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WHOTESALE DISTRIBUTOR,S

Hqrdwood Plywood Industry Leoders Appecr Before Toriff Commission

Leaders in the American hardt'ood plyn'ood industry appeared en masse before the Tariff Commission in \\tashington, D. C., for a four-day hearing Nfarch 22-25 to substantiate their claim that imports of foreign plys'oocl pose :r serious threat to the domestic industry. The hearirrg rvas called as a result of the Hardu,oocl Plyn'ood Institute's application for relief under the "escape clause" and "peril point" provisions of the Trade Agreements Act of 1951.

Fifty-five company executir,es, lIl'I officials and learlers of allied industries \\'ere present to support the Institrrte's application. Fourteen of them gave testimony. Respondents at the hearings \\'ere a nurnber of American importers ar.rcl counsel for foreign interests, including Japanese. Finnish, Mexican and Canadian producers. The HPI application callecl for modification of tarilT concessions and a finrling that a quota on plyrvood imports is necessary to prevent injury to the domestic industry.

HPI Counsel Robert N. Hawes made the point that the plyrvood production at issue in regard to foreign con-rpetition is "market" hardwood plyrvood, rather than container or "captive" plylvood. He pointed out that market production declined from 801.9 million square feet in 1953 to 715.4 million in 1954.

At the sarne time, Hawes reported, imports har-e increased so drastically that the ratio of imported to clotnestic lrlyrr,ood is nor'v 60.7%. Irnpcirts rose from 62.9 million sqrlare feet in 1950 to 435.5 million in 1954, an incre:rse of

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588%. The proportion of the domestic market supplied by American producers has decreased from 9l/o in 1951 to 62.2% in 1954.

IHPAA Presents Case

The Imported Hardrvood Plywood Association of America appeared in Washington to present the association's ansrver to a complaint filed against imported hardwoods rvith the Tariff Commission. The association was represented by the Washington, D. C., law firm of Sharp & Bogan.

The hearings, which drew a large crowd of interested parties from both sides of the issue, were attended by Marvin Tobias of. Getz Bros. in San Francisco, and Tack Carlow of the Carlow Company in Los Angeles. barlow is the former president and a founder of the Southern California Door Institute. Among other interested bystanders rvas M. Iwasaki, who is director of the Yuasa Trading Co. in Japan. Iwasaki was present at the hearings on behalf of the trade promotional committee for the Japanese Plywood Association.

New Lumberyard in Yumo

Yuma, Ariz.-Taylor's Cashway Lumber Co. opened for business here in March. The location is on Highway 80 near Yuma Air Base. Manager of the yard is W. H. Nelson, formerly of Sheridan, Ore. Owner of the firm is J. C. Taylor of Taylor Lumber Sales Co., Portland, Ore., and Taylor Lumber Sales, Inc., Sheridan. It will be a concentration yard for common lumber, specializing in corral stock for Yuma area farmers.