Four Veterqn Lumbermen Retire

Four veteran lumbermen 'il ill retire from tl-re service of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association on June 3oth, according to H. V. Simpson, executive vice president. The four have a combined service to the lumber industry of 113 years.

Oldest in point of service is ltalph D. Brown, one of the west's best known lumber figures, who has been assistant secretary manager of \\ICLA for many years' and who came to the association in 1913.

A 34-year veteran is Emil Hanson, who joined the association in 1919 to work in the traffic department. He has been assistant traffic manager.

Another traffic veteran is freight claims agent W. E. Franklin, r,vho first went to 'ivork for WCLA in 1918, and after trvo short stays as lumber company traffic manager rvith tu'o leading steamship firms. came back to the lumber trade group in 1936 to stay.

Fourth executive being retired is Paul E. Kendall, WCLA advertising manager since 1946, and nationally known lumber promotion authority for over four decades.

Ralph Brown's career in lumber dates back to 1909 when he u'as associated with the Tacoma Mill Company in an executive capacity. In 1913 he went with the fledgling West Coast Lumbermen's Association and in the ensuing 40 years has had an important part in shaping industry promotion programs, in developing association operating methods, and many other services. He early rvorked out a reinspection service for fir mills. I{e served as'secretary to a number of OPA price list committees during World \\rar II and helped government agencies buy lumber.

Brou'n is known u'idely among western lumbermen, having been a frequent caller at sar,r'mills in the Douglas fir region for the past forty years. He developed the barometer method of reporting the industry's statistical position, and is responsible for many other innovations in association activities. He has been a veritable vvalking dic- tionary of industry facts ancl figures and has knou'n most of the colorful personalities of the industry of the past half century.

Emil Hanson has played a leading role in the past third of a century in every battle to hold lumber freight rates in line. He has taken part in seven freight rate increases. He helped develop the lumber freight rate book published by WCLA and said to be one of the finest commodity rate books issued by any industry. He has been actir-e in traffic organizations.

Paul E. Kendall, in over forty years of active lvork in the lumber industry, has held rvith credit several major lumber promotion jobs. He served as advertising lrlanager of The Long-Bell Lumber Company for fifteen years' starting in 1919, and r'r'as active 'rvhen the company \Yas building the city of Longvierv.

He was secretary-manager of the National Door Manttfacturer's Association, in charge of farm sales development for the Johns-Manville Sales Companv, and served in an executive capacity with the merchandising institute of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association.

Kendall has managed the nation-t'ide West Coast woods promotion campaign since its inception in 1946. It has been one of the most successful lumber exploitation programs undertaken on a national level. Under his direction the program has grown each year. Full-color advertisements have attracted a record number of customer inquiries, reaching a total of 46,000 in the month of March, 1953. Many of the prospective customers for lttmber say they have been sold on. lumber as a result of the continuing series of high quality, colorful and informative advertisenrents.

Kendall, Hanson and Franklin har.e not annottttced their future plans, but it is certain these men rvill not lle content to let their talents and skills long remain idle. Ralph Brown will take an extended autotnrtllile trip through,eastern states.