Sturdy New Growth Fir Lumber

logs were picked from three typical areas of western Oregon by Michael A. Taras, research engineer with the U. S. Forest Products laboratory at Madison, \Misconsin, with the help of Arvid Johnson and Julius Bartlett, supervisors for the West Coast grading bureau.

These logs rvill be cut into test pieces and rvill be subjected to intensive scientific tests at the Madison laboratorv to determine proper strength values for various t1'pes of nerv gror,vth logs.

In an effort to keep pace with new products, improved utilization and better manufacturing technology, the West Coast Lumbermen's Association and the West Coast Bureau of Lumber Grades and Inspection are constantly cooperating to improve their service to the lumber industry.

Latest joint project involves a series of tests to determine the best method of grading lumber cut from new growth Douglas fir.

"We need to knorv more about new growth and what it will do when converted into lumber," pointed out T. K. May, technical director of WCLA. "We believe much of this new growth has a high percentage of summer wood, and summer rvood gives lumber its strength."

"This new growth Douglas fir," May stated, "may provide a source of supply for much high-grade structural lumber in the future. We intend to learn the facts."

A carload of carefully selected new growth Douglas fir

350 E Street

Eureka, California

Phone - Hlllside 3-0858

P. O. Box 770

Teletype - EK 90

Ulaalaok 6]arrdf P adnah

Plywood Mills Run Four-Doy Week

Kalpine Plywood Company, rvith plants at Klamath Falls, Oregon, and Anderson, California, and the Crescent Plywood Company, of Klamath Falls, have placed their operations on a four-day-per-week basis, putting 380 employes on the short rn'eek. Production has been reduced about 20 per cent. Both firms are subsidiaries of Plywood, Inc., Detroit, Nfichigan.

Announcement has also been made that the GeorgiaPacific Pl1'rvood Companv has placed four plyrvood plants in Oregon and Washington on a four-day-per-'rveek schedule, and Walton Plyrvood Company, Everett, Wash., has announced a 2O per cent cut in production at its mill.

Plywood Mill Reduces

Vancouver Plywood Company, Vancouver, Washington, annorlnces that its 7S-million-foot plywood plant with 420 emplo1'es has gone on a '1-day-a-week basis of operations'

Employmenl Reoches New High

According to the Department of Commerce. of the United States, the number oi jobholders reached a new peak in July, totaling 63,120,000, or a million more than a year ago,

lumber Firm Sues Union

The St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company, Tacoma, Wash., has hled suit against the International Woodworkers of -\merica, C.I.O., asking .$20,000 a dav damages for the duration of a strike rvhich began July 25th; also special damages estimated at $500,000. Th9 strike closed the companv sa'rvmill which cuts 100,000,000 feet a year, and also its logging operations. The suit filed in U.S. district court charges the strike violates a "no strike" clause in the comDany's contract 'ivith the union.

Ketchersid Sells lumber Inleresl

W. C. Ketchersid, of Prescott, Arizona, has sold his onethird interest in the Arizona Mining Supply Company, of Prescott, to K. K. Wyatt, of Phoenix. He is immediate past president of the Arizona Retail Lumbermen's Association. He was for many years with Foxlvorth Galbraith Lumber Company.

Behm Tolks Hordwood Plywood

Hardwood plywood is a rapidly growing, practical and profitable distribution item for building material outlets, said R. D. (Dick) Behm, newly appointed Director of Trade Promotion for Hardwood Plyrvood Institute, at the recent Sun Valley meeting of National Plywood Distributors Association.

In addition to the rare and magnificently-matched hardwood plywoods, industry offers a complete line of plywoods from the lowest cost and thinnest through the complete gamut of price and appearance values to the most glamorous and costly, according to Behm. There are hardwood plywoods with rugged, tough-wearing properties that are the work-horses of industry. Technical, fatigue-proof hardwood plywood is found in aircraft construction and in specialized marine uses. Industry's huge cooling towers and heating exchangers where, day in and day out, year in and year out, operation is necessary, use a fan blade constructed of hardrvood plywood. At Wright Field, when metal fan blades failed in the huge wind test tunnel, a plywood blade was made which works perfectly.

Appearance and quality values have been watch words of the industry for years. Today, that integrity of appearance has been maintained and at the same time, improvements in quality and performance of that glue line have been made, which mean longer lasting beauty and greater usefulness.

lqminted Bnsebqll Bots

Bancroft Racket Company, Pawtucket, R. I., is manufacturing a laminated baseball bat which they claim has many advantages over the regulation ash bat used by professional baseball. It is a hickory core covered with layers of ash. This concern, makers of laminated tennis rackets f.or 7O years, claims these laminated bats will last several times as long as the regulation ones, and are easy of control in weight and balance.

Furniture Shipmenrs Low

Reports from Chicago indicate that shipments of furniture by manufacturers in June, 1953, were the lowest for any month thus far this year. The sellers market and easy money days are rePorted over.