q$4aners

Will Speed qnd lmprove

PffiqEORts

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PIVSCORD for smooth, tight, rigid subfloors lhqt ore loid fosrer qnd provide o superior bqse for finish flooring.

For subflooring jobs, recommend Douglas fir plywood PlyScord -identified by the oograde-trademark" shown above. The big panels of PlyScord cover joints quickly, provide a smooth, even surface that's extra rigid, extra strong, tight and draft-free. PlyScord cuts application time and costs; contractors report that PlyScord can be laid in half the time required for other subflooring. It saves up to 50/o on nailing, up to 6O/o on sawing and fitting. And the finished flooring job will be better because PlyScord won't warp, cup, squeak or shrink. PlyScord should be specified, too, for wall and roof sheathing-to insure stronger, tighter, more rigid construction.

INTEP,IOP,-fTPE

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PIYBASE. o new grode, for o smooth, firm, rigid bose under linoleum, ospholt tile qnd ofher woll-lo-woll coverings.

Yes-floor coverings such as linoleum, tile, carpeting, and other wall-to-wall materials will look better and last longer when laid over PlyBase. The smooth, firm, solid panels reduce joints to a minimum, virtually eliminating ridges and uneven wear. In addition to new construction, PlyBase is ideal on remodelin jobs, as a smooth base over old, worno uneven surfaces. And for walls, PlyBase presents a smooth, solid backing surface for tile and other coverings. Sanded smooth, PlyBase is readily identified by the "grade-trademark" shown above. Recommend PlyBase!

tion are interesting. In 1937 approximately 25/o of the Douglas fir production in Western Oregon and Washington was shipped to California. In 1948 approximately l8/o of the production was shipped to California. Because more hlmber was produced in 1948 than in 1937, the percentage drop represents an actual decline of only about 200 million board feet. During this period, you will iecall, Douglas fir production in California itself more than doubled. Consequently, California's over-all use of Douglas fir lumber was substantially greater in 1948 than it was in 1937.

This shift southward to Southern Oregon and Northern California of the lumber producing center has contributed also to important transportation changes. Much more lumber is going into the consuming areas by truck than was formerly the case. Rail shipments have increased. Water shipments, meanwhile, have declined from approximately 985 million board feet in 1937 to an estimated 275 million board feet in 1948. This has been due to some extent to the reduction in the size of the coastwise fleet. In this connection it is interesting to note that W. R. Chamberlin & Co. has petitioned the ICC for permission to operate two converted LSMLanding Ship, N{edium-open deck vessels in the coastwise lumber trade. These ships are capable of carrying up to 650,000 board feet of surfaced lumber, and their addition to the fleet might be expected to make a considerable difference in the volume of lumber moving by water. The southward shift of the industry, however, makes it virtually certain that water shipments wiil not regain their former- volume for many decades.

I hope it is not a revelation to an1' of you that for some months past the West Coast Lumbermen's Association has been particularly interested in the proper use of the lower grades of lumber. Of our annual production of some 8f billion feet, approximately 2 billion feet fall into the category of economy lumber. To almost the total exclusion of the 6l billion feet, we have devoted our attention to finding a suitable market for the two billion feet. I expect that few lumber associations, spending the money of their members, have undertaken a project with as much of a gambling element in it. The results of this program have not only satisfied tts. They have startled us. I don't mean that there is a rising clamor for f3 Douglas fir and West Coast hemlock indicating a demand far in excess of our ability to produce. I do mean that our progranr in behalf of the right use of lumber -a program in which we wholly believe-has accomplisl-red in less than a year what we had not expected could be achievecl in less than five years. From California to Maine and from Washington to Florida we have encountered a most encouraging support.

In the last analysis this program could not have been successful without endorsement and active help from retail lumber dealers. This help we have had in very generous rreasure. Retailer after retailer-and some of them are among you here -has devoted more than average merchandising effort to the program. I think the practical nature of the program is demonstrated by the fact that they have reported to us that this effort has paid dividends.

An interesting sidelight on this program cropped up in Nerv York. As you know, we advocate the use of our economy grades of lumber only where we are absolutely certain they rvill do the job-primarily as sheathing, sub-flooring, roof boards, studs, plates, etc., in one-story construction. We think that our $3, for example, will do more than that but we have not yet assembled- enough supporting evidence to advocate rt.

Now in New York we have been having a little trouble with our grade-marks. To date we have caught three enterprising firms forging our grade stamps. This wasn't easy. At first we hired detectives-at the cost of some $2,00G-but so far as we could make out the detectives were spending more time playing pool than they were running down forgers. The Bureau of Grades eventually put its own supervisors on the job and they caught one of the firms dead to rights. This firm had been buying unmarked f3 and blithely up-grading it to f 1 with their fraudulent stamps. Some of this lumber had been going into the Army barracks at Fort Monrnouth. It seemed like a first-rate opportunity to put this outfit's tail in the wringer and both the Federal Trade Commission and the Army Engineers were brought into the case. A study of the lumber was made on the job, after it was in place at the barracks. The case dragged along for some months, and when they wree finally pressed by us for an answer the Federal Trade Comr-nission reported that they did not have enough evidence on which to proceed. The Army Engineers said nothing at all. The general attitude, as a matter of fact, was, "What's all the fuss about ?" The only conclusion rve coulcl reach was that they were pretty well satisfied with the construction and that they had decided the barracks would hold up forever. This despite the fact that S3 had been used throughout for joists and rafters in addition to the other parts of the house. By way of amendment let me add that we did get a cash settlement out of the firm, although what u'e had been shooting at was prison terms.

