\(/estern Pine Association Annual Meeting

San Francisco, Feb. 1S-American business management must correct two serious operational errors if it is tu survive, members of the Western Pine Association rvere told today as they ended their annual two-day meeting here.

S. V. Fullaway,Jr., secretary-manager, told lumber nran-. trfacturers Irom 12 western states that managemer-rt has erred in iailing to sell the free enterprise system to America's voters and is guilty of demanding governmental economy in principle but not in personal practice.

His address followed a review of the association and industry records during 1948 by retiring president Homer Il. Jamison of Fresno, Calif., and rvas follorved by a report oi the 1949 construction outlook by W. E. Griffee, assistairt. to Fullarvay in the organization's Portland headquarters.

The first error of management is one of omission, Fullaway said, and involves its failure to meet the inescapablc obligation of informing its employes and the public of thc mechanics, advantages and opportunities in the Americar.r democratic system. "\\re have failed," he declared, "to merchandise the system of free enterprise to the voters of America."

Noting that, historically, 95 per cent of the people har'.r depended upon the remaining five per cent for leadershilr, the Portland lumberman recounted that leadership implies responsibility, r'ision and an interest in thc system rvhich permits it.

"Leadership is a problem of management," he said. "You cannot escape responsibility for it. First and foremost, it is an obligation 'lvhich must be redeemed as a public trust inherent in the management function. It is a real challenge to all of us."

Fullalvay listed the second management error as one of comrnission. "Irractically every business and industrl' group in this great land of ours is outspoken as to the vital need for economy in government," he saicl. "The motir.e is trvo-fold. Waste in goverument meaus ecotromic loss and higher taxes. Also, the bigger the governmer.rt the greater are the controls and tl-re nearer is the approach t,-r state socialism.

"Bnt management, itself, is in no small l.neasure respon' sible for the failure to attain such economy and thus to prevent the continued grou'th of governurent. Despite strong statements of policy on this subject bv almost cvety segment of business and industry, these same grouPs, or the individuals l'hich compose them, are in the aggregateconstantly campaigning Ior or supporting approprilttions for government which they expect l'ill serve their orvn selfish interests. They are for economy in government ut.tless that economy rvill affect their ou'n pocketbooks arlversely.

"The result is obvious. We have no economv in govern ment. One or more presstlre groups can be found to support almost any conceivable plan for spending tax money and such support is only too often the force which brings approval. In addition, any opposition by business and in' dustry is thoroughly discredited because of this failure tcr be consistent."

"Do not forget," he warned, "that every new or enlarged appropriation drarvs the rope of control just a little tighter around the neck of private enterprise and takes us just another step tolvards bigger government and eventual statt: socialism."

Nearing the 20th anniversary of his association with thc Western Pine industry, Fullarvay also reviewed the past tr'vo decades which have seen clepression and prosperity, t'ar and peace, free economy and controlled. Through it all, he said, the industry has come through economically healthy with a larger sense of its public responsibilities ancl of its obligations to those it directly serves.

Jamison, president of the association since 1947 and heacl of the l3yles-Jamison Lumber company in Fresno, revier'r'ed industry performance, noting that production hit a record volume of more than seven billion board feet and shipments reached an unprecedented high of 6-3/1 billion during 1948.

Citing the overtaking of demand Lry supply as 1948 dren' to a close, he said this change may r,vell be a good one atrrl mean a healthier economic atmosphere for our industry. "It is a return to more norrnal competitive conditions and there will be a need for more emphasis on product qualitv, on lumber trade promotion ancl on current market infornratiorr," he declared.

"The unexpected turn in political events should indicaic that our industry may have problems ahead in legislatir,e and government control matters," Jamison pointed out.

He reported that mill inventories at the end of 1948 about equaled those at the close of 1941 bttt rvere still considerably lorver than tl.rose of the average pre-\\rar vear.

