NFPA meeting backs urban rene\Mal

Urban rehabilitation projects, launched by private initiative and supported in the beginning hy private investment. won prompt and unanimous endorsement at the fall meeting of the National Forest Products Association in Las Vegas.

NFPA accepted a proposal by the American Plywood Association that the two groups jointly undertake a specific rehabilitation project to achieve government rehabilitation objective-s while demonstrating the practicality and economy of wood and plywood products.

The move came close on the heels of a challenge issued by NFPA president Gene C. Brewer, who is president of U.S. Plywood Corp., urging business to assume more responsibility for solving social problems.

NFPA and APA will work at staff and management levels to develop specific proposals to be made to federal, state, and locals officials charged with improving housing in urban areas.

They also authorized money for studies on fire loads through the Building Research Advisory Board.

Reflecting widespread industry concern with the substantial drain on available tim- ber lands for non-economic uses, they also authorized an immediate pilot studv to evaluate the efiect of gou"..rment ia.rd acquisition for non-economic purposes on the development of jobs and community stability.

In a related land-use and forestry management matter, they agreed to urge federal officials to direct their programs concerning hardwoods towards:

(I) Making available the full yield from government forest lands.

(2) Basic research to develop new and improved lumber products and the efiective dissemination of these findings.

(3) Research on improved hardwood forest management techniques and effective dissemination of these findings.

(4) Cooperative fire control under state direction.

(5) Improved national forest and secondary roads.

Also they urged that federal timber in an arca not be revalued upward because of higher yield through the introduction of by-product use until the majority of basic timber buyers in the area were in a technological position to compete equally. Upward revaluation based on by-product production by a limited number of producers works a hardship on those not geared to realize maximum return from logs purchased.

Lumber Stondo'rds Choice Neors

The ballot containing the latest proposals for a softwood lumber standard are now being processed by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The mailing was made November 18, with a return deadline of December 3.

An announcement is expected sometime before January 15, the date on which the Department of Commerce has said it will revoke the present standard. The ballot mailing went to a statistically selected sample o{ the industry.

Overseos Morket Studied

The big overseas market for wood products manufacturers will be the subject of a one-day conference at the Eureka Inn on December 16, Bill Dost o{ the University of California Forest Products Laboratory chairing the meeting.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Agricultural Extension Service of Cal and the Humboldt State College Center for Community Development in an efiort to point out that foreign trade in today's shrinking world is really no more complex than most everyday domestic transactions -and in many cases much safer.

Building Boom Seen by APA

Growing prosperity that will generate one of the greatest build' ing booms in history was foreseen at the American Plyw'ood Association's fall meeting by James R. Turnbull, executive vice president.

o'At the same time, I also think it is impossible to see how times can improve at all for the next few months. Our belts are going to be tight for some time," Turnbull told some 350 delegates at the Portland, Oregon meeting.

Contributing to the plywood industry's discomfort in this situation is added production capacity. By mid-1966 this addition had created a 20 percent increase in capacity while sales this year will increase only seven percent.

Despite these problems, he said, the association's programs could make 1967 a better year than 1966, even though those programs generally aim at producing 15 percenl more.ln results on an income that could be 15 percent less than was provided for in the 1966 budget.

Wholesqler Problems Noted

Candid observations on present problems and future prospects for lumber wholesalers were ofiered by members of the NationalAmerican W'holesale Lumber Association from the Pacific Northwest who gathered at Gleneden Beach, Oregon, for a two-day meeting early this fall.

While the traditional problems of credit and collections, training and supervision of personnel, and rising costs of operation received much attention, NAWLA members indicated a growing interest in better promotion, improved manufacturer-wholesaler communications, and increased efiorts to attract young people.

Members present said the three most serious problems facing wholesalers were: difficulty of collecting money" even from previously fast-paying customers, once the lumber is sold, and the rising cost of borrowing capital to carry these accounts on a longer basis is squeezing the profit margin of the wholesaler.

Industry Conference Report

A special publication of proceedings at the third annual Forest Industries Marketing Conference now is available {rom the University of Oregon's Forest Industries Management Center.

Twenty-eight speakers at the June meeting discussed forestry topics ranging from new technology in the industry to marketing research and development of new marketing trends, Dr. Stuart Rich, professor of marketing and director of the Center, said.

