MORTON, lNc.

1948 of West Coost lumber Products

Gcncrd Officc

Oaklsnd 6 Collf. Tclcrypc OA 26

EUGENE, ONEGON

18O6 lowrrnce 5t. Phono 6069 W

Tells Committee That Price and Allocltion Controlg Vill Not Work in Lumber Indurtry

E. Bruce Hill, president of the E. M. Hill Lumber Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, appeared before the Senate Banking and Currency Committee on Monday, Janaary 26, and told the Committee of his experience with price and allocation controls during and after the war. Mr. Hill, during the war, was chairman of the Softwood Distribution Yard Industry Advisory Committee to the O.P.A. and a member of the Lumber Retail Distribution Advisory Committee to the War Production Board. Mr. Hill appeared before the Senate Banking and Currency Committee which is considering Senator Barkley's bill, S. 1888, which would authorize the reinstatement of price controls, and Senator Tobey's bill S. 2023, which would authorize the reinstatement of priorities and allocation controls.

"The retail lumber industry is opposed to the renerval of price and allocation control at either the producer or retail level," Mr. Hill told the Committee. He explained that bitter experience has taught this industry that the reimposition of such controls would (1) retard production; (2) disrupt the distribution system, (3) result in driving commodities into the black market, and (4) present the government with an unsurmountable compliance problem.

"The distribution system was completely disrupted during and after the war by price and allocation controls," said Mr. Hill, "and the industry is only beginning to recover from the effects of those controls."

It was the very type of controls now being considered by Congress which so disrupted the distribution system that it took as long as nine months to complete a home, he continued.

Mr. Hill agreed that everyone would like to see the price of lumber come down, but in his opinion the re-establishment of contro'ls would have an opposite effect and would drive prices higher.

"What we need," said Mr. Hill, "is more production, reduced Federal expenditures, increased productivity of labor, a thorough review of the export programs, and not controls, which would only aggravate the problem of inflation."

Opercting Wholescle Lumber Business

Victor S. Roth is conducting a wholesale lumber business under the name of Triangle Lumber Co. at 600 Sixteenth Street, Oakland. The telephone number is TEmplebar 2-2497. He was formerly a salesman for Paul McCusker, wholesale lumber dealer, San Francisco, and has a sound background that includes the experience of working in sawmills.

Hoo-Hoo Club No. 39 Will Hold Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24

The next meeting of Hoo-Hoo Club No. 39 will at the Claremont Hotel, Berkeley, on Tuesday February 24. The change is due to the fact that be held evening, Monday, February 23 is a holiday.

Don Kesselring, U. S. Plywood Corp., Oakland, will be in charge of the program.

We eqmestly solicit your inquiries. We ccrrry <rll known commerciol hcrrdwoods in our lcrge inventory. Sizes, thicknesses, cnd grcdes to fit your pclrticulor needs crre ovoilcble.