\(/est Coast Lumbermen's Association Holds Annual Meeting In Portland

sources of the industry upon low-cost housing."

Portland, Oregon, January 26, 1940.-"The most important market for lumber during the past two years and the next ten years, in volume and stability, is low-cost housing," Edmund Hayes, president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association declared today, in opening the afternoon session of the Association's annual meeting at Portland. "What the West Coast lurhber industry would have done in the last two to three Years without this market I cannot venture to guess. The most important thing to be done for lumber is to organize and focus the rethe continuing program of

The morning session of the meeting was restricted to Association business and consideration by the stockholders of i.ndustry problems presented by Chairmen of the Association Committees on Lumber Grades and Inspection, Traffic, and Trade Promotion.

On the afternoon program the features scheduled to follow the President's address were talks on housing by Howard Whipple, vice-president of the Bank of America, San Francisco, and W. C. Bell, managing director of the West' ern Retail Lumbermen's Association and chairman of the Western Homes Foundation, and discussions on foreign trade by J, F. Marias, San Francisco, president of the State Harbor Commission of California, and Col. W. B. Greeley, secretary-manager of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association.

In the evening a di.nner was tendered by the Association to its stockholders and their guests and to all visiting lumbermen. Speakers at the dinner were Governor Charles A. Sprague of Oregon, E. B. McNaughton, president of the First National Bank of Portland, and John J. Gould, chief engineer of the Golden Gate International Exposition.

The subject of Mr. Hayes' address was "Our Policies, Present and Future." "The most important policy for our Association," he said, "is that of forest conservation and utilization." The industry and its organizations are spending real money on a constructive f'orestry program, Mr. Hayes declared, and to continue it the lumber industry requires markets whereby the bills can be paid. Citing the losses in West Coast lumber export trade, Mr. Hayes spotlighted housing as the market hope of the industry for the present and future. His address {'ollows, in full:

"It is rather presumptuous for any individual to endeavor to set down his ideas on such a broad subject as this. llowever, with your indulgence I shall make the attempt.

"There are probably no industrial organizations anywhere in the world today which do not have plenty of problems, let alone the nations of which they are an integral part. The lumber industry always has had many complex situations to meet, and today they seem to be pressing on us as never before. It has been and is extremely difficult to formulate and execute policies under such a set of conditions.

"First and foremost, the most important policy for our Association is that of forest conservation and utilization. This is because of our own enlightened self-interest, let alo.ne the tremendous implications of the public relations involved. It is needless to remind you that our standing timber is one of the basic raw materials of the nation. It is more than this in that our forests very materially affect the lives of most of our fellow citizens. Forest fires and insects destroy this resource. The public looks to us as custodians of these forests to carry out a policy of utilization and conservation which will ultimately enhance the wealth and prosperity of the nation.

Starting a number of years back and with considerable impetus during the period of the National Recovery Act, the lumber and logging industries of this region have gone a long way in fire prevention and in leaving sources of seed supply for restocking'cutover lands. Each day larger numbers of operators are giving serious study to placing their holdings under a sustained yield type of management. It is the policy of our Association to further in every way the development of a forestry program that comes to grips with this problem and aids our operators in making practical application of it.

"During the recent Congressional Hearings held in this city o.n a policy for national conservation of our forests, it was shown that a large proportion of the high-grade, merchantable timber in the United States stands in the Pacific Northwest. A very considerable volume of this stand is overripe, and if our people are to get the fullest utilization of this resource it should be harvested as fast as possible in an orderly fashion.

"The consensus of opinion in our Association, cooperating with the Pacific Northwest Loggers Association, seems to be that the i.ndustry is anxious to develop:

1. Further State regulations tending toward a constructive and workable forest policy, based upon methods tested by experience.

2. Increased appropriations under the Clarke-McNary Act for fire protection, which is the very hub of any forestry program.

3. A realization on the part of the public and the nation that to make possible a workable forestry program the lumber industry must have markets whereby the bills can be paid.

"Our forestry committee and stafi are giving this subject continuous and concentrated attention. A considerable part of our budget each |ear is spent in this direction and rightfully so. If we wish to endure as an industry, if we are to meet the demands of the nation for a proper handling of the problem, we must give this policy our increasing attention.

"A policy relative to our markets, is, so to speak, the other major activity of our Association. This has many ramifications which I shall endeavor to touch upon.

"Support for low-cost housing in the United States has been the principal objective of our own trade promotion program, together with that of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association which we have quite generously supported. As suggested a few minutes ago, it is not possible to carry on a satisfactory forestry program if our industry lacks maikets and is economically destitute. The most important market for lumber during the past two years and the next ten years, in volume and stability, is lowcost housing. What we would have done in the last two to three years without this market I cannot venture to guess. The most important thing to be done for lumber is to organize and focus the resources of the i,ndustry upon the continuing promotion of low-cost housing. This should include: l. Demonstration of better designs, cost-savi,ng method of construction or equipment along the lines successfully developed by the National Small Homes Demonstration. Research should be rprovided, adequate to keep this stream of new designs and ideas in low-cost housing constantly flowing.

2. Cooperation with retail lumber dealers in community home promotion, publicity, home displays, etc., 'along the lines developed by Western Homes Foundation.

A tremendous driving power in organizing, publicizing and leading home building can be created by cooperation of lumber manufacturers with groups of retail dealers, all over the United States-with the purpose of making the retail lumber dealer the leader in home building in his community. This cooperation should be organized, on flexible lines, under the leadership of the particular dealer group. It should bring into play all the resources of the manufacturers, in home demonstrations, publicity, displays of models, etc.,-in accorda.nce with what the responsible dealer groups believe will be most effective in their localities.

New methods of cooperation will constantly be developed. One that should be considered is 50-50 cooperation between manufacturers and dealers in local newspaper advertising-in communities well organized for home promotion and rvith favorable housing and pay roll conditions.

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