Give Us Freedom to Produce Housing

V. Simpson, Executive Vice President, \Uest Coast Lumbermen's Association Offers an Answer to "Housing Shortoge" Agitation

On my desk is a long dispatch from Washington that recites a series of measures the Civilian Production Administration is considering to increase the production of home-building lumber. Beside it is the Chief Forester's Annual Report, presenting recommendations for decreasing lumber production. These two items represent just one of the many current collisions of Government agencies baked or rvholly unfounded charges were piling up because of slowness in home building in such areas of over-population as Portland and Seattle. Recently in Seattle a mayor's conference came to such conclusions as these, as published on the front pages of the city's newspapers:

"The chief bottleneck to new contruction is lack of building materials, particularly lumber.

Pcrt lumber cnd shingles cvcilable, but with no work lor cr month on 30 ol lhe units ct the time picture wqs taken Note house ot lelt wilh bocrded-up windows+no worlc on it since September, 1945. The builder slqted thcl grecter lumber supply would be oI little help in hcstening completion ol this iob cnd stcrting <r trew one, while there were yet critical shortcAes in other building matericl items. The $64 queetion on the progrcm of home building in Seqttle aad Portlcnd, cg in most othei creqs ol the country, ie, "When will there be cn cdequcte supply ol building labor? How long will we hqve to stand in liae lor ccrpenters crnd hod ccrriers?" "Whct is lhe home-building picture in your community?" agks H. V. Simpson. rvhich catch productive industry in the middle and beat down its freedom to produce.

Everywhere in the country a hue and cry is being raised about "the housing shortage." Nine times out of ten "the lumber shortage" is given as the main restraint on home building. Public opinion is being stirred up against the building industry and the lumber industry by the conservative press ald.politicians as well as by the Leftists. "Housing for the veteran" has succeeded "Bring the bo1'5 home" as a theme for agitation.

So there you have it in two paragraphs, perhaps oversimplified, but representing the two sides of the general situation in the field of home building and its basic material. lumber.

Let's get the facts on the building situation everywhere, and publicize them. We have begun to do this in the producing region of the West Coast lumber industry. Half-

"OPA pricing policies have resulted in a substantial diversion of lumber to the Mid-West. the East and California.'

"The supply of building labor, except for highly skilled craftsmen, will be adequate when sufficient materials are available."

There lvas more, much more, but those three paragraphs show how the heat was put on materials, "particularly lumber," in such meetings and how the shortages of building labor and their causes were glossed over,

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association went after the facts, with an investigator, a prominent building contractor, and a cameraman. The facts were dug up and pictured and the Seattle press gave them a good play. The only weakness in the factual story was on the labor situation. Contractors were naturally reluctant to put themselves on the spot with the sources of control over their skilled labor supply.

We were able to show, however, that construction on a hundred homes in Seattle was being held up by lack of rock lath-and also that contractors who had lath were unable to find hod carriers ! Our cameraman caught views of brick sidewalls half corapleted, with no bricklayers in sight or in prospect.

In Portland work was halted on a large project for lack of 16-penny framing nails. And there contractors were standing in line for carpenters.

These are just snapshots of a stock of facts that rvere brought out for public information. No attempt was made to cover up a shortage of lumber. But 'ive did shorv that the effort of the West Coast lumber industry to spreacl its product equitably among its old friends of normal trade, in the markets of the Mid-West, the East and California, was not the prime reason for the slowness of home building in our over-crowded cities of Seattle and Portland.

Probably the nation-wide agitation on "the housing shortage" rvill cause charges to be made in some cities of the Mid-West, the East and California, that the Pacific Northwest is using so much of its own lumber that home building elsewhere is being unfairly deprived of its basic material.

I am sure that in every such center the same sort of investigation that has been made on the West Coast will show that the worst shortages are in labor and in materials other than lumber.

The West Coast lumber industry is plannipg and working with might and main to produce for its normal markets and old customers everywhere in the country. Industry leaders believe that lumber will be ready when labor and

THANKS!...

From hoppy cuslomers ore yours. when Hcndityle is used to modernize new or old conslruclion. LongJosting, luslrous, eosy-lokeep-i;gqt finishes. For home ond commerciol instollolions. Smortly sfyled designs ond colors. Easily opplied over exisling wolls.

other materials are ready; that builders will be able to get plenty of lumber n'hen they have all else that is needed to get up steam and roll out on the main line of American home building.

