Lumber's "scotland Yard" Booming

By Arthur \(/. Prioulx, Public Relations Director \(/est Coast Lumbermen's Association

Out in the \\rcst Coast I)ougl:Ls fi r ir-rdustry, apparently cverybody loves policemen. Ho'iv else account for the fact that the lumber industry's remarkable "Scotland Yarcl"-the West Coast Bureau of Lumber Grades and Iuspections-today boasts its alltime largest membership of supporting mil1s.

Orr January l,1952, this unique organization claimed 501 melnbcrs u'hose combined output of West Coast species accounted for 75/" of all lumber manufactured in the Douglas fir region. This years ago it could nrrmber orrly

\Vhat has caused this rather astounding grorvth ? During the war years, 'ivhen grade-marked lumber brought a preurium ancl many mills s'ar-rted and neecled the servicc of this bureau, membership held about even. The big grou'th has been in the past half a dozen years.

To Holrard L. Brown, veteran of 32 years in the lurrbcr business and general superintendent of \\rCBI-GI, the increasing popularity of the Bureau is a mystery to be solve<l by the original Scotland Yard.

To H. V. Simpson, manager, the grou'th oi the llurcurr rel)rcscnts an increasir-rg acceptance of the irrtegrity of the lJureau grade-nrark throughout the nation an<l continrring confidence in the hand-pickecl 180 inspectors ancl slll)cfvisors rvho make up the stalT.

Sin-rpson pays Bron'n credit for the Bu:-eau's uniformly high standing throughout the lumber manufacturirrg ancl consuming areas.

"Bro\'vr1 has the ideal temperament for this most cliffictrlt post," Simpson pointed out. "He has the highest personal intcgrity and demands the same unassailablc traits irr his rnen. FIe is fair."

Ilest evidence of the high esteem in lr'hich this grading and inspection Bureau is held, Simpson ol'rserves, is the fact that mills lind it easier to sell lumber u'hich is under the supervision of the inspection bureau. Both buyer anrl scller accept the final decisions of this unique organizatiorr l'ithout question. The government recognizes its gradenrark irrtegrity.

The Burean has seven main functions, ancl to financc lhese activities \\rest Coast sau'mills last year spent $1,331.722.67. In addition, mil1s iii the same region spent anothcr large sum in 1951 in support of the Pacific Lnnrber Inspection Bureau whose inspection u'ork is largely in car^',r for export.

Fcw other industries in the nation approach this monururental effort of the West Coast lumber industry to guarar.rtee the uniform quality of its products. The expenditure of nearly $3,000,000 annually by this region to iusure rtn<l maintain quality product controls is one of the highrn'ater marks in industrial honesty.

XIain purposes of the Bureau are:1) to rvrite, adopt ar-rcl rnake available grading rules for the \\rest Coast species; 2) to interpret these rules; 3) to supervise the grading plactices at the member mills so as to insure that the correct standard of grades is maintainecl at all times; 4) to ecltrcate and instruct people in correct grades and grading procedure; 5) to maitain and supervise the correct gradernarking of lumber rvhen its official grade-marks are used; (r) to inspect ancl certify and shipment of \\/est Coast species upon request; and, 7) to reinspect any shipment of West Coast species upcn request.

.\ny manufacturer of West Coast species in the pro<lucing area can be a member of this Bnreau. Ninety per cent cf all lumbcr mlrnufactured in the area is rrnder the supervisicln of a clualificd grading burcan. If not a lnemlrer, any prorlucer in the producing area ()r user of West Coast species can have use of any of the Rureau's services at a reasonable charge. All services of the Bureau are frrrrrisl.recl at cstimated cost. Grarle-marl; stanlps are guarded zealouslv ancl use of these U. S. Government registered symbols is closely supcrvised {or ir.r their proper use lies thc strength of this most linicquc of all industry-fir-ranced police forces.

First efforts to create a uniform sl'stem of grading or.r thc Pacific Coast rvere underta.ken in 1901 and rules adopted at that time became the basis for rules later enlarged and cxpar-rdccl by thc West Coast Lumbern.ren's Association gracling departr-nerrt u'hen it rvas founded in 1911. Thcrc still exists a gra<ling rule book datecl l89S aurl issrred bv California buyers of West Coast specics.

Superintendcnt Bros'n lras a "Little Scotland Yur<l" organization, even to the namcs of his staff members. Directly beneath him is H. H. Bethell, assistant general strperintenclent, 'ivho rvas raisecl rvith a tu'o-by-four in one hand ar.rd a gradir-rg rule book in the other. liight merr serve as clistrict supervisors at eight Bureau offrces scattered rrp and dorvn the Pacific Coast and into the principal consuming areas of the east. Thirty men, with a coml>ined cxperience ir-r lumber of more than 1,0@ years, rnake up the srrpervisorv staff. Still retaining tl-re flavor of Scotland Yard is the next and most llumerous bracket. the 150 inspectors rvho lTandle much of the on-thc-spot u'ork of the Ilurearr.

Brown picks these men from the cream of the crop. They have to be not only good, but superior.

Flere's an idea 'ivhy the Bureau is so effective and t'ell thought of generally by lumbermen. Durirrg l95l the 30-

I r$/e now carry the following Baxco Pressure Tieated Foundation Lumber in stock at Alameda and Long Beach for immediare sbipment to dealers:

Douglos Fir S45 ALS 2x4,2x6,2x8,2x10, 3x4,3x6,4x4ond4x6.

Special sizes will be purchased from local stocks and pressure treated without delay.

