Lumber Merchants of Northern California Hold Third Annual Convention at San Francisco

The third annual convention of the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California was held at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, October 16.

President Ray Clotfelter presided at both morning and afternoon sessions.

Secretary Bernard B. Barber in his report at the morning business meeting stated that the directors had voted to increase the dues at their meeting on Thursday evening. The membership, he said, has increased to 336, in spite of a loss of 21 members, mainly as a result of liquidations. He asked members to cooperate when asked for information and urged each member to see that every lumberman in his district joins the Association.

The secretary reported that the Association's field man, Bob Wright, is now a Lieutenant, Junior Grade, in the Navy. He conclucled by expressing his belief that conditions will get better for the retail lumberman and that the industry will weather the storm better than had been anticipated. He mentioned that the N.R.L.D. is attempting to get Order M-208 amended in the matter of replacement of stocks and recommended recognition of this work in the form of a resolution.

A resolution was passed expressing the Association's appreciation of the invaluable efforts of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association in behalf of the retail lumber industry.

The remainder of the time before adjournment was devoted to a round table discussion of Association activities and matters of vital interest to retail lumbermen.

W. K. Kendrick, Valley Lumber Co., Fresno, in a brief talk on conditions, said dealers have got along surprisingly we1l. IIe commended the excellence of the summary of the industry's problems printed on the last two pages of the convention program.

Officers Re-elected

The officers and board of directors of the Association were re-elected. The officers are Ray Clotfelter, W. R. Spalding Lumber Co., Visalia, Calif., president; F. Dean Prescott, Valley Lumber Co., Fresno, Calif., vice-presi- dent; I. E. Horton, South City Lumber & Supply Co., South San Francisco, ealif., treasurer.

Bernard B. Barber, Fresno, Calif., was re-elected secretary.

The board of directors consists of the officers and the following:

George Adams, Noah Adams Lumber Co...Walnut Grove

Merle D. Bishop, Builders Emporium ....EI Cerrito

George C. Burnett, Burnett Lumber Co.... .Tulare

E. E. Carriger, Santa Cruz Lumber Co..

F. L. Dettmann, Allen & Dettman Lumber Co. San Francisco

Frank Duttle, Sterling Lumber Co.... ...Oakland

J. O. Handley, Carmel Building Supply Co.. Carmel Murray Payne, United Lumber Yards. ...Modesto Henry Laws, Henry Laws Co.

J. H. Kirk, Southern Pacific Milling Co...San Luis Obispo warter

Charles Shepard, Friend & Terry Lumber Co.. Sacramento

Warren Tillson, Modesto Lumber Co.... .Modesto

William Wright, Wright Lumber Co.... .Stockton

Paul M. P. Merner, Merner Lumber Co.......Palo Alto

E. E. Schlotthauer, Willard Lumber & Supply Co.

Stephen Ross Jr., Central Lumber Co.. . Hanford

Frank Baxley, Brey-Wright Lumber Co.. Portervllle

C. H. Garner, San Joaquin Lumber Co.........Stockton

The executive committee consists of Ray Clotfelter, I.

E. Horton, Walter E. Peterson, George Adams a4d J. H. Kirk.

Keuneth Smith, president of the California Redwood Association, San Francisco, was toastmaster at the luncheon, which drew a large attendance. In his opening remarks Mr. Smith, taking a quick look into what he thinks the post-war situation Will be said that building will be the most exciting thing in the country after the war; that wood will have to compete with many new materials, and that there will be much Federal housing and other forms of competition for the lumber industry that cannot yet be visualized.

Captain A. A. Nichoson, assistant to the vice-president of The Texas Company, delivered an eloquent and thoughtful address on "What Are We Defending."

Colonel W. B. Greeley, secretary-manager of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, Seattle, spoke on "The Sawmills' Position During the War Emergency." He said that as the war progressed lumber was called on to do the work of steel in construction to a large extent. The Navy has thousands of wooden boats on order. Large amounts of lumber are going into pontoons, bridges, cantonments and many other war projects. The industry has been amazed at the successive waves of construction projects. A recent one was the demand for lumber f.or 20 dirigible hangars, 1000 feet long, 190 feet high and.250 feet wide, requiring three million feet for each.

