There's Something on the "Horizons in Wood" for All of Us

(High spots ln address by Wlllam D. Welsh' publlc relatlons consultant and resldent rnanager' Lake Crescent Division, CrovvnZellerbach Corp., Port Angeles, Wash., a,t ttre Seattle clvlc luncheon for 1960 National Forest Products Week:)

In his address, "Horizons in Wood," Mr. Welsh reviewed the 352 years during which the tree had been "the hallmark of white man's American gsrnmslgg-fhe tree, which is today recogrtized as the most able, productive, renewable wood and chemical factory in all of Nature's treasure house."

He cited the wasteful practices of the earlier years of the nation, "not because man was wasteful or careless but because trees were so plentiful" and their removal was vital to our growing civilization in making room for growing crops and the development of cities.

"F'or more than three hundred years there was cash demand for only the prime ribs of the tree. Almost utter disregard was shown for the soupbones and asparagus which are salvaged and marketed today in a fascinating array of forestry products," he said.

"There's a new breed of forest owners now; with modern concepts of forest use and reproduction. Sixty odd years ago the first American professional forester was gtaduated from a forestry school. Fifty-two years ago the University of Washington was enrolling its flrst forestry student. In 1960 there were 1754 forestry graduates in the United States, and an arnazing total of 15,484 graduates in the past ten years.

"About 18 years ago the Keep Green prog'ram originated in Washington state. Today it has expanded into a Keep America

Lu ncheon Head-Table at Seattle's great NFPweek (1. to r.): William Larson, C. of C.; Tom Nolan, Riverside Lumber Co., Week chairman; Dr. Henry schmitz, U. of Wash.; Walter B. Nettleton, board

Green crusade. For the greatest danger to forestry is carelessness with fire.

"In 7942 the first American tree farm was started in Washington state. Today there are 16,740 registered, flourishing, carefully disciplined tree farms in the United States embracing nearly 52 million acres of productive land.

"There are 243 tree nurseries in the United States. These are operated by the U.S. Forest Service, soil conservation districts, commercial nursery companies and forest products industries. In 1959 these nurseries shipped two-billion, eighty-million, 722,000 seedling trees for planting in United States soil. And this g'oes on year after year. In addition, thousands of acres are reseeded from helicopters, an innovation which began in the Pacific Northwest.

"Lumber has come a long ways from the two-by-scantling days and the ginger-bread furbelows of the old-time carpenter. The multi-colored pamphlets of the lumber and plywood associations and companies reveal beauty and desig:ns possible from their special woods. And while government has been a bit tardy in recoganizing the forest products industries, American citizens have made up for it by selecting wood as their Number One choice as a building material. Most of us live in houses made of wood and enjoy furniture, cabinets artd a Pandora's box of wood additives in a tantalizing: selection of hardwoods, softwoods, plywood and other materials. Last year 1,500,000 homes were built in the United States, most of them of wood.

"Name the tree specie and you'll find its adherents. Alder, Maple, Ash, Madrone, Spruce, Myrtle, the F irs and Cedars, Hemlock, Cottonwood, Walnut, Cherry, Oak, Birch and a host of others. Specify a desire for a special effect in wood and you can have it supplied by lumber, plywood, shingle, cedar shake, hardboard or softboard mills.

"More and more schools are being built in single-story frame construction because architects have discovered wood as a lasting material of great charm and beauty.

"The sheer beauty of wood construction in reverently attractive designs of architecture makes our new churches more serene to the growing numbers of church-goers.

"Important developments in wood research and technology have stepped up lumber from a strictly carpentering material to an engineering marvel. The wedding of lumber bonded together by the tenacity of modern glues and resins has resulted in immense arches and beams. These giant, factory-made wood shapes are being made to span a 300-foot space without the need for posts. Thus the architect has greater flexibility in design because he can specify a wood shape in graceful lines to span great distances in stadiums, factories and other buildings.

"You will flnd plywood, like lumber, manufactured for the beauty of paneling'or the pick-and-shovel jobs of sheathing, concrete form work, sub-flooring and many other construction uses.

"Wood products ? They're universal, boundless. They're everywhere. A pageantry of paper products containing, protecting, proclaiming and explaining their contents: ice cream, potatoes, butter' margarine, milk and cream, f,Iet mignons and g:round round. tr'resh, frozen, dried, cooked and preserved foods. Bread, buns, beans and brook trout. Pizza pies, TV dinners and lobster tails. Name ityou'll flnd it packaged in paper, a forest product. The dainty paper

DECETIiBER t5, t950 hanky, the husky multi-wall bags capable of holding 100 pounds of cement. Charcoal for the cook-out. A husky rowing shell. A bowling lane. A gymnasium floor. Newspapers, magazines. The sheer glory of the Christmas tree. Kodak film, tire cord, explosives, the bewitching elegance of feminine garments."

