Forest Products Reseorch Society Annuol ffleeting in S. F. Covers the Ground - Even Discusses the Deoler's Problems

An estimated 1,000 wood products research and technical experts from throughout the U. S. and Canada assembled in San Francisco last summer for the five-day, 13th annual meetTS of the Forest Products Research Society, held at the St. Francis hotel, and one o{ the highlights of 1959's industry gatherings.

"Research for Profit" was ttre theme of the FPRS meeting, and the 80 technical papers and panel discussions scheduled covered the wide range of studies undertaken by the wood indugqy to develop new and improved uses for forest products.

Highlights of the conference included a talk by the nbted San Francisco Architect, Henrv Hill. on "An Architect's Use of Wood," in a special session devoted to Industry-Education.

Lieutenant General James M. Gavin, USA (Ret.), executive vice-president of Arthur D. Little, Inc., research'institution, addressed FPRS delegates at the official luncheon.

One of the lumber industry's most pressing problems, Merchandising, was the topic of a panel discussion-titled "Woods Promotion-Whose Responsibility ?" It presented the views of lumber retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. The manufacturer's -viewpoint was presented by S. A. Bishop, vicepresident for sales, Union Lunrber Company, San Francisco.

Another feature of the FPRS meetiltg was-a series of all-day torrrs of Northen-r California wood proclucts installations: to Michigan-California Lumber Co.'s pirie mill at Camino; Fibreboard Paper Products Corp., Antioch and University of California Forest Products l-aboratorv, Ricl-rnrond. Liter tours were scheduled to Union Lumber Cornpany's redwood nrill at Ft. Rragg: Masonite Corporation. Ukialr, ind l)iarnond-Gardner Company's plant at Red Bluff.

General chairman of the 1959 FPRS rleeting was Raymoncl H. .Berry of Scott_Lun-rber Company, I3urnev,-Calif. piogran-r chairman was E. S. Harrar, dean of the School of ForJstrv. Duke _University, who was also FPRS president-elect. Outgoing_FPRS.president was W. Jeter Ilason, Nickey Brothers, Inc., Memphis, Tenn. Arrar.rgel.r.rents for tlre convention were handled by the Northern California Chapter of the Society. Convenfion social activities were arrarrged by \\/illianr G. Van IJeckum of The Pacific Lunrber Conrparrv-. Sari Frarrcisco, chairman of t[e^Fospitality conrmittee, included a wine-tasting party and the FPRS Party, both at the St. Francis. A paul li*y.i, Cocktail Cruise on San.Francisco Bay was arranged by B1,"1ng Manson of Simpson Redwood Company.

A- special prograln for the wives of F'PRS <lelegates incluclecl conducted tours of San Francisco and its shoos.

New officers to head the 3,800-menrber Forest Products Relearch Society during the con-ring year were installecl at the S_ociety's 13th annual meeting. E. S.-"Scotty" Harrar succeeded W. Jeter Eason. New president-elect of the Society, who will serve as president during the 1960-1961 ternr, is Raynroncl H. Berry, Burney, California. Installed as vice-president for the coming year is D. K. Saunders, Westbrook, Maine.

Afrong lhose louring the Ri<hmond loborqtory were ( left to rightl Bo.lon Ecklund, J. Ellon !odevi ck (Weyerhoewer), Ovme Kendgq, (Dow) Willim ,rrli ler ond

Willim

G. Padghom (Fluorl

Confe.ring qt lhe Rlchmond Ldorotory ore E. l. Kolok (retiredl, Fred E. Dickinro ( lcrbcolory dire<lor) md E. Hobort Collint (Weyerheuler Cmponyl

Researcl-r papers exploring the cause of wood warping and the basis of woocl adhesion won first and second places in tl-re 1959 National Woocl Award competition for young scientists from the Ur-riversity of California and Yale lJniversity, presented at tl.re annual nreetitrg of the FPRS.

First place went to Arrro P. Schniewind, assistant specialist at the Uhiversity of California's Forest Products I{rboratory in Richn-rond. Second place wirrner was Harland G. Freeman, sracluate student in the Yale University School of Forestry. "

Schniewind's paper entitled "The Transverse Anisotrop,v of Wood as a Fuiction of Gross Anatouric Structure," deals with across-the-grain variatior.rs ir-r the shrinkage properties of woocl as these ire related to gross ar.ratomic structure. The exoerimental work was cottclucted at the U.C. Laboratory using Cajifornia black oak as a test material. Freet-tlau's paPer was "An Ar.ralysis of Sonte Irhysical and Chenrical Properties of Wood in Relation to Adhesion."

