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Program for Redwood Logging Congress M.y 22-23

"Safety in the u-oods and on the highn'a_vs" is the thenre chosen for the Redu'ood Region Logging Conference IIav 22 and 23. The theme u.as picked at the meeting of the bo:rrd of directors in Eureka, according to Ro1' G. \\'agner, Ukilrh. Conference president. The directors' meeting u'as hel<l for the purpose of formulating plans for the Confercncc program.

l-ee Smith, Eureka, chairman of the equipment dealers comrnittee, reported that all committees had been appointed to handle the equipment shorv ar.rd Sas' Dust Bos'l social tnixer. The shorv tvill consist of indoor and outdoor displal's, he said, and s.ill be of interest to the general public lus u'ell as the industry. The Sarv Dust Bou'l rvill be held from 4:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.N{. Friday, M"y 22 at the Eureka Inn, he added. The remainder of the Conference u'ill be held at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium.

The program for Friday, Illay 22 *'tll include an address by Professor Lawrence C<lolidge, Oregon State College School of Business Administration. His topic rvill be "Fin:rnce l'roblems of Contract Logging." \\r. D. Pine, Humboldt County Farm Advisor, t'ill speak on the Hunrboldt County Forestry Committee. In addition there u'ill be speakers on utilization of vi'oods leftover for pulpu'ood and fibreboard. ne'rv developments in state forest practice rules, and a panel on region fire protection problems.

A panel on general rvoods safety led b1' Sidnev l\Iackins of Harnmond Lumber Co. u'ill be held on Saturdav, I\Iay 23. 'fhe panel rvill discuss causes of lost time accidents and effects, including injuries, loss of rvorking time. u'ages, and output. Assistance and advice rvill be offered to all companies interested in conducting acciderrt l)reventi()n campaigns.

Also included in Saturdal-'s program u'ill lte a panel on highu'ay trucking safety. C. E. \\'illis. Truck Insurante Exchange, San Francisco; Willianr I'ascoe, California Association of Timber Truckers, San Francisco; and Jack I-. Curtis, Oregon Timber Transport Operators, Portland. rvill take part in the panel. Discussion .rvill center on ne\\' industry efforts to improve highrvav safetr..

The public u'ill be invited to attend all sessions of the Conference, Wagner said, including business meetings and equipment displavs.

Construction Activity in March 1953

Expenditures for ne\\' construction increased b1' l0 per cent cluring llarch to $2.5 billion. rounding out a record first-quarter total of $7 billion, according to preliminarv estinrates of the U. S. Labor Dpartment's Bureau of l-abor Statistics and the Building Ilaterials Dirision of the U. S. I)epartrnent of Commerce. The Januar.v-Ifarch total als<r represents a first-c;uarter record for rvork actuall-v done on nerr- construction, after allos':rnce ior higher cclsts.

Ilrivate c()nstruction expenditures rose considerabl-v more than seasonally during \Iarch to $1.7 billir.rn. and accounted for the larger part of the over-all gain from Februar_v. During the first quarter of 1953. private outlavs, at 7 per cent above the Januarl'-l\larch 1952 level. totaled almost $5 billion. Residential building actir,ity accounted for nearly half this figure after rising 12 per cent during [[arch.

Further expansion of private industrial building brought cxpenditures for this type in the first quarter of 1953 to a near peak level. Commercial building in 1953 topped last vear's first-quarter expentliture total b-r' 44 per cent. and private outlavs on public utilities s'ere running higher this -vear mainly because of nerv construction in the electric light. porver, and gas-utility group.

l'ublic construction expenditures rose 12 per cent during I\Iarch. to $725 million. The 'rise rvas less than usual for this tinre of 1'ear, hos'ever. and reflected the lag in Federal contract arvards follos'ing a Februar-r' Budget Bureau order to rer-ietr- construction projects for essentiality. Public <lutlays for new construction put in place during the first quarter of 1953. at $2 billion, rvere only slightly above the Januar-r'-I{arch 1952 figure. and mainl.v represented defenseconnected construction and highrvay work. Public expenditures on housing. hospital building, and conservation and development rvork l'ere all at lorver levels this year than during the 1952 first <;uarter.

Frode B. Kilstofte, Rossman llill & Lumber Co. Ltd., \\'ilmington, has been appointed to the Board of the National Council of YNIC-\ from California. He rvill attend a meeting of the Board in Cincinnati. Ohio. on I!Ia1' l7-19.

J. C. (Mac) McCune, J. H. Baxter & Co.. Los Angeles, attended the annual meeting of the American Wood-Preservers' Association, at Cleveland, Ohio. on April 27-30. He traveled both *'a1-s bv plane.