Ho'wever, West Coast lumber faces tl-re big IF that all private enterprise faces in planning its future. That IF is freedorn to produce. If all of tl-re industries and businesses that make up the home building industry are given freedom to produce, then all of us rvill knorv that we can plan and move by the old rule of American progress-the law of supply and demand. While that rule is inoperative, tl-re lumber industry, with other industries, faces uncertainty and confusion.

Mean'ivhile, let us keep unity in the building industry and rvork together to present the plain, unvarnished facts on "the housing shortage" to the public everywhere.

New Yard in San Ccrrlos

County Road Lumber Co., San Carlos, Calif., was opened for business February 1. The partners are Bert Hasselberg and Arthur M. Paulson. Mr. Paulson, who is a son of the late Arthur M. Paulson, Paulson Lumber Sales Agency, San Francisco, was recently discharged from the U. S. Marine Corps. He had 35 months service, was a Corporal, and rvas wounded at Leyte in the Philippines.

Mill Ceilings ol Southern Pine Lumber

OPA announced that the average increase 1,000 board feet in mill ceilings of southern became effective Feb. 20. (Amendment 15 to vised MPR 19, effective Feb. 20.)

of $3.25 per pine lumber

Second Re-

Specific Invoicing Features lssued For Yard Salec of Softwood

An amendment to the revised Maximum Price Regttlation No. 2l5-Distribution Yard Sales of Softwood, effective January 22, 7.946, sets forth the specific information vi'hich must appear on an invoice covering a yard sale of softwood.

All invoices must contain a sufficiently complete de' scription of the lumber to show whether the price is right or not; i.e., grade, quantity, size, condition of dressing, pattern, species, and afiy other extra or specification u.hich affects the n.raximum prices. The amount added for each extra or specification does not have to be shown separately on the bill; except on sales of lumber to be shipped outside the United States, in which case, the invoice must also shor'v the actual expenses incurred in making' such shipments. The invoice must further reveal 'ivhether working kiln-drying or treating was done by a distribution yard or custom establishment and if done by the latter, a copy of the bill for such services must be attached to the distribution yard invoice. Any addition for delivery must be shorl'n separately on the invoice.

Where the invoice for a sale of lumber does not carry a sufficiently complete description to show that the price appearing on it is within the maximum prices fixed by this regulation, the maximum price applicable to such sale shall be the maximum price of the lowest priced item under this regulation to which the description could apply. In the absence of any description at all, the maximum price shall be the lo'n'est price tl-rat can be computed under this regulation.

(Amendment No. 15 to Second Revised Maximum Price Regulation No.21S-Distribution Yard Sales of Softrvood; effective lanuarv 22, 1946.\

With Moncrch tumber Co.

R. O. Wilson, rvell knorvn wholesale lumberman, is now associated with Monarch Lumber Company, Oakland, as purchasing agent. He has completely recovered from the illness which kept him out of circulation for a while last fall, and has made several trips into the lumber producing regions of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

SanFrancisco Lumbermen'r Club

A record crorvd caused some to be turned away at the meeting of the San Francisco Lumbermen's Club (sponsored by Hoo-Hoo Club No.9), held at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, February 19.

Members enjoyed the Louis-Conn 1941 fight pictures and the opportunity of meeting so many of their fellow lumbermen.

President Dave Davis presided, and Al Nolan conducted a very successful raffle. Prizes r,r,ere awarded as follows: bottle of bourbon, John Helm; bottle of scotch, Art Field; 2 lbs bacon, O. L. Russum; 3 lbs. bacon, W. B. Jefierson; I lb. butter, Frank Boileau; pair nylons, Bob Gehring.

It rvas decided to form a bowling team. Aspirants should phone Fred Amburgey, Pope & Talbot, Inc., DOuglas 2567, for particulars.

Secretary-treasurer Paul E. Overend reported a paidup membership of 130. Dues may be mailed to him c/o California Redu-ood Association, 405 Montgomery Street, San Francisco 4.

Lumber Inspection Services Suspended Irom Price Control

Lumber inspection servibes performed by non-profit org'anizations not engaged in the business of selling or distributing lumber have been suspended from price control, efiective February ll, 1946. Laboratory testing services rvere alsg suspende-d.

(Amendment No. 69 to. Revised Supplementary Regulation No. il to the General Maximum Price Regulation; effectir,e Februarl' ll , 1946.)

