NLMA Predicts More \(/ood in 1952 Homes

Restrictions on the use of critical metals in constructiorr need not delay or prohibit the continued expansion of home building, according to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. While the recent amendments to the National Production Authority's construction regulation tightened the restrictions on metals, the amendments relaxed in general the over-all restrictions on building. In short, the regulations now provide that persons may build homes of any size or value so long as they stay within specified limitations for copper, steel, and aluminum.

The problem facing the home builder now, is how to stretch his allowed use of critical metals. The answer lies in wood ! Plumbing and electrical systems will continue to depend largely on the metals; but traditionally the United States has built substantial homes with lumber and lumber products. New and improved methods of engineering in wood, better and more rapid seasoning facilities, ready availability at your retail lumber yard, the development of modern finishes and paints-all these make wood increasingly attractive as the Number One lfome Building Material.

Engineering in wood has produced designs rvhich not only save metals, but actually save on the use of wood itself. Wood trussed construction, utilizing the Teco connector', for example, not only produces a saving in lumber but reduces construction costs and time. What is more, it results in a sturdy, attractive building.

The new homes of 1952 will feature the use of timber beams, rafters and joists, attractive wood millwork and interior finish, and rust-proof wood windows. Wood interior paneling has brought new interest, new character and new beauty to the interior of today's homes. Some of the most distin,ctive and best looking "character marked" rooms in the small, but smart new homes going on the market today feature wood walls produced from lumber and hardwood plywoods. Home owners and prospective buyers find wood paneled walls take a home out of the "just-another-house" class. Beautifully grained boards finished to the owner's taste are far richer than any wallpaper that can be obtained and it eliminates forever the necessity of periodic repapering or painting. Properly finished, wood paneling is practically a permanent interior decoration.

Cost has always been an important factor to the home builder. While many home builders as well as construction men realize that pound for pound lumber can do as much work as any other building material, few home builders realize that, properly engineered, lumber can be superior on a cost-for-cost comparison as well.

In home building there is no substitute for space. Wood frame construction means low initial cost and greater fexibility in space design. Trussed rafters provide post-free interiors and greater living space.

One often hears the remark, "My grandfather built his house of wood, and it is still standing; but in his day they had better wood than we can buy today'" This, say the technicians at National Lumber Manufacturers Association, is sheer nonsense. Wood today is no different from that in grandfather's day, nor in the day of his grandfather. But, today there have been developed better ways to use wood, and better ways to preserve it in use. That grandfather's house is still standing despite the abuse of the years is a tribute to the native durability of wood; but his grandson's house, built of the same native woods, better manufactured and selected for jobs they have to do, will be a more comfortable and more attractive structure for a considerably longer time.

For the amateur home maker, the man who likes to add utility and attractiveness through his own handirvork, wood is the easily-worked, all-purpose building material. Lumber dealers with experience in servicing the home owner can save him considerable expense and time if given a chance to advise the proper species and grades for a given job. This is a service that is available to all.

Likewise, the architect and builder who design in wood, or in combinations of wood and other materials, would do well to obtain from the technical department of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. 1319 18th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., a listing of booklets and other information on the use of wood.

E L, Bruce Co., Inc., Moves From Scrn Frqncisco to Ocklqnd

Announcement is made by E. L. Bruce Co., Inc., of their removal from San Francisco to Oakland, effective October 1, 1951.

The old address was 99 San Bruno Avenue, San Francisco, Calif. The new address is 4636 East 12th' Street, Oakland 1, Calif., and the new telephone number is KEllog 3-677.

S. W. Eznekier is district manager of E. L. Bruce Co., fnc.

United Stcrtes Plytrrood Corp. Opens Wcrehouse in Scrcrcunento

United States Plywood Corp. opened a branch warehouse at 5914 R Street, Sacramento, effective October 1. W. A. (Bi11) Haskin is manager.