The l3th atrnual nreeting of the Forest Products Research Society "reaffirmed wood's position as tl.re perfect renewable natural resottrce," according to the Teunessee lumberman, W. Jeter Eason, the retiring presiclent of the FPRS. Easou saidihe diversity of technical papers preserltecl "proves that the Inmber ir.rdustry's interest in fort.r.ral research will enable it to realize its full econotnic potential."

Architect Hill told the clelegates that arcl.ritects "respect wootl and want to tlse it wisely ar.rd well." But he ernphasized that architects cauuot tolerate waste atrcl that some are going aheacl on their owu to simplify strttctural cletails and to cut down the complexities of specifications held over frot-t-t the past.

Another departure from the purely technical tone of the rnajority of papers given at the n-reeting was the panel discussion clevotecl to "Wood's Promotion-Wl-rose Responsibility?" Panelists were Lumber Dealer Albert B. Ratner, Forest City Material Co., Cleveland, Ohio; Lumber Wl-rolesaler L. J. Fitzpatrick, J. J. Fitzpatrick l-umber Co., Nfadison, \\ris., and Sherman A. Bishop, San Francisco, vice-president irr charge of sales for Unior.r Lurnber Co., who represetrtecl the lumber mall1lfacturer's viewpoint.

Speaking fof lumber retailers, Ratner declared that, "Because tl-re lunrber manufacturer alone stancls much bigger than anv ildiviclual wl.rolesaler or retailer, the majority of wood prorurotion ancl advertising nrust fall on l.rim." Ratner added, "I oersonallv feel that research is where the manufacturers have ;. .i .r talleo ure nrost.

Lumber Wholesaler Fitzpatrick said wood prourotion rvas the <luty of evervone who uakes his living from wood-not just the wholesaler arrd the retailer, but the equipment manufacturcrs, tin.rber operators and such as well. He also declared that lumber retailers should promote wood, emphatically, because that is the only exclusive item they carry.

Mr. Bishop acknowledged that the prime responsibility of wood promotion rests with the manufacturer. However, he pointed out that the manufacturer's efforts are wasted if the retailer and the wholesaler fail to take advantage of these efforts.

New hooe for rclive Weslern hordwoodl moy be oliered by the procer <olled rolvent tesoing. In thi! expe.inenlol lmber drying unit trighl) ql the Univertily of Colifomiq's Forerl Produ.tt lcrborolory, Richnond, tmoqk sopwood lmber hc been procesred in or ihort q time qr 2I hourr with very few leq3oing defecti. Shown ir the Gqtrol Pdnel, the riclsgulqr exltqclol unit (2q, boord-fot copocifyl, blower for solvenl recovery, 3till ond <odenser, od lok! fol tolvenl rlolQe. WqtFn Feoring is the U. C. rereorcher mc*ing the le3lt.

Bishop also noted that, through associations, the small_ producer is-large, in answer to Ratner's claim that steel and aluminum production is more or less controlled by a few firms, while lumber and lumber products are being manufactured by thousands of sawmills throughout the U. S.

Topics of papers ranged from such technical_subjects as "Preparation bnd Properlies of Hydroxymethyl Furfural," by J. F. Harris,L.L.Zochand J. F. Saemon of the U. S. Forest Products Lab, Madison, \Mis., to more general subjects such as "salvage Logging," by John Miles, Simpson Redwood Company, Arcata, Calif., and "A Sawmill Man Looks at His Drying Operation," by E. P. Ivory, Dinuba, Calif., lumberman.

The flavor of French-Canadian internationalism will dominate the 1960 meeting of the Forest Products Research Society when delegates from the U.S. and Canada convene in Montrea-I, Quebec, this year, according to new Society President E. S.

"Scotty" Harrar. Announcement of the site for the June 5-9, 1960, meeting was made at the 13th annual meeting in San Francisco.

The Montreal gathering, scheduled for the Queen Elizabeth hotel, will be the first outside the continental United States, Harrar said. "We will attempt to stress the international aspects of forest products research and relate the application of product development to home-making and every-day living."

General meeting chairman will be Donald K. Saunders, of Saunders Bros., Westbrook, Maine. Program chairman will be Raymond H. Berry, Scott Lumber Co., Burney, Calif. With an international membership of nearly 4,000 individuals, Saunders anticipates that about a thousand delegates representing the 14 regional FPRS sections will attend the Canadian meeting.

FPRS Eastern Canada Section Chairman Robert DeGrace told delegates to the San Francisco meeting that reservations for the 1960 meeting at the Queen Elizabeth hotel were made in 1955, when structural steel was about at ground level in the new hotel.