California Building Permits for January

Southern California Retailers Protest Absorption ldea of OPA

Orrie W. Hamilton, secretary-manag'er of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association, Los Angeles, on February 21 sent a telegram to Geoffrey Baker, deputy administrator, in charge of price, Office of Price Administration, Washington, D. C., protesting the absorption idea of OPA. A copy of Mr. Hamilton's telegram follows:

"\\ie learn OPA has action in process requiring retailers to absorb increases given at mill level on fir lumber and hardrvood flooring. If true, .rve hereby register bitter opposition. Such action r,r.ould rvork a severe and unjustifiable hardship on 450 retail lumber dealers in Southern California. Further action of OPA forcing absorption by retailers of nrill price increases w'ill bring disastrous results on a very large number of dealers r,vho already feel they have been irnposed upon unmercifully and driven beyond all reasonable limits u'ith the many unreasonable costs they are n()\\' required to absorb, such as freight differential on rough green lumber u'hich is rnuch heavier than estimated average l'eights; and also on lumber shipped from points beyond Portland; remanufacturing costs sustained in their production of boards, dimensior.r, ceiling and siding; rerouting and custom mill remanufacturing charges; \\'age and salary increases amounting to as much as l1/o, u'hich n,ere given follorving issuance of \\'.L.B. General Order 40, in settlement of strikes and to avoid threatening laltor trorrble ; etc. Failure o{ OPA to recognize this growing resentment torvard unfair aud intolerable conditions n'ill unrluestionabll- bring rampant disrespect and disregard of all regulations. Further, it rvill encourage present tendency torvard black market to a point beyond control. Cooperer.tion and consideration of vieu's expressed by industry advisorv committee essential to ar.oid complete break-dorvn. Moreover such unjustifiable zrction is driving dealers here to distraction. There is a grorving feeling that unrealistic controls are holding back reconversion from l'ar to peace, and that the nation u,ould be better ofi economically in very short order if :rll controls 'were removed. Also rve learn that OPA has in process an order prohibiting distribution yards from selling any self-orvned timber at retail prices. This has merit, providing and only if, this is aimed at producers nor,r,'seeking to establish ne.iv outlets to sell at retail prices. Hou'ever, if such action rvere to prevent continuation of historic shipments from mills to afftliated yards on normal pre-\\,ar basis, snch action 'n.ould be discriminatory, unjust in the extreme and rvould unctuestionaltlr. reduce oroduction."

Nqtioncl Affcrirs Counsel Appointed by NRLDA

Joseph T. King, forr-r-rerl1' Assistant General Corrnsel of the Civilian Production Administration, \\rashington, D. C., has been added to the staff of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association to help guide the actir,ities of the recently formed National Affairs Committee. Mr. King has been appointed National Affairs Counsel of the NRLDA by H.R. Northup, secretary of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association in Washington, D. C.

P. L. ITIATTHIES GO.

WII(ITESILE-IilDUSTRIAL IUiIBER

3060 Andritq Street, Los Angeles 4l

Albcrny 0l14

DISTRIBUTORS OF Ponderosa PineSugcr Pine Cedar

Douglcs FirRedwood

HOGATI LUilIBER GO.

WHOI.ESALE AND IOBBING

LUTBERTIILTWORK

SASII and D00RS

Sincc 1888

OFFICE, MIII- YAAD AND DOCETT Znd d Alice Sts., Ocrklcrnd

Glcacourt 8861

Attas Tumber C0mpany

ED BAUER .- CARL PORTER o

Hardwoods Softwoods

Conadian Alder - Birch - tople o

9035 E. 15th STREET LOS ANGELES 91 Telephone PRorpect 7401

Wholesale to Lumber Vards

Sash - Windows

Gasements - Doors, etc.

Our usual lree delivery to Lumber Ycrds cnywhere in Southern Cclilonric llltEv BR0s. -. sttTA n0ilrcA

Los Angeles Phone: AShley 4-2268

Scntcr Monica Phones: 4-3298{-3299

Red Cross Fund Drive Seeks $10010001000 "JOE BEAVER"

Financial support to continue the world-wide services of the American Red Cross will be asked during the month of March when the 1946 fund campaign for $100,000,000 will be conducted.

Continuation of services to occupation armies, to hospitalized servicemen, and to veterans who have returned to civilian life as well as of community programs will be made possible by contributions to the March drive.

Overseas, Red Cross funds rvill provide field director service and recreation clubs, clubmobiles and other recreation activities for men in occupation zones. The field director, serving as a link rvith home for the man overseas, helps him work out family and personal problems.

Red Cross chapter home service, 'ivhich assists the veteran in the community, offers help in filing and developing claims, financial aid pending decision on claims, and guidance in solving other readjustment problems.