9 Ccrgo Ships lor Pccilic Coast

Washington, Feb. 1S.-The War Shipping Adrniuistration today announced allocation of nine coastal cargo vessels for the Pacific coastwise service. The ships are expected to "greatly alleviate" the railroad car shortage in the Pacific northwest and California. Three ships were allocated to the Coastwise Line, three to Pope & Talbot, and one each to Olympic Steamship Co., Burns Steamship Co., and James Griffiths & Sons.

Qucrliliccrtions oI a Salesman

1. Must be a man of vision and ambition^ an afterdinner speaker, before and after dinner guzzlet, nite owl, work all day arid drive all night and appear fresh the next day.

2. Must leirn to sleep on the foor and eat two meals a day to economize on traveling expenses so he can entertain customers in the next town.

3. Must be able to entertain customers, wives, sweethearts, and stenographers without becoming too amorous.

4. Must inhale dust, drive through snow ten feet deep and ten below, and work all summer without perspiring or acquiring B.O.

5. Must be a man's man, a lady's man, a model husband, a fatherly father, a good provider, a plutocrat, Democrat, Republican, New Dealer, Old Dealer, and a fast dealer; a technician, a politician, a mathematician, and a mechanic-

6. Must be sales promotion expert, create a demand for obsolete merchandise, be a good credit manager, correspondent.

7. Must attend all dealers' meetings, tournaments, funerals, hospitals, jails, and contact all accounts every six weeks.

8. Must in spare time look for new business, do missionary work, and attend factory sales conferences.

9. Must have unlimited endurance for wine, women, and song, wind and gab; a wide range of telephone num' bers in all principal cities.

10. Must have a good car, and attractive home, belong to all clubs, pay all expenses at home and on the road on a 5 per cent commission.

11. Must be expert driver, talker, liar, dancer, traveler, bridge player, gin rummy, poker hound, golfer, diplomat, financier, capitalist, philanthropist; and must be an authority on palmistry, chemistry, psychology, physiology, dogs, cats, horses, blondes, brunettes, red-heads, etc., etc. etc.

Memories

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and when, f have forgotten. And what arms have lain Under my head till morning; but the rain Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh

Upon my glass, and listen for reply. And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain, For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in the winter stands the lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished, one by one, Yet knows its boughs more silent than before; I cannot say what loves have come and gone, I only know that summer sang in me A little while, that sings in me no more.

-Edna Vincent Millay.

The Dog Thct Obeyed Orders

A gang of negroes were sitting around during the noon hour, eating lunch out of their tin pails and at the same time doing much discussing and discoursing, as is the custom of colored folks under such conditions. The subject of dogs arose. Hunting dogs, smart dogs, all sorts of dogs. Several took the wraps off of their imaginations and recited marvelous feats of intelligence performed by dogs they knew or had known. One story led to another, the lies getting bigger as they went along. Finally Amos Johnson cut in for the first time:

"You know whuts I thinks? I thinks dey ain't none o' youse whut knows whut a smaht dog reely is. Nossuh, I don' believe you does. Now lemme tell erbout my dog. I gots me a dog whut unestans evathing I says t' him. An' evathing I tells dat dog t' do, he doos hit. Yassuh ! Why, when I leaves home in de mawnin', I jus' say to dat dog, I say'Boy, are you comin' wid me, or aintcha?' Dass all I says. An' you know dat dog eithah does or he don't-yessuh-eva time."

Getting Out cr PcPer

Getting out a paper is no Picnic.

If we print too many jokes, they say we are silly.

If we don't, they say we are too serious.

If we stick to our own stufr, they say we lack variety.

If we use other people's stuff, they say we are too lazy to write.

If we don't print the things folks send in, they say we lack appreciation.

If we do, they say we print a lot of amateurish junk.

Some rascal will probably say we swiped this from some other paper.

That's right. We did.

My Golf Clubs

How dear to my heart are my mashie and niblick, My driver and putter, my brassie and spoon, My midiron so thrusty-although they're all rusty, I'll be clouting yon pill with you all very soon.

With my spoon I will bash it, that ball-I will mash it, O'er bunker and sand trap, o'er bushes and lake, I'll loft it precisely, and make it land nicely, Then one lonesome putt and a birdie I'll take.

Oh ! Would that I could make my golf dreams come true, In glee and in gladness quite loudly I'd yell, But when I have dubbed every shot round the iourse, I wish every club in the bag was in Hell.

