Cqliforniqns See Jqponese Typhoon Disoster; Plywood Industry Hit

The goodwill trip of nine Los Angeles officials t9 N_agoya, Japan, late in Septernber, unfortunately coincided with the disastrous Typhoon Vera which Japanese officials estimated would cause between 5,000-8,000 deaths. All members of the tour, which included Lumber Dealer Frode B. Kilstofte, pi.tia."t oi tn" Rossman Mill & Lumber Co., Wilmington, Lert to rishrl were reported safe. Mr. Kilstofte also serves on several ll6i! civic bodies (see Page.39). . ".

City councilmen and Harbor commissioners in the group riit'tial', reported that many people were still trapped on rooftops, Frode B. a week after the typhoon, and that relief workers were run- Kil'tofte ning out of vaccines that they hoped would curb the spread of cholera and typhoid in the desperate situation.

The Los Angeles group had taken along several exhibits as a goodwill gesture, and 80/o of these, which had just been unloaded on the docks at Nagoya when the typhoon struck, were ruined.

Gordon D. Ingraham, managing secretary of the Imported Hardwood Plywood Assn., San Francisco, reported word received from Japan that approximately 80 plywood mills in the Nagoya area, supplying both domestic and export sales, were damaged in flood and high tide. With 1,150,000 homeless of Nagoya's 2,500,000 population; 3,300 dead and an estimated 1,900 missing, even the mills attempting to get back into production could get less than half their workers back after they have solved the more immediate problems of their own homes and families.

It was reported early in October that it woulcl be six to eight weeks before the 75 or more most seriously damaged mills would be back in production, and that, to compound the disaster, lumber shipments awaiting loading on the docks were all washed away and lost in the sea.

The IHPA sent a cablegram of sympathy to the Japan Plywood Manufacturers' Assn. on their losses in the disaster, expressing the hope that they and their families had escaped the tragedy.

The following message was sent to the regular and "user" members of IHPA by Hans Rainer, president: "Dear Fellow Member;

"The Typhoon that struck Japan seriously hurt many of those mills whose reliability as to quality and performance has been a considerable source of our livelihood during the last years. Now more than ever a part of their livelihood depends upon you and me.

"f ask you in all sincerity to please try to spare these people additional hardships by persuading your customers (Continued on Page 59)