Ducks And Dollars

By H. V. Simpson, Executive Vice-President \(/est Coast Lumbermen's Association

Jim sold his lirst stick of lumber across the tailgate of a flat becl s'agon more than fortl' years ago. He likes to be the last man out of his yard at night and likes to take one last pron'l around before locking up.

I u'ent past the shelves of paint and past tl"re hardrvare displaY and out into the lumber shed. Jirrr l'as lcttirrg a nise gray e-ve roanr over the bins before su'itching off the light.

"E,r'ening, son."

"Jin.r," I saicl, "l've got a prollIeur."

He grinned a little. I'r'e lteen taking the tough ones to him for a long time. "l)on't clrag it out," he said. "I got me tn'o mallards last tveekerrd and rve're having them for sttpper."

"I u'on't." l r.rrtlrlc<l rlon'rr thc shed. "Jim, r'ou stockirrg arry No. 3 ?"

"Nope."

"\\rhy not?"

"Because lny ctlstomers like No. 1 So that' rvhat I stock. No. 1."

"Ancl 1'ott don't think they'd be interested," I asked, "if they kneu'thet'cottltl save theltlsell'es some t.ucluey bv using No. 3 ?"

"Ther* clon't like the look of it," Jim saicl'

"Nobody likes the look of seu'er 1>ipe," I said. "All they're interestccl in is n'hether it n'ill d<l its joll."

Jim cocked his evebror\-s at me. They're shaggy ancl gray, and he has a trick of leveling then-r as if they rvere six-shooters.

"N'[avlle l'nt not sttrc aurl nravlrc tuY cttsto'tttcrs arcll't sure that No. 3 rvill do its jolr."

"Irver rvatched an old house lleirtg tortr rlrlrvn?" I said.

"Plentv o{ 'eut."

"Then you've u'atched the lurnber being stacked up to be used again someu'here. That ntear.rs thc lrrmller n'as better than the house-it u'as lrcttcr lttmlrer thittr the lluil<ler needed to bul'."

"So rvhat?" Jim said.

"\Vell." I said, "n'lten that lumber r.vas bought, the price spread betu'een the ltest grade of lumber and the lorvest grade l'as onlv a feu' dollars. I-umber tvas lllentiful and cheap. The point is that lttn'rber isn't a cheap commoclity any more."

"Tell me something I clorr't knol," Jinr saitl. "I'trt getting hungrr. for those ducks."

"All right. \\rith lrrmber cheap and in surpltts, nobotll stopped to \vorry about the grade they used. The llest cost only a little more, so people bought it. Even ii the Iumber rl,as ten tinres as good as it neecled to be, the extra cost tlicln't matter much. But those days are gtltte."

"Just hon' do vott trteatt ?"

"The chances are rve u'on't ever again have the big surpluses that made lumber a cheap itenr."

"You mean u'e're running ottt of timber?"

"Not bv a darned sight. lJttt n'e're rut.ttlirrg closer to the llreak-even point on supply ancl denrand. And trou'adavs Iumber is being grarled a lot closer on tl.re llasis of practical usability. Instead of u'astir.rg ottr lttmber u'e're going to have to push proper use."

"That's a big order." Jim said.

"Not too big. And it's the onlv u'aY out if rve're going to gir,e people lou' cost housir.rg. It's comtnon sense ecol1omv."

"Just hou' do r-ott figrrre the ecotloml' ar-rgle ?" Jim u'auted to knou'.

"Figure it for yourself. Just last n'eek No. 3 Douglas frr u'as selling for tu'er.rty'-fil'e to thirtv dollars a thottsatlcl ieet less tharr No. 1."

Jinr began to 1>ttll at the llristlirlg tuft of an eyebron', the n'ay l.re does u'hen he's thinking. "That much? Used (Continued on I'age 20)

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