Ve offer prompt custom treating service at both our Alameda and Long Beach plants. Your lumber can be delivered to us by truck or treated in transit in carload quantities. Consult us for additional information.

Honest Abe

(The Rail Splitter)

Whqt connection is there between ABRAhAM tlNCOIN ond HOBBS WAtt?

During the doys Abrohom lincoln wos serving os President of the United Stotes HOBBS WAtt storted their business in Del Norte County, Colifornio. The following 86 yeors hove estoblished the HOBBS WA[[ repuHONEST, DEPENDABTE the lumber industry.

Baxco Pressure Tieated Foundation Lumber is impregnated with preservative salts in accordance with Fed. Spec. TT-\(-571c. k is approved by FHA, Uniform Building Code - P.C.B.O.C., State Architect for mudsills in School Construction, and U. S. Government Specifications.

Orr/zn t/4rtor4qrh aaa ana,tp,tt Sald Olhcz man supervisory staff made 8,467 calls and visits to mills. One purpose of the calls was to educate mill employes. This is done through close personal supervision and intensive training. A training program for mill graders occupies some of their time. Graders are approved to use WCBLGI grade stamps only after they have been checked out three diffe:ent and consecutive times by a Bureau staff member and only after they have proven that they can ruaintain a grading efficiency of at least 95/o which is the allowable tolerance of human error perrnitted.

The lumber industry has taken every possible precaution to insure maximum service to the purchaser of West Coast species. Bureau offices are maintained at Seattle, Eugene. Medford, Los Angeles, Washington and New York, in addition to Portland headquarters. Resident supervisors are maintained the year around at Eureka, California; Kansas City, Missouri; San Francisco; and Chicago.

While the Bureau is the final and sole authority in interpretation of West Coast lumber grading rules, Bureau officials are constantly working to improve and per{ect the rules. Bureau officials work with the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory at Madison in a constant series of tests ar-rd samplings to maintain stress and strttctural grade standards. They consglt with architects and engineers when compiling grading rules.

What many people maybe don't know about modern-day grading rules is that they a:e based on intended use of the particular piece of lumber. There are still appearance grades in the finish and clear items, but now, structural and stress grades are developed on the basis of what they will do in a particular job. Today an engineer and designer or architect knorvs exactly how a given grade of Douglas fir or West Coast hemlock will perform, for irnpartial laboratories have made exhaustive tests. Thanks to these tests, lumber today is an engineering material.

The GI's obstacle-course tune-ups are kid's play compared to the mental gymnastics which Superintendent Brown puts his supervisors through at regular intervals. His inspectors and supervisors are hand-picked from industry, but they must submit to rigid training, frequent examinations, actual grading tests in front of their fellow supervisors. A 1.000 years of critical knowledge watches their every move in these nerve-shattering tests.

Probably the answer to this rapid increase in membership in the famed West Coast Bureau is that the grade-mark has become the Lumber Hall-Mark of integrity.

Accident Prevention Program Recommended Olympic Promotes Saler"Personnel For Logging and Lumber Operations

As a result of a two-day meeting of the Forest Products Section of the California Industrial Safety Conference, a sharp drop in injuries in the lumber and logging industry is expected.

At a meeting in Sacramento on January 2l and 22, with Derby Bendorf, The Pacific Lumber Company, Scotia, co-chairman for management and Martin Balke co-chairman for labor, the Forest Products Section drew up recommendations that it will offer at the conference in San Francisco on February 18 and 19.

A major recommendation is the creation of an accident prevention program for even tl-re smallest lumber or logging or other forest products concern.

The Forest Products Section emphasizes certain desirable features that should be incorporated in a safety prog'ram, particularly the formation ofjoint managementemployee safety committees, with employee participation to be encouraged by rotating membership, to allow the greatest number of employees to do their part in the drive to reduce accidents and injuries.

The Safetv Committee, it recommends, should regularll' inspect all operations, report unsafe working conditions : discuss lvays of preventing a recurrence of injuries; and use films, lectures, and discussion in the effort to save life and limb.

These recommendations will be presented for action to the California Industrial Safety Conference, called by Governor Earl Warren. The conference will cover every industry in the State, and will be well attended by representatives of labor and management.

Olympic Stained Products Company of Seattle has announced the promotion of several key personnel in their sales {orce which is being enlarged in a drive to complete their program of national distribution. The company. formed in 1934, are pioneers in the pre-stained shake industry.

Philip \\r. Bailey, president of the company, announced t'he follor.ving changes to become effective immediately: Rurr Oclell becomes general salds manager in charge of all sales of all products of the company; Henry Smith becomes mid-western sales manager with headquarters in Denver; Vincent Moss will represent the c'o,rnpany in the southeast rvith headquarters in Houston ; George Bourne u'ill har.e charge of the Atlantic seaboa'id sales witl-r head(ltlarters in New York; Forrest Wilson of San Francisco r,rrill 1-randle California sales. Other assignments include: Darl Parliament, Inter-Mountain territory rvith headcluarters in Spokane; William Bailey, Oregon territory; and David lfugl.res, with the Pacific Northl'est and Alaska ten-itory. 'rvill u'ork from the main plant in Seattle.

Ntr. Bailey states that the sales drive rvill be backed by the largest advertising campaign in the company's history rvith both magazine and nervspaper advertising to be u'sed, plus special promotions for use by the individual lumber clealer. It is the intention to have Olympics available by tlrc cr.rd of the year to every dealer in the country through his rvholesale distributor. Mr. Bailev savs.