Progress Paces Pine Meet

A revolution in the lumber industry -from marketing practices to grading and timber supply-was in evidence as the Western Pine Associaiton concluded its four-day annual meeting in San Francisco March 3.

Speakers before the group, largest of the nation's regional lumber trade organizations, pretty rvell established the meeting's mood.

Dr. Charles I. Mi Charles J. Miller, University of Washington marketing expert, urged more \Mestern Piners adopt the new "marketing conceot-orovide the risht concept-provide right oroducts and services at the rieht time, products right at the right place, packaged right, at the right price and at a profit."

Harmful Federal Policies

WPA Pres. J. B. Edens, Phoenix, Ariz., charged that federal timber supply policies were harming forest dependent communities throughout the West, and called for long term concepts for government timber sales, to help eliminate the "hand-to-mouth" existence of the forest economy.

And further progress in grade standardization was measured with the approval by Association directors of proposed universal grading rules, with some changes. These will not become effective until approved in final form by all parties concerned.

Added color was inserted into the meeting scene with full-scale presentation productions before the membership by the Association Promotion and Research Committees.

The trade promotion program, stressing specific products of the group's members, included a report on advertising and publicity activities during the past year, as rvell as revealing plans for the 1962 program glready underway. WPA promotion, as described by Committee Chairman

Monthly Lumber Focts

Harold J. Ford, San Francisco, coordinates the Association's 11-man field staff with space advertising and publicity placements. To back its merchandising activities during 1962, the Association board approved a budget of more than $920,000.

This included funds for the hiring of a Chicago market research firm, Seymour Kroll and Associates, to undertake market surveys to help expand sales and shape product development plans by the industry.

The Association research department unveiled a sophisticated electronic device created to automatically "see" and remove defects from lumber.

Using TV camera-like scanners and a complex electric "brain," it showed it could provide cut-to-length window lumber, clear of knots and other undesired charactet'istics. This was but one of many possible uses as described by H. B. McKean, research committee chairman from Lewiston, Idaho.

The production model ofa highspeed lumber strength testing machine, designed by the Association laboratory and readv for production bv TriState Machinery Co., Dallas, ie*a., was also on display.

Economic Stability Needed

The WPA directors decided to ask the forest service to imDrove economic stability of the hundr-eds of forestdeoendent communities in the West by having under contract at all times from three to five years of the allowable annual cut. Some areas subsist on as little as six-month advanced supply under present practices.

The directors voted to ask the forest service to abandon the controversial "quartile system" of timber appraisal initiated in 1961, earlier in the current period of industry depression. The system sets a price on timber not based on the current market price, but on a "crystal ball" price predicted for the time when the timber isto be cut. Current problems are accentuated because price tags have been based on a predicted market upturn which actually became a decline, forcing timber prices far out of perspective. The result has been growing industry pressure against the system, which lumbermen say contributes to their red ink statistics during a period when they are battling for survival.

Douglas fir region sawmill production, orders and shipments for February have been reported by the West Coast Lumbermen's Association.

The weekly average of West Coast lumber production in February was 156,404,000 b.f. or 98.6% of the 1957-61 average. Orders averaged 154,503,000 b.f.; shipments 143,258,000 b.f.; revised weekly averages for January were production 134,259,0N b.f.;84.5% of the 1957-61 average; orders 749,129,000 b.f.; shipments 128,910,000 b.f.

Two months of the 1962 cumulative production 1,243,207,0N b.f.; two months ol 7961, 7,197,764,000 b.f.; two months of 1960, 1,416,865,000 b.f.

Orders for tu'o months of 1962 break dorvn as follows: Rail and Truck 968,039,000 b.f. ; Domestic Cargo 236,107,000 b.f.; Export 52,084,000 b.f.; Local 47,777,000 b.f.

The directors determined to point outto the government that forest service estimates of road costs required in timber sales are generally below those actually experienced, and will ask that this be corrected.

Other forestry actions included the voting of contributions to the various Keep Green organizations in the 12' state Western Pine Region, and the arvarding of a gavel-laminated of 10 species of the region-to past Forest Conservation Committee Chairman Kenneth R. Walker, Atherton, Calif.

J. B. Edens lvas re-elected president of the Association, rvith John S. Richards, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and K. R. Walker as vice presidents. R. H. Rehfeld. Phoenix. was renamed treasurer.

Convention speakers included Arthur Temple, president of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, and C. A. Gillet, managing director of the American Forest Products Industries, fnc., Washington, D.C.

The next WPA annual meeting was scheduled for San Francisco February 27-\[.arch 2, 1963. The Association semi-annual meeting is to be held in Portland, September 11-74, 1962.

Alling Reports on Terrible Tweniy

The 429th Terrible Twenty tournament rvas held at Hacienda Golf Club on Friday, February 23,1962, with Cliff Simpson making the arrangements. The course was soft but playable and the sky dry but threatening all afternoon. Dicli Maxwell and Cliff Simpson had net 70's but penalties gave the low net prize to Simpson, 78-6-72. In the high bracket Syd Alling and Vern Huck tied at 74's net and will play it off next month at Annandale. In the match play we have reached the semi-finals: Bauer vs Rekers, Maule vs King in the low bracket; Alling vs Field, Oliver vs Huck in the high bracket.

At our dinner meeting, Bauer distributed the beautiful new prizes brought by the new prize committee (Barter and Simpson). These should be popular rvith the distaff sidesilver hollow-ware, such as vegetable dishes and casseroles, engraved and all.

b.f.

The industry's unfilled order file stood at 557,052,000 b.f. at the end of February, lumber inventory at

The next tournament u'as held at Annandale. Details later.