The strictly rvar needs for this year are placed at 24 billion feet. For the next year they will be greater. The West Coast industry has unfilled orders on its books f.or 1,250,000,000 feet, and at the moment is struggling with a 30 per cent shortage of labor, shortage of truck tires, of equipment in mills and camps, and in spite of this has kept production within three, per cent oI last year. F'or the winter months ahead they are confronted with declining log production and large new orders.

The R.A.F. has used wood for trainers, bombers and fighting planes, taking about 6000,000 feet of airplane stock a month from the Pacific Northwest. The United States is now using wood trainers, gliders and some bombers and now the production of airplane lumber is the outstanding job of the industry, the speaker said. Last month's production was seven million feet and this must be doubled. The millmen are showing pride in getting out this high-grade lumber.

The retailers have been tied up with freezing orders and will continue to be for some time, Col. Greeley said. IIe could see no relief from lumber demands for the war program before the spring of. 1943. However, he assured his audience that the manufacturers of the Northwest appreciate fully the sacrifices being made by the retail dpalers and hope they will be able to help the dealers to carry on. There is no disposition on the part of the manufacturer, now on top of the heap, to forget that the retail lumber dealer is his essential partner in business, and they must all cooperate and plan for the reconstruction days after the war.

In conclusion he said he looks for a long period of active farm and home building after the war, arising from needs not satisfied today and accumulated means; for intensive competition from new building materials, and for a struggle on the part of all to maintain the field for individual enterprise. The job for all today is to do what we can to win the war.

"Air Power for Victory," was the title of a talk by Geoffrey F. Morgan, public relations director for the Douglas Aircraft Corporation, The speaker stated that air power. will be a large factor in winning the war on all fronts, and that air raids against the German cities will be eventually stepped up to 1O,000 planes at a time.

A large number of those who attended the convention enjoyed the dinner and entertainment of the Bal Tabarin night club, where a section was reserved for them.

East Bay Lumbermen Hold Meetings

At a meeting of retail lumbermen of the East Bay district held at the offices of Wood Products Co., Ray Building, Oakland, on October 19, there was a general forum for the discussion of priorities and the general building policies of the various Government agencies in regard to new building, remodeling and rehabilitation.

The speakers included J. E. Mackie, San Francisco, manager of the western office of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association; George Sharp, housing specialist for the War Production Board; Douglas Manuel, executive assistant to the regional director of the Federal Housing Administration, San Francisco, and R. S. Grant, manager of the War Housing Center of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, Oakland.

D. N. Edwards of Wood Products Co. presided.

Lumbermen also attended a meeting at the offices of Wood Products Co., October 22, at which Arnold Anderson and Noel E. Graves. both of the Private Truck Owners Bureau of California, discussed and explained orders issued by the Office of Defense Transportation. These orders prescribe the various conditions and requirements under which commercial vehicles are to be operated on and after November 15, one of which is that each vehicle must carry a Certificate of War Necessity, obtainable from the nearest field office of ODT's Division of Motor Transport.

!7ith Simpson lndustries, Inc.

SimpSon Industries, Inc., of Seattle, Wash., Sales Division of the Simpson Logging Company, announces the addition to its sales organization of Homer (H. B.) Maris of Oakland, Calif. He will be its exclusive representative in the San Francisco, Oakland and Northern California regions.

Mr. Maris is one of the best known men in California in the plywood and lumber business. He started for himself in San Francisco 35 years ago as a wholesaler of hardwood lumber and plywood. In L9L2 he established his own plywood warehouse and was an important factor in this line until he sold his interests a few years ago.

No lmmediate Relief Promised for Retail Lumber Dealers

A meeting was held in Portland on Tuesday, October 27, just before the lumber auction, for the purpose of interpreting and discussing Douglas Fir Freeze Order No. L-218. There were 262 registrations. Colonel Sherrill, W. T. Deadrick and J. F. Mahoney of the Corps of Engineers explained the new purchasing regulations and answered a number of questions. No immediate relief in the matter of replacement of stock for retail yards was indicated in the statements made at the meeting.

A mimeographed statement distributed to all who were present was as follows:

"On and after October D, all Douglas Fir lumber as defined in Limitation Order No. L-218 shall be purchased by the Central Procurement Agency only.