Bill Haskin has been with United States Plywood Corp. about 10 years, and since World War II has been a valuable employee of the Oakland branch. When Jack Staley was on leave of absence, Bill was a capable acting manager of the Spokane branch. Since he has covered the Sacramento territory from the Oakland warehouse for several years, he has a wide acquaintance among customers in that area and a good knowledge of the trade requirements.

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European conferees at that meeting made it entirely clear that they expected Uncle Sam to "pick up the check" for European rearmament. Their attitude seemed to be-if the United States is so anxious that we remain free, let them pay the bill, and also furnish plenty of soldiers. That's the fix in which we find ourselves in the world today, or, as Jimmy Durante says-"those are the conditions that prevail'"

You can no more convince our Washington spenders and economic illiterates that there is any limit to our financial resources or any bottom to our economic barrel than you can convince a Digger Indian that the sun doesn't revolve around the earth. Their financial and economic convictions are purely a matter of blind and foolish faith, beyond the reach of reason, and in no wise conforming to the laws of logic. How to continue our present headlong flight down the broad highway to destructive inflation and yet avoid a catastrophe, is our problem of problems. The spenders look upon that danger and see it not. x<**

And, speaking of inflation-what IS inflation? Read the papers, listen to the radio, and check the opinions expressed by enthusiastic students of finance as printed in the Vox Pop portions of the public press, and you get many a picture of infation; all of them di,fferent, and- all of them erroneous. It is like the story of the several blind men inspecting the elephant by means of their sense of touch, and each getting a vastly different impression of what the elephant looks like. Naturally, the man who feels the elephant's tail gets a much different picture from that of the man who touches the vast body, etc.

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Most men cling to the idea that rising prices are infla-

J. D. Murphy Lumber Co. Holds Open House

J. D. Murphy Lumber Co. held open house at their nerv offices in the Boothe Building, 475 Huntington Drive, San Marino, October 5. Mrs. Jean Murphy. Jack's lvife and business partner, was a gracious hostess to the many friends and customers who attended. Tl-re owners of the Boothe Building held open house on that day for the tenants, most of rvhom participated individually.

tion. The fact is that rising prices are merely the evidence that there IS inflation. Just as a rising temperature shown by the thermometer means there is an infection in the human body, so do rising prices mean that the infection of inflation exists in the economic body. The high prices are not the inflation; they simply show that the inflation exists. Inflation, according to the best authorities available, is strictly a financial thing-a "monetary phenomenon." Its basis is an extraordinary increase in the supply of money. The money supply may be increased in a variety of ways, but we have inflation only when we have a greatly increased supply of money units. So, since the basis of inflation is an inflated money supply, the tendency of prices to rise is only a symptom of inflation.

So it would seem that the way to stop inflation is not to impose controls on rising prices, which are only the evidences of inflation, but to attack the basis of inflation. The Wall Street Journal says: "In our opinion, the thing to do about inflation is not to have it. . . All that is necessary is a conscientious national effort by the Administration to stop financing Treasury deficits by pumping Government securities into the banking system If the Government will stop inflating the money supply, there will simply no longer be a problem of controlling the nrnaway prices." And there you have it in*a nutshell.

Common sense proclaims to thinking men that Government cannot enrich us; that ii is our dependent, not our patron; that it can only advance the fortunes of one at thb expense of all. But it might well destroy us all if it fails to act intelligently to prevent unrestrained infation. Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson says that inflation is an enemy "possibly even more dangerous than Russia." Right, Mr. Wilson ! But to beat it, we must first understand what it is.

Bcck From Vcrcction Trip

Warren Hoyt, American Lumber & Treating Co., Los Angeles, and Mrs. Hoyt, have returned from a 3000 mile trailer trip vacation. \Marren writes:

"We been fishin'and fididdlin'on the Klamath Where the fishermen are cowboys of the sea, Where the steelhead and the salmon, they are. mammoth, And everybody catches 'em but me."

That