Lumber Merchants Convention

(Continued from Page 14)

Friday

James Stricker, United Lumber Yards, Inc., N{odesto, presided at the Friday morning session.

Biownie Carslake, sales director, Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio, spoke on "Dealer Relations."

H.V. Simpson, vice president, West Coast Lumbermen's Association, Portland, Oregon, addressed the convention on "Out of the North." The speaker said in part

"Within the past four years Douglas fir lumber production in Northern California has boomed to an annual total of nearly r/a billion board feet," Mr. Simpson said.

"I predict that 1947 production in the Douglas Fir region as a whole-Northern California, Western Oregor.r and Western Washington-will exceed 7l billion board feet. The highest log reserves in years assure continued peak lumber production throughout the winter."

He recalled that prior to the war Oregon and Washington manufacturers shipped more than a billion feet of lumber annually by water to California markets. Reduction of the intercoastal fleet has driven much of this business to rail and highway carriers, he said. "We in the lumber industry have regretted the decline in the intercoastal fleet, and hope that some means may be found to return these steamers to this trade."

Mr. Simpson told the retailers that 16 Douglas fir sau,mills in the coast counties of Northern California are members of the West Coast Bureau of Lumber Grades and Inspection, an independent lumber grading organization with a yearly payroll of more than $1,000,000.

"Comparison of today's lumber prices with those of 1939, the lumber executive said, is as erroneous as the comparison of agricultural prices in the same periods. He pointed out that since the war government action-increased social security payments, increased pensions, mustering-out pay, the British loan, housing loans, et ceterahas tended to add to the national purchasing power demand, without contributing anything to the supply.

"Eventual1y." he concluded, "the larv of supply and demand will settle this price difficulty. We in the Douglas fir industry have no control rvhatsoever over the demand."

Luncheon

Wendell ltobie, Auburn Lumber Co., Auburn, Calif., presided at the luncheon.

The luncheon speaker lvas Dr. George S. Benson, president of Harding College, Searcy, Arkansas. His topic was "America in the Valley of Decision."

Special entertainment 'n'as provided for the ladies, rvho rvere cordially invited to attend allof the general sessions, and to l-rear all the speakers.

The concluding event lvas the dinner-dance in the hotel's Garden Room. This rvas in honor of the Association's Training School Graduates.

The Exhibits

The equipment and products exhibit was was in the Casino Ball Roorn. Space does not permit any detailed description of these. The exhibitors were the followir-rg: Idaco Equipment Co., Oakland; The Paraffine Companies, San Francisco; Harbor Plywood Corporation, Hoquiam. Wash., and San Francisco; Western Pine Association; United States Plywood Corp., Oakland and San Francisco; California State Compensation Fur-rd; California Western States Life Insurance Co.; Federal Housing Administration; Haven Saw & Tbol Co., Oakland and San Francisco; Marshall-Newell Supply Co., San Francisco; Johns Manville Sales Corp., San Francisco; KimberlyClark Corp.-Kimsul Insulation; Pacific Coast Aggregates; Industrial Indemnity Co. ; The Sisalkraft Company; The Hines Shelf-Allied Western Distributors. Inc.: Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California; Industry Engineered Home; Sl-rerwin Williams Co. of California; Tynan & Rogers, Redwood City, Utilitv F'ence.

Bob Osgood Back From Business Trip

Robert S. (Bob) Osgood, Los Angeles rvholesale lumberman, has returned from a business trip in the Middle West and South. While in Cincinnati, he made arrangements to resume the Philippine hardwood lumber business as exclusive United States distributor for the Reynaldo Lumber Co., owned by Frieder Brothers, rvith whom he u'as associated before the rvar.

He also callbd on other connections, including Hoosier' Veneer Co., Indianapolis; Danner Veneer Co., Mobile, and completed arrangements to handle the West Coast husiness for Freiberg Co. of Nerv Orleans and Cir-rcinnati.