"The only exceptions are No. 3 Boards, No. 3 Dimen'sion, No. 3 Timbers and lower grades, including any grades of Simpson Logging Company have three sawmills, two ply- Factory or Shop lumber. wood plants, a door plant and a furniture factory, and are 'This order does not include plywood, veneer or used one of the largest timber holders in the Northwest. lumber."

Stock Pile Yard Representatives Attend Portland Meeting

Announcement of the Government policy of buying and selling for the stock pile yards was made at a meeting in Portland October 26, attend.ed by representatives of the distribution yards which have stock pile authorizations.

Among the California lumbermen who attended were,the following: A. J. "Gus" Russell, Santa Fe Lumber Co., San Francisco; H. F. Vincent, E. K. Wood Lumber Co., San Francisco; Millard C. White, Christenson Lumber Co., San Francisco; E. S. Brush, Loop Lumber Co., San Francisco; Paul Hallingby, Hammond Lumber Co., Los Angeles; George Clough, San Pedro Lumber Co., Los Angeles; A. J. Macmillan, Consolidated Lumber Co., Wilmington; J. A. Privett, E. K. Wood Lumber Co., Los Angeles; Leslie Lynch, Patten-Blinn Lumber Co., Los Angeles.

Commissioned Second Lieutenant

Walter Miller, formerly sales manager for Mt. Jefferson Lumber Co., Portland, graduated October 30 as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps at Stockton Field, Stockton, Calif. He is a son of Orville R. Miller, president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association.

Odt Delivery Interpretation

Washington, October 12-In an interpretation of General Order ODT No. 17 issued today, Jack Garrett Scott, General Counsel of the Office of Defense Transportation, made it clear that the driver of a commercial motor vehicle, whether also the carrier or merely the employee of the carrier, is bound by the provisions of Section 501.68.

This section reads, in part: "No person shall cause to be made by motor truck, and no motor carrier, when operating a motor truck, shall make (a) any special delivery, except to hospitals, (b) any call back, (c). more than one delivery from any one point of origin to any one point of destination during any calendar day."

Two other interpretations also were issued today by Mr. Scott. The first clarified the provisions of Order No. 17 which cover the elimination of wasteful operation and duplication of parallel services. The second clarified the definition of "special equipment" as used in Order No. 17.

CHARLIE CROSS NOW LT. COL.

Charles B. Cross, former manager of Truckee-Tahoe Lumber Co., Truckee, Calif., who has been in the Army for some time, has been promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.

Application Blanlcs for Certiftcates of War Necessity Being Mailed

Mailing of application blanks for use of commercial motor vehicle operators in applying for Certificates of War Necessity is making rapid progress, the Office of Defense Transportation announced today.

Mailing of the application blanks to fleet operators has been completed, and mailing of single unit blanks is more than one-third finished. Operators of more than two trucks, buses, taxicabs or other commercial motor vehicles require fleet applications, while operators of one or two such vehicles require a single unit application for each vehicle.

Any operator who has been missed in the general mailing should apply at once to his nearest ODT Motor Transport Division field office for Form CWN-4 on which to apply for an application blank. This form must be filled out and returned to the field office from which it was obtained before an application can be sent.

Operators of one or two commercial motor vehicles, however, should make sure that mailing has been completed in their counties before applying for this form. Such operators should watch their newspapers for announcements concernings mailing of the blanks in their counties or check with their district offices.

Mailing of the single unit applications has been completed in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and South Dakota and is substantially completed in a number of other states.

Any operator who receives the wrong type of application should return it at once to the ODT's central mailing office at Detroit, Michigan, in the self-addressed envelope provided with the application, with a notation as to the number of vehicles operated. The carrier then will be sent another application.

Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club

Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club held its regular monthly dinner meeting in Sacramento on Wednesday, October 21.

President LeRoy Miller presided and there was a good attendance of members and guests.

H. J. Cox, Secretary-manager of the Willamette Valley Lumbermen's Association" Eugene, Ore., gave a talk on the situation that is at present confronting the sawmills in the Douglas Fir region.

E. S. McBride, Davis Lumber Co., Davis, Calif., member of Hoo-Hoo Supreme Nine, announced the appointment of Charles Shepard, Friend & Terry Lumber Co., Sacramento, as vicegerent snark for the Sacramento Vallev district.

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