For servicemen in army and navy hospitals, professional Red Cross rvorkers conduct welfare and recreation programs and Red Cross volunteers perform friendly personal services. Volunteers also serve in V'eterans Administration hospitals, and Red Cross claims service is available both at Veterans Administration offices and hospitals.

Stcndcrrd Specicrl Grqdes oI Hardwood Lumber Get New Mqximum Prices

OPA has granted a four per cent increase in producers' ceiling prices on certain "standard special" grades of hardwood lumber produced in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, effective February 13, 1946.

Hardwood lumber items included in this action are basswood key stock and one and trvo face clear birch.

Resellers will be required to absorb the increase.

This action is in line lvith the supplementary to the increase recently granted on standard grades of hardu,oocl lumber in the same states and is made to complete the former action, from which these "standard special" items were omitted.

(Amendment No. 15 to Maximum Price Regulation No. 223-Northern Hardwood Lumber: effective Februarv 13, 1946.

Opens Plywood Distributing Wcrehouse

The fifth in a chain of plywood distributing rvarehouses has just been opened in Houston, Texas, by U. S.-Mengel Plyrvoods, Inc., a company jointly owned by The Mengel Company and United States Plywood Corporation, L. B. Olmsted, vice-president and general manager, announced. George W. Rummel, for several years with Mengel in the door and plyrvood department, will serve as manager.

Buys Lumber Yqrd

The Bostonia Lumber Company, Bostonia, rvhich has been owned and operated by Donald H. Storms, has been ptrrchased by Ralph H. Fry of Pacific Beach. A new s'tore building is being erected u'hich will be used to display hardrvare, eiectrical equipment and building materials.

10% Increase in Manufacturers' Ceilings Of Oak and Pecan Hardwood Flooring

A ten per cent increase in manufacturers' ceiling prices for all standard grades of oak, pecan and miscellaneolls hardwood flooring has been granted by the Office of Price Administration, eff'ective February 73, 1946.

The action averages $8.15 per 10@ board feet, and is granted to boost urgently needed production of hardwood flooring for use in the construction of postwar homes. The Civilian Production Administration has declared hardwood flooring to be one of the bottleneck items now limiting construction of postwar homes.

Consumers' prices will not be affected except in the Southern area, which includes Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, and all the other Southern States except Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

Only partial absorption of the increases rvill be required of the distributors in the Southern area because margins allorved Southern yards on sales of hardwood flooring are lou'er than in other areas.

This action also changes that part of thi original regulation which permitted manufacturers an addition of $4 per 1000 feet in less than car load shipments. The revision allorvs the addition only on shipments, regardless of quantity, which move hardwood flooring by transportation means other than in rail freight cars or by rvater. The addition permitted applies to truck shipments and to shipments made by express.

(Amendment No. 4 to Maximum Price Regulation No. 458-Oak, Pecan and Miscellaneous Hardwood Flooring; effective February 13, 1946.)

Production oI Lumber Declined in tg45

Washington, Feb. 21.-Lumber production last year de_ clined 16/o from 1944 levels, the Civilian Production Administration stated.

The CPA said 1945 production amounted to 27,356 mil_ lion board feet. December production alone represented a 22.9/' decline from November and 30.6% less than in December, 1944.

. Production in the North Pacific section increased in December after some strikes were settled but production in the South and Appalachian regions fell more than 40lo because of bad weather conditions, the CPA said.

Improvement in the labor situation u,as reported in New England during January. the CPA said. lfowever, strikes continue to hinder production in the California redwood and Washington and Montana pine areas.

Between Jan. 15 and Feb. 14, the CPA granted priorities assistance in 110 cases.

Acme

BLOWER G' PTPE GO. INC.

1209 Nadeau Street, Los Angeles I

IEfferson 4221

Mcrnulccturers

BLOWER S.rSTEMS and INGINERATONS

See thc Acme lncinerqtor wirh watcr washcd top

KITPATRICK & COMPANY

Dcelerr in Forcrt Productr

Douglcrs Fir-Redwood Cedcrr-Spruce

Genercrl OIIice

Crocker Bldg., Stur Francirsco 4, C<rliL Southenr Cclilornic Office crnd Ycrd l2l0 Btinn Ave., Wihningrton, Calil., P. O. Box 5{8

ITIOI,NIIil BUII,DIilfi $UPP[T, ilC.

