Forest Products Research Society Meets In San Francisco

The spring meeting of the Northern California S"ltiorr, Forest Products Research Society was held at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, May 9, 1952.

The technical session was opened at I:40 P.M. by Chairman Ray E. Shreck. A letter from Kenneth G. Chesley, president-elect o fthe FPRS, was read, in which Mr. Chesley expressed his regrets at being unable to attend the meeting. A letter from Frank J. Rovsek, executive secretary of the FPRS, which gave the membership of the Northern California Section as 91 and the membership of the National as 2262 was also read. Chairman Shreck expressed the hope that the Section could acquire an additional fifty members during the coming year.

In his introductory remarks, Chairman Shreck likened research to a continuous venture into the unknown. A venture, in which anyone-workman, foreman, superintendent or manager*could participate.

Dr. Arthur B. Anderson, chairman of the program committee, presided during the technical session.

Harvey H. Smith, technologist, California Forest and Range Experiment Station, Berkeley, California, spoke on "Utilization of Western Hardwoods."

Theodore C. Combs, president, Arch Rib Truss Company, Los Angeles, California, spoke on "Important Progress in the Timber Fabricating fndustry."

P. H. Mulcahy, vice-president, Rietz Manufacturing Company, Santa Rosa, California, spoke on "Mechanical Equipment for Wood Fiberizing."

A. L. Bonutto, Technical Service, Monsanto Chernical Company, Seattle, Washington, spoke on "Hardboard Properties as Affected by Volatile Contents of Resin Treated Fibre."

The formal papers rvere followed by a panel composed of :

Raymond Berry, vice-president and general manager, Scott Lumber Company, Burney, California.

Emanuel Fritz, Professor of Forestry, IJniversity of Cali'fornia, Berkeley, California.

Myron Krueger, Professor of Forestry, IJniversitv of California, Berkeley, California.

John W. Rhoda, manager, Rounds Company, Cloverdale, California.

N. Thomas Shelton, engineer, The pany, Chico, California.

J. J. Tallman, plant superintendent, IJnion Lumber Company, Ft. Bragg, California.

W. E. Pratt, California Redwood cisco, California (moderator).

Mr. Rhoda talked on personnel relations stressing the importance of a feeling of accomplishment on the part of employees. He said that Paul Bunyan represents personal accomplishment and the popularity of the Paul Bunyan legends attests to the importance of this factor. The Paul Bunyan legends indicate that Paul was able to achieve his prodigious accomplishments by selecting good men and giving them good treatment, food and supervision. Mr. Rhoda stated that present day management would do well to apply Paul"s methods. New men should be selected as carefully as new machines and all prospective employees shouid be required to give character references since the man who is hired to sweep the floors may be holding down a key position in a few years.

Professor Krueger discussed trends in logging equipment. The trends toward high speed rubber tired tractors and toward machines using hydraulic torque converters appear to be the most significant.

Mr. Tallman told of the organization and activities of the Redwood Sawmill Committee, a group of operating personnel which includes production and maintenance employees who meet periodically to discuss maintenance and manufacturing problems. Their field of interest includes log breakdown methods, machinery design, operation, maintena.nce and materials handling.

Mr. Berry called for a higher degree of utilization of our forest resources stating that only 32dJo of the wood that is cut in the forests reaches the ultimate consumer. He suggested that some of the money now being spent to promote the sale of items which are being produced, but which are not in demand, be spent on research so that the public may be given what it wants, at a reasonable cost. As an exatnple of this type of research, he cited a Norwegian hardboard process which permits the use of mill waste containing as much as as 50/o bark in the manufacture of a hardboard u'hich has good strength characteristics.

Professor Fritz stressed the importance of making our remaining old-growth stands last as long as possible since there are many items which the public wants (or thinl<s it u'ants) which can be cut only from old-growth trees. He told of a large operation in Alabama which was cutting principally those trees which had no prospect of future improvement and preserving the trees of promise of high increment in volume and quality. While this'causes them to bring in very poor logs, it puts their forest lands on a very productive basis and assures them future permanent profitable operation on higher grade logs.

Mr. Shelton described an air pollution problem that faced them in the operation of their wood rvaste burncr in Chico. This problem has been completely overcome by the installation of a water-rvash device at the top of the burner. The device consists of two concentric pipe rings, each having thirty two jets, that spray water over a baffle system, through which the smoke leaving the burner must pass.

The following officers rvere elected to serve in the colnlng year: Chairman, Dr. A. B. Anderson; vice-chairman, \V. F. Kenny ; secretary-treasurer, Harvey H. Smith; trustee, J. C. Rowney.

After a brief discussion it rvas decided to leave the choice of location and time for the fall meeting to the executive board.

Chairman Shreck suggested that the vice-president of the FPRS be designated the first vice-president and that the chairmen of the various sections be designated vice-presidents. After some discussion, L. J. Carr agreed to bring the matter up at the national board meeting though he expressed the opinion that it 'n'ould require a change in the National Constitution.

Retiring Chairman Shreck was master of ceremonies at the dinner meeting held in the California Room of the Palace Hotel at 6:30 P.M. L. J. Markrvardt, assistant director, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, spoke on "Forest Products Research. Past, Present and Future."

Los Angeles Building Permits

Building perrnits issued during June in the city of Los Angeles totaled 5,163 rvith a valuation of $25,414,962, compared to 5,275 perntits valued at $25,396,830 in May. fn Jrne, l,D2 housing units were completed, making a total of 7,384 housing completions for the first six months of the year.

The number of permits issued in Los Angeles during the first six months of the current year total 28,944 rvith a valuation of $141,876,D6 compared with 28,A78 permits during the like 1951 period 'n'hich had a $141,450,151 valuation.

Building activitiy in the Los Angeles county uninccrporated area during June shorted a 35 per cent increase over May. 4,192 permits 'rvere issued r,vith a total valuation of $22,071,460 in the unincorporated area in June.