Jamison reported the association gained 71 nerv members during 1948 to bring total membership to 288 companies operating 300 plants. He said that 72 new Tree Farms rvere certified to bring total farms to 204 covering 2,710,@0 acres. (Eight ner'r' 1949 Tree Farn.rs were certified at the mceting to 1-roist the totals to 272 tracts covering 2,943,383 acres. )

Griffee, assessing the construction outlook for 1949, cited government estimates indicating a drop of less than six per cent in residential construction but, he saicl, "f can't hclp but feel that the estimate is overly optimistic." Horvcver, rvhilc housing constructiou is down from 1948, thr: au.arcls for l-reavy construction have been running far aheacl of last year, he noted.

Griffee said he was surprised at the number of good arguments advanced by economists on both sides of the question of tl-re possible trend of industrial production and price levels. "Even the President's hand-picked Council of Economic Advisers can't agree among themselves upon whether rve are in for some further inflation or mild deflation."

"Apparently," he said, "it is only the prospects of defia-

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*-*t** Maclaren

The other day, it being the birthday of one Abraham Lincoln, President Truman made a formal visit to the tomb of the Great Emancipator, and laid thereon a floral tribute. It occurred to me that in addition to so doing, he might well read, consider, and give serious thought at this time to some of the philosophies Lincoln left us for guidance. For some of the serious things that confront us right now seem to me to be in terrific contrast to the preachings of Honest Abe'

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For instance, Lificoln once said this: "You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer." If you, gentle reader, wil stop and consider some of the matters before Congress today, you will, I feel certain, discover wide discrepancies between some of the proposed legislation, and the above words of Lincoln.

Lincoln also said r "You cannot encourage the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred." Ever since the spring of 1933 class hatred has been engendered by our government at Washington.

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Some other bits of Lincoln wisdom that are most unpopular today and have been for a long time, follow. You will find no trouble in recognizing their significance in the light of our present situation, conditions, and prospects. TheY followt

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"You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence." (There is a remark that fails to fit in with these gimme, gimme days of government suPPort') {< '! *

"You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves." (A large majority of all humans are born lazy, and stay that way. To make it possible for them to live with the least possible effort is to destroy their fiber permanently.)

"You cannot keep rrra ; a-"0* by spending more than you earn." (For a decade we tried to spend our way out of depression and at the end of that time we had twelve million unemployed, and our debts had grown to staggering proportions. And then there was that idiotic idea that we owed it to ourselves, so why worry about our debt?)

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift." (Through all the years of the New Deal thrift was a hated word, because we were supposed to spend our way out of depression.)

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"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men." (Many a simple sermon can be preached with that remark for a text. Lincoln believed in the merit system, by which men got what they deserved, and had to d.eserve things in order to get them. He did not believe that all men were of equal size, brains, ability.) *>F*

"You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich." (That is another text with limitless possibilities, that could be used to point the folly *of f"Xt of our present ways.)

These are but a few of the immortal gems of thought uttered by the great Lincoln, that seem to me to point critical fingers at many of our present ways of life. Particularly is it true that the course we have been pursuing since 1933 and are still persevering with, would certainly destroy that "initiative and independence" upon which all American greatness t" toyd:U.*

On Lincoln's birthday the Los Angeles Times wisely remarked: "By adhering to the moral and intellectual and spiritual wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, the people and government of the United States may be strong and prosperous and free. By violation of his essential principles of good government and proper human conduct, they weaken and lower themselves, and lose their own integrity and the esteem of the world. Abraham Lincoln is immortal because the wealth of his words and wisdom is inexhaustible, and we can always refresh and enrich ourselves by recalling his couirsel'"

Let us refresh our memories and clarify our thinking in these trotrblous times, by considering the vast meaning of his words of advice. Since all thinkers of all nations have long agreed that Lincoln is one of the few really great men of all human history, should we not emulate him so far as we are able, and follow his sage advice? But are we doing so? Compare the short gems of his wisdom quoted above with what we see about us today, and see how far we have drifted and are still drifting from Lincolnism.

There is a railroad in Texas named,the H.E. & W.T. It is frequently referred to as the "Hell Either Way You