UP 4.POINT PROGRAM

Appointment of a task foroe from industry to meet with Secretaiy of Agriculture Freeman "to urge the immediate implemen' tation of thl Worrell Report and pending proposals in the indus' try's 'Four Points to Survival' program" was authorized Sept' 15 by the Weslern Pine association at its semi'annual meeting in Portland.

While concern over problems connected with government tirnber sales commanded l-ading attention, the association also took action on a number of significant matters of grades, lumber size standards, log scaling, trade promotion, research and other subjects. Among these several items, the association approved;

1. A proposal (now before the American Lumber Standards Committie) to reduce the dry size of 3" and 4" widths from 25/g" and 35/a" to 212" and.3/2" respectively.

2. "Identical equivalent green lumber size standards" as fav' ored by tJre West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau and now up for action by ALS.

3. Publication of an association leaflet clearly explaining the proposed nationwide grade standardization program. Tied in *ith thir will be a fill-in card that manufacturers can use to in' dicate to the Department of Commerce their views on the pro' gram.

4. Newly completed laminating grades for Douglas Fir of the Western Pitte tegiott. A supplement to the official grading rules was authorized.

5. A 1964 trade promotion budget of $945,000, equalling the 1963 budget. Additionally, W'estern Pine supports the National Wood Promotion Program to the extent of about $500,000 a year.

6. A plan to consult with the West Coast Lumberm'en's Asso' ciation on possibilities for cooperative undertakings in lumber trade promotion.

7. A proposal in Congress for establishment of a new office of Assistani Secretary of Agriculture whose primary duties would relate to forestry.

8. A recommendation that the Secretary of Agriculture trans' fer the policy and planning section for the national forests from the Forest Service to his staff.

9. A proposal to press for independent log scaling services in the Western Pine region.

4-POINT PROGRAAA STRESSED

Presiding over the meetings was John S' Richards, of AtlasTie Co., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, who in his main address as president called on the Western Pine industry to redouble efforts on behalf of the "Four Points to Survival" program that forest operators laid before Secretary Freeman in February; 1962. He reported progress on some parts of the program t'but less than satisfactory results so far." Special attention was given the Worrell Report, an independent study of Forest Service timber appraisal policies which was completed and submitted to Secretary Freeman in June.

CANADIAN CO'I/IPETITION GROWS

Richards said no progress had been made towards tariff or quota relief from Canadian competition in the U. S. lumber market.

"Due to loss of its other foreign markets and an increasing production, Canada continues to take a larger percentage of the American market," he said. "Operating in a lower-cost economy and backed by government policies more sympathetic than those of our administration and Forest Service, they are able to operate profitably in our market while many of our mills cannot compete.o' Richards said the Jones Shipping Act is supposed to affect only cargo mills on the West Coast, oobut when they are unable to ship to the eastern seaboard they turn to rail ship' ments to the midwest, traditionally ours." He saw no solution near for this problem.

W. E. Griffoe, Association secretary-manager, estimated that the recent wage boosts that settled the 1963 lumber strike are boosting production costs about $3 per M, o'and will jump costs more in 1964 and 1965.'

Griffee reported Western Pine region shipments, which tradi' tionally account for about one-third of all U.S.-produced softwood lumber, were two percent above last year at the end of July, while stocks at the mills were 2.6 percent below a year ago and 13.6 percent below 1961.

HO'IIE BUITDING ACTIVE

"Home building, nationwide," he said, "has held up well, the annual rate of starts for the first seven months b,eing about 1,515,' 000, slightly ahead of 1962. Loan applications and building per' mits are presaging a good rate of starts for this fall. Just replacing the 500,000 housing units lost each year to obsolescence, fire, highway construction and other causes g,ives builders a sizable backlog to work from. At tfre same time unsold homes, vacancies, foreclosure rates and race problems are factors to make analysts uneasy." He said there was a good chance lumber size and mois' ture content o'arguments" that have plagued the U.S. industry since the nationwide standardization program was launched three years ago "may be settled onoe and for all by the end of this year."

Featured speaker at the Board of Directors meeting Sept. 13 was B. L. Orell, vice president of the Weyerhaeuser Company, who spoke on "The Role of Associations in the Legislative Process." Orell expressed hope that more industry members take an interest in legislative problems, "instead of letting George do it." He urged members to stay abr,east of matters of concern to the Association, and to take part in formulating Association policy and in presenting industry's views.

John H. Hinmqn Tree Form,Dedicoted

An outstanding leader in the forest industry, John H. Hinman, was honored when more than 190,000 acres of International Paper Company's Douglas fir forests in the Oregon Coast Range were dedicated as the John H. Hinman Tree Farm.

More than 100 guests attended the mid-September event in International Paper's Twin Sisters Public Park, 4l miles east of Gardiner in the Hinman Tree Fam.

The woodlands in the John H. Hinman Tree Farm have been managed as tree farm lands for many years before their renaming and dedication in honor of Hinman, who has been an influential part of International Paper and the forest industry for more than 50 years. It is composed of four areas formerly known as the Vaughn, Smith River, l.ower Umpqua and McKenzie River Tree Farms.

' Appropriately, the Vaughn Tree Farm portion played a pioneer role in the American Tree Farm System as has Hinman. The Vaughn woodlands were originally awarded West Coast Tree Farm Certificate No. 3. Hinman is a Trustee and a past President of American Forest Products Industries, Inc., the industry association which sponsored the American Tree Farm System. And he has served in many other important national industry positions vital in the development and promotion of the tree farm movement and the growlh of modern forest management. Hinman previously had served as Chairman of the Board and President of International Paper for a number of years. He continues to serve on the company's Board of Directors and as Honorary Chairman.