lumber hungry buyers, though unacquainted with the shippers, occasionally have relied upon these "certifications," paid sight drafts for 100 percent of invoices, and then been disappointed with the lumber they received.

There has been very little complaint upon the work done by graders hplding valid certificates. fssuance of these certificates undoubtedly has done much to improve the grading work in the Western Pine region. However, buyers should understand that the mere fact a grader at one time was issued a Grading Certificate does not guarantee the grade of a shifment. It is still important to know the shipper you are dealing with. If he is responsible a shipment will either be up to specifications or, if something occasionally goes wrong, a settlement may be based upon an official reinspection.

Housing Units Top 500

Monrovia, Jan. S-More than 5@ housing units were constructed here in 1947, when a record-breaking $4,097,782 in building permits was recorded.

"Here's Better Jf7.y to Build"

"Here's A Better Way To Build" has been written to explain to builders, contractors, dealers and all parts of the industry just how the principles in Industry Engineered Homes Program can be applied to small home construction; and just how these principles and industry coordination can reduce home building costs.

bver 100 engineers from all segments of the have developed the material in this book.

A larger proportion of the industry has cooperated in this program than was ever grouped together in support of any other industry effort. The names of these organizations are listed on the inside back cover. They represent thousands of manufacturers of building materials and equipment, thousands of building material and equipment dealers, thousands of contractors and builders as well as certain portions of the home financing field.

It is believed that the book is simple enough in style and sufficiently illustrated to enable the serious homebuyer prospect.to understand it.

Approximately 25,000 of these books will be given to members of the industry and this number includes the actual lumber and building material dealer membership of thc 32 Federated State and Regional Associations. One book will be provided for each dealer member.

About 75,000 books will be sold at $1.00 each. Lumber and building material dealers will undoubtedly require copies of this book for local contractors, builders, architects, lending libraries, key officials interested in housing, home buyer prospects and others. They can be purchased at $1.@ each from the National Building Material Dealers Service Corporation, 302 Ring Building, Washington 6, D.C. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to return the cost of the program.

This book, the home plans, cutting and material lists, for masonry and wood frame homes, and the dealer's Promotion and Publicity Kit provide the dealer with local tools for a complete tie-in with the nationwide Industry Engineered Homes Program.

Each book being sent lumber and building material dealers contains a convenient order blank for ordering books, plans and kit. (The cutting and material lists accompany the plans).