New Construction Activity

New construction in January 1946 totaled 9503,000,000, an increase of 6 per cent over December and 82 per cent over January 1945, the Construction Division, Department of Commerce, reported.

Privately financed construction in January 1946 reached the highest level in almost five years rvith a volume of $394,000,000. This figure represented an increase of 8.5 per cent over December and 249 per cent over January 1945. The rise from December to January was a deviation from the normal seasonal trend of about 5 per ,cent decline, it was pointed out.

Publicly financed construction declined $2,000,000 frorn the December level to $109,000,000 in January. The volume of publicly financed construction in January 1945 was $1e,000,000.

' In the privately financed group, residential construction (exclusive of farm dwellings) amounted to $138,00O,000 in January 1946 and showed only a small rise-3 per centfrom December. Constru,ction of stores, restaurants and garages increased 24 per cent from December to $46,000,000 in January, and industrial construction advanced IZ oer cent from December to $l 11,000,000 in January. Privatel-y financed public utilities construction continued at a fairlv even pace rvith $48,00O,000 in January as compared r..itir $50,m0,000 in December.

The volume of publicly financed residential construction in January amounted to only $1,000,000, the same as in December, and public non-residential construction also remained'unchanged at $31,000,000. Military and naval construbtion continued its downward trend, dropping 10 per cent from December to $17,000,000 in January. Highway 'construction amounting to $25,000,000 in January reflected seasonal influences in a 14 per cent drop from the previous month. There rvere small increases in January in hospital, institutional, educational, and sewer and rvater construction, and in expenditures for conservation and development projects.

Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo Meeting

Frederick Richman, prominent lawyer and apartment house owner, was the speaker at the Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo Club luncheon meeting at the University Club, Los Angeles, February 26. He gave an interesting talk on the housing situation. President George Clough presided. There was a good attendance.

Terrible Twenty Golf Tourncment

Bob Mason won the first prize, a sterling silver goblet, with a net score of 68 at the 237th Terrible Twenty .gol{ tournament held at the San Gabriel Country Club, San Gabriel, February 15. Ed Bauer and Curt McFadden rvere tied for the second prize, each turning in a net 7l score, and they will play-off the tie at the next tournament.

Elected Board Chairman of Allied Buildins Credits

James Twohy, for the past six years Governor of the Federal Home Bank System, has been elected Chairman of the Board of Allied Building Credits, Inc. president W. A. King announces also the election of H. W. Brower as Board Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Executive Committee.

Before entering Government service, first rvith the I{ome Owners Loan Corporation and then with the Home Loan Bank System, Mr. Twohy was president of Twohy Brothers Company and an officer and director in various Western companies.

Allied Building Credits, founded by the Weyerhaeuser group, and recently acquired by the Giannini interests, will expand its porverful financing facilities to material and equipment dealers, builders and developers supplying the home building and repair n"rarket. New offices, in addition to its present 32, rvill be opened throughout the country.

"We hope to make our operations a post-war example of rvhat private industry can do in promoting good construc_ tion and sound realty appraisals on the basis of lotv-cost credit for veterans and other home-seeker5,', said Mr. Tvvohy.

New Hcrdwood Ycrd in Los Angeles

The McKinney Lumber Company, which rvill handle principally hardwood lumber, has opened a ,,vholesale yard at ll7l9 South Alameda St., Los Angeles. 'The business is owned by Arthur S. McKinney, and will be managed by his brother, S. A. McKinney.

S. A. McKinney has been corrnected with the hardwood business since 1914. He has spent the past fourteen years on the Pacific Coast, selling lumber in the Los Angeles area from 1931 to 1933 for the Slattery Hardwood Company, and from 1934 through 1938 for the Angelus Hardwood Com_ pany. He was with the E. L. Bruce Company, San Fran_ cisco, as warehouse foreman, from 1940 through 1944.' As_ so,ciated with him in the operation of the yard will be his brother's son, Verlon D. McKinney, who is at present at_ tending the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, and who served as a First Class Petty Officer in the Navv during the war, enlisting at the age of seventeen, serving four years and recently being discharged.

The company has completed the erection of offices, ware_ house and sheds, and are beginnning to get in their opening stocks of lumber.

Los Angeles Visitors

Warren B. Wood, San Francisco, president, and I. B. Wood, Oakland, vice president, E. K. Wood Lumber Co.. .were recent visitors at the .company's Los Angeles offi.ce.