Timber Lqnds Lumbermen Tell Government to Srop Grobbing

Washington, D.C.-Spokesmen for the nation's lumber manufacturers, in meetings 'ivith top Administration officials last month, asked a halt to "land grabbing" activities of the federal government.

The lumber spokesmen called on the Interior Department to compile a "reliable inventory" of federal land holdings, and asked issuance of a White House order requiring that all public lands be registered with Interior.

The lumber representatives also urged that cabinet officials crack down on government employees who campaign for federal regulation of private timber cutting and increased federal ownership of forest lands. In this connection, the group cited figures showing that the federal government has acquired 20 million acres of private forest land in the last 30 years.

Officials 'r,vho conferred in separate meetings r,vith the' lumber representatives included Vice President Nixon, Interior Secretary Douglas McKay, Commerce Secretary Sinclair Weeks and Assistant Agriculture Secretary J. Earl Coke. Others present were Interior Undersecretary Ralph A .Tudor, Commerce lJndersecretary Robert B. Murray, Jr., and Assistant Commerce Secretaries Samuel W. Anderson and Craig Shaefier. Industry was represented by a l2-rni'an committee whose members were drawn from all sections of the country.

The lumber representatives, most of whom are officers or directors of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, were: Corydon Wagner, vice president and treasurer of the St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Co., Tacoma, Wash.; M. White Smith, president of the M. W. Smith Lumber Co., Inc., Jackson, Ala.; Thomas J. McHugh, president of the Atlantic Lumber Co., Boston, Mass.; N. Floyd McGowin, president of the W. T. Smith Lumber Co., Chapman, Ala.; Ralph R. Macartney, president of NLMA and manager of the Weyerhaeuser Timber Co., Klamath Falls, Ore.; G. 8,. Karlen, Manager of the Eatonville Lumber Co., Tacoma, Wash., and president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association.

Other lumber spokesmen were: A. T. Hildman, manager of the Michigan-California Lumber Co., Camino, Calif.; Kenneth M. Hancock, president of M. S. Hancock & Co., Casco, Me.; Abbott Fox, president of the Abbott Fox Lumber Co., Iron Mountain, Mich.; J. L- Camp, president oi the Camp Manufacturing Co., Franklin, Va.; J. R. Bemis, president of the Ozan Lumber Co., Prescott, Ark., president of the Southern Pine Association and regional vice president of NLMA; E. R. Aston, logging manager of the Biles-Coleman Lumber Co.. Omak. Wash. llere are the highlights of other subjects discussed at the industry-government conferences :

Leo V. Bodine, Executive Vice President of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, said the Administration leaders promised "sympathetic consideration" of the industry's problems.

The lumber spokesmen told the Administration officials that for years their industry has been "harrassed and maligned by alarmists who fear a timber famine." Actually, the committee emphasized, industry adoption of sound forest management practices, plus improvements in wood utilization, have assured the nation an adequate supply of timber for its short and long-range needs. Privatelysponsored tree farm programs were credited u'ith making a significant contribution here.

1. The committee complained about the manufacture of lumber by the armed services and asked a halt to military sawmill operations which compete with private industry.

2. The lumber representatives recommended that certain lorv-water basin areas in Washington's Olympic National Park be transferred to the Forest Service for sustained-yield timber management. It rvas estimated that this would result in permanent employment for approximately 7,0@ persons.

3. The Interior Department was urged to dispose of small land holdings which are intermingled with private tracts and uneconomical to administer.

4. The industry representatives urged support of a bill by Sen. Cordon (D), Ore., u.hich .ivould enable forest own-

A New Wholeseile Lunber Service