Copies of the book are available for $4. Write Dr. Stuart U. Rich, School of Business Administration, University of Oregon, Eugene,. Ore.

Bowmon Elected Club Chief

Black Bart Hoo-Hoo Club IBI has elected Joe Bowman of Art Bond Lumber Co. in Cloverdale, as its 1966-67 president. Bill Chase, Nevada Timber Products, has moved up to the first vicepresidency and Duke Douthit, Al Thrasher Lumber Co., has been named second vice-president. Joe Mayfield, Mendo Mill & Lumber, replaces Bowman as s€cretary-treasurer.

Directors for the Mendocino County, Calif. club include: Jim Maher, Redwood Coast Lumber Co.; Cordes Langley, Langley Transportation; Bob Jensen, Jensen's Truck Stop; Don Lengel, Columbia Research; Ralph Dales, E. A. Padula Lumber Co.; Charlie Williams, Willits Redwood Products; Jack Harwood, Branscomb Enterprises; Roy Sjolund, Royal Wood Products; and Art Bond, Art Bond Lumber Co.

Club l8l's most recent meetins was its annual dinner dance at the Redwood Valley Grange on December 3. and the first meeting of the New Year is scheduled for January 18.

New Mexico Club Meets

Central New Mexico Hoo-Hoo Club #69 met recently in Albuquerque to hear Mike Donn of the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and to discuss club plans.

Snark of the Universe Vaughn H. Justus spoke on the national convention and T. P. Gallagher was elected chairman of the 1968 convention.

Nino Trujillo is the new president. Carl Monroe vice president and Dennis Gonzalez is treasurer. Frank See serves as secretary.

Fqnnie Mqe Loosens Up

The federal governrnent has taken new action to help housing by liberalizing the ceiling on its mortgage purchases on existing housirg.

The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) announced the mortgage amount on such houses is being boosted from $17,500 to $2O000. This does not apply to new home construction which on October 4 was raised from $15,000 to $25,000.

FNMA president J. Stanley Baughman said it will "provide assistance for a larger segment of home owners who desire to sell their homes but were unable to obtain the necessary financing."

Truckers Are Optimistic

How's this for optimism: veteran lumber haulers Fritz Quirin and John Cameron, partners at C-Q Trucking Co., just took delivery of two new Peterbilt lightweight lumber rigs, this despite the fact that their hauling volume is ofi 60 percent. Looking forward to a big surge in the spring, says Fritz.

Total tab for the new trucks: $116.000.

HERE IS SATISFACTION in the thoueht that no matter what conditions prevail, there would be little gcnuine pleasure in business without the friends that business creates. And so, at the close o{ another year, we look backward and think of the many {riends who have made the tasks of the year lighter, the sun brighter, the desire to serve stronger, and the ties of friendship dearer. The joys of friendship are things that not even war can take away {rom us. What saith the poet? "Their cause I plead, lead it in heart and mind, a fellow feeling makes one wondrous kind." Friendships are assets that neither war nor depression can destroy.

What does the future h.l,l f; r.? N:. no, mv friend. There shall be no prophecying here. Suffice it for this time that we talk of the grand times of the past year, and let the future take care of itself for the moment. But advice? Ah! That's difierent. This column was always strong in that department. So, let us close these Christmas Vags by quoting what a wise man said to us once, long ago. It would be a fine working plan for any man for the year. and all the years to come. He said: r882-1956

Get up right in the morning. Go to bed right at night. Start with jov in your heart, hope in the future, kindness in your purpose. If it is a dark day, never mind. You will help lighten it up. Ii it is a bright day, you will add to the brightness. Give a word of cheer, a kindly greeting, and a warm hand-shake to your frierrds. Forgive, and try to forget your enemies. If all of us would bear in mind that happincss is {rom within and not from without, there would be a well-spring of joy in every human heart, and the sun would shine forever."

The Human Touch

It's the human touch in the world that counts, The touch of your hand and mine, That means far more to the fainting hear, Than shelter or bread or wine. For shelter is gone when the night is o'er, And bread lasts only a day, But the touch of the hand And the sound of the voice, Live on in the soul alway.

Higb

Maple Bros., Inc. carries a complete stock of all standard Ponderosa Pine Moulding patterns all soft-textured and smooth-finished in unilorm quality. Special patterns will be milled to your specifications. Your order receives prompt attention and on-schedule delivery at Maple Bros., Inc.