Welsh went on to outline the marvels in the field of silvachemicals, how dedicated laboratory technicians are constantly bringing forth new discoveries and improvements; how they are carrying their researches from pilot plants into the field and into great chemical and industrial plants to add to the growing volume of by-products from forest-products wastes to enrich the economy of the nation and to provide new jobs and added opportunities.

people, places and producfs . . .

Porter-Ca,ble Acquisition Approved

Syracuse, N. Y.-An agleement by Rockwell Manufacturing Company of Pittsburgh, Pa., to acquire the assets of the PorterCable Machine Company was completed December 5 following approval of Porter-Cable stockholders at a meeting here. PorterCable is one of the nation's leading manufacturers of portable electric power tools, and Rockwell is known for its complete line of stationary power tools for industry, schools and the home workshop. Porter-Cable will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rockwell. According to industry sources, the future of the 50-yearold portable power tool fleld is excellent. Industry sales have increased from $60 million in 1946 to more than 9175 million this year. The flight to the suburbs has created a horde of home craftsmen. The suburban workshop disciple, the do-it-yourselfer, has accounted for perhaps half the industry's total volume. The steady rising cost of labor has priced the professional craftsman out of many markets. Each time wages increase, more do-it-yourself recrrrits converg'e on hardware dealers. And harried business owners seeking to level costs, are turning increasingly to power tools to replace costly hand labor. The school tool market is also burgeoning. Record school-construction outlays, plus increasing emphasis on vocational training, will produce prime sales targets in years to come.

Salee of Marllte Panels Reported Vp 28/o

During a year in which fewer new home starts and a general tightening of the remodeling market forced many building materials manufacturers to curtail operations, the sales of wall and ceiling panels through lumber and building material dealers increased a record 28/6, accotding to V. R. Marsh, Marsh Wall Products, Inc., subsidiary of Masonite Corporation. "We have founC that the aggressive lumber dealer is becoming more conscious of good profit items with outstanding customer appeal, such as Marlite, and places special sales efforts on these products. This selective sales approach has proved extremely successful for many of our dealers, who have developed volume sales in both the residential and commercial fields," Marsh said. Division sales managers who attended the three-day meeting included E. C. Crampton, Westerrr division, Los Ang'eles.

\ilestern Pino Assoclatlon to New Ad Agency

The Western Pine Association announces the appointment of McCann-Erickson, fnc., to handle the association's complete advertising and public relations progra"rn beginning January 1, 1961. Leo W. Beckstrom is promotion manag'er for Western Pine. Directing all agency services will be R. A. Brown, account executive in Portland. Brown has coordinated advertising for Georgia-Pacific CorToration during the three years that McCann has directed that firm's account. Beckstrom said the association has plans for greater emphasis on new product development, development of new application methods and more aggressive promotion in coming months.

Diamond Natlonal

Reports Sales Increa,se

Increased sales of Dianond National Corporation, which reached a record high of $228,766,000 in 1959, plus greater efficiency and economies in sales and manufacturing divisions, were responsible for the 9/6 increase in net income over 1958 according to the company's annual report. Combined sales for Diamond National and its unconsolidated affiliates and subsidiaries approximated g2b0 million.

McClellan Nomlnated to Head L. A. Chamber

Harold C. Mcclellar, prominent Southland business and civic leader and president of the Old Colony Paint and Chemical Co., has been nominated president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce for 1961. The Chamber's annual election will be held January 12. fncumbent Chamber directors nominated to serve again during 1960 include Wayne F. Mullin.

long-Bell Division Compleles Weed, Voughn, fUlodernizotion

Mod€rniza,tion of Ilrternational Paper Company's plywood plant at Weed, California, has increased production of two new specialty plywoods-knotty cedar and knotty pine. These products are in addition to the regular pine and frr plywood produeed at the Long-Bell Division pllrwood plant.

The plywood building was enlarged with a 44,000-square-foot l-shaped addition. New machinery installed includes a wide-belt double-deck sander, which sands both tops and bottoms of plywood panels simultaneously. Veneer drJnng capacity was almost doubled with the installation of a new 17section five-line dryer.

Other machines include a 20-opening hot press, g:lue spreaders, four automatic green chain off-bearers, veneer joint taper (joints and tapes sections in one operation), an eight-drum samder, and a core-veneer cutting machine.

Three veneer-patching machines speed production. In the panel department, a skinner saw trims plywood panel lengths and ends with automotic stacking of the trimmed panels. Also, three peeler-log steam chambers were constructed for a total of six chambers.