The Passing of Theodore B. Lawrence

The sudden passing of Theodore B. Lawrence on Monday morning, February 17, in Los Angeles, following a cerebral hemorrhage, was a deep shock to the Pacific Coast lumber and shipping industry.

He had been in good health and actively engaged in the affairs of the Lawrence-Philips Lumber Company and Lawrence-Philips Steamship Company, both of which he headed as president, and as usual was at his office the Saturday before. Sunday afternoon he became ill and was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital where he died the next morning at 7:00 a.m. He was 47 years of age.

He was born in Tacoma, Wash., and throughout his business life was associated with the lumber business. He started with the Hart-Wood Lumber Co. in San Francisco in 1911, and in 1922came to Los Angeles to be manager of their Southern California operations. The Hart-Wood Lumber Co., which for many years did a large wholesale lumber business in Southern California discontinued these operations at the end of. 1929. Mr. Lawrence, and his business associate, D. R. Philips, who had also been a member of the Los Angeles force of the Hart-Wood Lumber Co., organized the Lawrence-Philips Lumber Co. on January 1, 1930.

Lawrence-Philips Lumber Company are selling agents for several Northwest mills and carry on a large wholesale lumber business. They are large shippers of lumber into the Southern California market and operate three boats in the coastwise lumber trade.

Several years ago they organized the Lawrence-Philips Steamship Company, and Mr. Lawrence directed the affairs of this end of the business. He loved the steamship business, and as he sat at his desk in his office, was surrounded by the many photographs which he had collected of ships, windjammers and all types of seagoing vessels, which adorned the office walls. You could always find him at Los Angeles Harbor whenever their boats .rvere discharging cargoes.

Ted Lawrence, as he was popularly called, enjoyed the affection and esteem of the entire lumber and steamship fraternity. He was a fine gentleman, and a high-class business man. He had a keen knorvledge of the lumber and shipping business on the Pacific Coast and his advice was often sought by other members of the industry.

He was possessed of a most pleasing personality, loved his fellow man, and was extremely devoted to his friends. His friends in the lumber and shipping business were leg- ion. He will be sadly missed and the industry mourns one of its finest members.

Mr. Lawrence was one of the organizers of the Southern California Wholesale Lumber Association and always took an active part in its affairs. The following eulogy was delivered at the meeting of the Association in Los Angeles, February N,by Russell Gheen:

"Mr. President, guests, and members of the Association.

"As you all know, one of our most honored and respected members, T. B. Lawrence, passed away last Monday morning and some of us thought it would be fitting to pay a final tribute to him today, and I consider it a privilege and honor to perform that duty.

"Most of you were friends of Ted's of long standing-l5 years or more. I have always considered him to be a man of great ability in the lumber and shipping world; a man who always fulfilled his obligations; a man who could always be depended upon to do what he said he would do -in fact, one of his pet expressions, as many of you well remember, was, 'ff I said I would go, I will go.'

1'Due to this long association and acquaintanceship, each and every one of us were very close to him in a business and social way and I knorv all of you considered him a friend-even though some of you did not see him for long periods of time. We all feel that we have lost a true, loyal, dependable friend and one lvho cannot be replaced in our lives.

"You have often heard Grantland Rice's lines which read like this :

'For when the One Great Scorer comes To write against your name, He marks not that you won or lost, But how you played the game.'

"And the greatest tribute we can pay to Ted I-awrence is that he always played the game 100 per cent."

During the \['orld War he was a captain in the Army. He was a member of Lumbermen's Post No. 403 of the American Legion, Jonathan Club, Wilshire Country Club, 'and two maritime organizations, the Propeller Club and Bilge Club.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Josephine Lawrence; his mother, Mrs. Willora Lawrence; and two sons, Theodore Gibson, and Richard Davis Lawrence.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, February 19.

New Plan of Lumber Purchasing by Government for Defense Needt

A neu' plan of lumber purchasing by the government for defense needs went into effect this week.

Under the new plan a successful bidder for government lumber rvill receive an award for deferred shipment. Only producers having more than a certain minimum production rvill be considered.

The Southern Pine producing area has been divided into three districts.

District No. 1, comprising Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky, will be arvarded approximately 100,000,0@ feet.

District No. 2, Virginia and Pennsylvania, approximately 35.000.000 feet.

District No. 5, Louisiana, Texas. Arkansas. and Missouri. approximately 100,000,000 feet.

These awards are scheduled to be made in Washington. February 24,East of the River mills (District 1) ; February 25, the West of the River Mills (District 5) ; February 25, the mills in District 2.

The West Coast mills were scheduled to bid on lumber up to 100,000,000 feet at Seattle on February 27.

Each producer must present evidence of planing mill facilities sufficient to work 75,0m feet per day and must have adequate and separate storage f'acilities for holding the lumber. It must be stacked separate from all other lumber. The stacks must be roofed and marked with the size and date of completing the stack. There must be ample fire protection. 50 per cent of the total award must be placed in storage piles on or before May 1, 1941 and this proportion of the unshipped balance must be on hand at all times after that date.

No bidder will be allocated less than one unit of 1,000,000 feet for piling at one mill. No offers will be consildered except on 100,000 feet of an individual item, or in multiples of IO0,O0O feet. No one will be given an award of less than 1,000,000 feet nor more than 10,0@,00O feet.

Shipments will be made to points and on dates as instructed by the Quartermaster General's office and shipments must begin within 2 work days after receipt of release and continued as instructed at the rate of not less than 3 cars per day. Shipments rvill not be required be{ore June 1, 1941 nor after October 1, 1941.

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