At the present time we are spending considerably more thirn $450,000 a year in the promotion of our lumber. This falls chiefly into the categories of consumer advertising and tradc promotion literature. No doubt most of you have seen our full-page two-color advertisements in such magazines as "The American Home," "Good Housekeeping," "Better Homes ancl Gardens," "Farm Journal" and others. Many of \.ou are r-naking effective use of our booklets such aa, "A-Oualitv Home Can Cost Less," "A Talk About White Pockeiluniber," and our latest, "How to Build Well and Save N,Ionev." These are available to dealers in quantity without charge. They are designed to help you sell lumber to your customeis. During the past six months we have distrbiuted more than 15,000 copies of "A Quality Home Can Cost I-ess." \\re expect within the next six months to distribute 250.000 copies of "Ifow to Build Well and Save Money." If you have not already. seen this publication you will soon be receivins a copy frim Jack Pomeroy.

The Association's promotion program will continue along its present lines until next September. While we rvill conl tinue,. of course, to vigorously press our grade use program, rve will at that time begin to promote the over-all use of lumber for home and commercial construction. Our consumer advertising rvill be continued on its present expanded scale. Current pror.notional efforts will be continued and new rneasures adopted. Perhaps the most important phase of onr worlr as an Association is to give you every possible help in selling the rnanufactured product of our people. We are wide open for ideas ancl suggestions as to how we can do the job better. T hope that each one of you and all of you will feel that as p:rt of olrr cooperative _effort it_is up to-you to tell us when \\re can give you more help or better help than \,ve are now giving you. When you have a suggestion or a request, take a ferv minutes and rvrite to us. We can do a better job if we Irrorv rvhat trour problems are.

Of as mtich concern as the business vou exDect to do in 1919 is the btrsiness )rou may expect to clo ten yeirs frorn nolv or twenty vears from now. This involves the question of tirnber supply. Are we cutting out our timber in this region? Will it soon be gone ? Do our harvesting methods make any provision for tl, e future ? Conservationists love nothing more than to sound cries of alarm which are based on emotion and not facts. Let me give you a few of the facts which relate to the nrodrrct you are now selling and hope to continue to sell indefinitely.

I wonder if you knou' that in California, according to the latest report from the Forest Service, you have more than 68 billion board feet of Douglas fir saw timber. This figure does not include your growing timber which is under saw timber size. You have in addition some 43 billion board feet of true firs.

In the Douglas fir region of Western Oregon and Wash- ington the total stand of Douglas fir saw timber is estimated at 260.5 billion feet log scale. In addition there are 171.5 billion board feet of other species of saw timber available currently. The current annual growth in trees 16 inches and larger in the Douglas fir region of Oregon and Washnigton is 3.7 billion board feet, and this rate of growth has been increasing at a rate of 136 million board feet annually as tens of thousands of young growing forests reach board foot growth size each year. There are over 11 million acres of growing forests in the Douglas fir region at the present time. Further, of the 26 million acres of commercial forest land in the Douglas fir region, 13 million acres are owned and operated by the Federal government and the states as public forests under sustained yield forest management, another 3 million acres is industrially owned tree farms under the same l<ind of forest management; and the balance of 10 million acres, all privately owned, are harvested under the Forest Conservation Acts of Washington and Oregon which require that the lands must be left in condition for natural reforestation and where failing replanted to assure future productivity. The whole 26 million acres is under the best forest fire protection obtaining in the United States today under cooperative rreasures instituted by the Federal government, the states and private owners therein.

Professional foresters agree that when the 9 million acres of virgin timber remaining in the Douglas fir region have been harvested and replaced by young growing forests, the anrTual growth in board feet will be greater than any past record of harvesting plus losses from fire, insects, and disease. This is due largely to the fact that there is no part of the United States where timber grows as fast over such a vast area as it does in the Douglas fir region.

In view of these facts. it is whollv correct to forecast a bright future for the supply of lumbei ancl other forest products from this region to the market outlets of California ancl other parts of the United States.

New Red Book Avcrilqble

Of interest to concerns selling io the lumber and lvoodrvorking industries including furniture manufacturers is the 135th edition of the Reference Book of the Lumbermen's National Red Book Service. The Spring 1949 editior.r, just off the press, lists an unusually large number of credit and business status changes-a general indication of the tirnes.

Besides the numerous credit rating changes, the ner,v issue lists many new sarvmills and manufacturing concerns and other nerv ventures in the industry.

Now in its 73rd year, the Red Book Service is used by Iumber shippers and firms who m arket through retail lumber dealers, or u,ho sell to the lumber, woodworking and