Wholescle Distributors oI Lumber and ilt Products in Ccrlocd Qucrrtities

Wcrehous" Li"giu,rtioo ol Wholescrle Building Supplies lor the Decler Trade

Telephone ' ,Boz 32nd st TEnrplebcrr 6964-5-G Oclclcnd, Calil

Ponderosa d Sugcrr Pine Lumber & Mouldings

11615 Pcrrmelee Avenue ct Impericrl Highwcry

Los Angeles 2-Klmbcrll 2953

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 19

The Assembly and Senate of the State of California passed Assembly Joint Resolution No. 19, on February 7 and February 11 respectively, urging the Office of Price Administration to refrain from effecting any amendment to RMPR-26 which would provide an allowance to sawmills in the Pacific Northwest of an extra charge of $2.50 per thousand feet for Douglas fir lumber shipped by water to the Eastern Coast. A copy of the resolution was wired to the Office of Price Administration by the Chief Clerk of the Assembly.

C. W. Pinkerton, Lumbermen's Governmental Service Bureau, Whittier, Calif., made a special trip to Sacramento for the purpose of having the resolution introduced and passed by the legislature.

Plans to Build Bcttery Sepcrcrtor Plcnt

Cascade Plywood Corp. of Lebanon, Ore.,.is planning construction of a battery separator plant at North Salem, Ore., to cost approximately $500,000. The plant will provide employment for several hundred workmen, according to Keith Brown, who is representing the.company in negotiations for a building site.

Lecses Sawmill

Austin A. Cleek has leased the Mt. Pitt Lumber Co. sawmill at Central Point, Ore., and will operate it under the name of Central Point Sawmill Co. Dimension lumber will l;e cut and planed in transit by the Southern Oregon Planing Mill Co., also of Central Point. The Mt. Pitt mill can cut 45,000 feet daily. IJntil recently, Mr. Cleek was superintendent for the Southern Oregon Planing Mill Co. which had formerly leased the sawmill.

Stcrte Buys 4590 Acre Timber Trcrct i.

'The Mountain llome Tract in Tulare County, Calif., has been purchased by the state of California from the Micl-rigan Trust Co., Muskegon, Mich. It will be developed as a fishing and recreational area.

Reopens Ycrrd in Scrn Jose

Arthur S. McKinney has reopened the Willow Glen Lumber Co. at 714 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose. He closed the yard shortly after the start of the war and leased the plant to Dade Brothers, of Mineola, Long Island, New York; who were packing equipment for the Army and Navy. They recently returned the yard to Mr. McKinney.

The business will be under the management of Stanley Lewis, rvho was with the company for several years prior to the outbreak of the war. lle enlisted in tl-re Navy shortly after Pearl lfarbor, serving throughout the rvar in the South Pacific area, attaining the rank of Chief Torpedomar-r, and was assigned to duty on a PT boat. He participated in the invasion of several of the Pacific islands, as'ivell as Okinawa and the landing in Japan, and was awarded the Purple Heart and several Battle Stars.

Kesterson Corp. Lumber Interests Sold

The Kesterson Lumber Corp. at Klamath Falls, Ore., has sold its lumber interests to the Klamath Basin Pine N{ills, fnc., a Washington organization, owned by H. J. O'Donnell, M. A. Wyman and L. Mclellan. Iyan Kesterson will act as resident manager for the new firm, and there t-ill be no change in key personnel, it was announced. A. N. Beals will continue as sales manager.

Opens New Yard

The Barr Lumber Company has opened its nerv and modern offices and yard in the 300 block on West Chapman Avenue, Orange. Their old location in Orange was at 230 North Lemon Street.

lcrth Mill Reopened

J. E. Berg has been placed in charge of the Coos Bay Lumber Co. lath mill at Coos Bay, Ore., which resumed operations recently after a two-year shutdown. Broom handles and lath will be manufactured.

Citassified Advertising

Rate-$2.50 per Column Inch.

FOR SALE

COMBINATION LUMBER CARRIER AND STACKER

Address Box C-1163, California Lumber Merchant 508 Ccntral Bldg., Los Angeles 14, Calif.

Wanted

Young man for planing rnill ofrce with detailing, estimadng and billing experience. Permanent position for right man. State age and experience. Pleasant California location.

Address application to Salinas Planins Mill, 60 Market Street, Salinas, California

FOR SALE

See our advertisment in the Febnrary 15 issue for Lumber Yard,s, Woodwo,rking Plant, and Douglas Fir Sawmill for sale

If you want to sell your lumber yard, let us know.

TWOHY LUMBER CO.. LUMBER YARD BROKERS 801 Petroleum Bldg., Los Angeles 15, Cdif. PRospect E746.

INVESTMENT SOUGHT

Responsible party from the East is interested in investing capital in established building materials enterprise.

Address Box C-1165, The California Lumber Merchant, 508 Central Bldg,, Los Angeles 14, Calif.

SUPERINTENDENT

Furniture Plant

Customet Planing Mill

Excellent Opportunity

Old Established Firm Write Qualifications.

Address Box C-1164, California Lumber Merchant, 508 Central Bldg., Los Angeles 14, Cdif.