C.stowellSmith and the Berkeley Shingle Situation

C. Stouell Smith

Mr. C. Storvell Smith, Secretarl'-\'[anager of the California White & Sugar Pine Association, addressed the following letter to the edit<-rr of one of the Berkeley papers, concerning the recently enacted antiwooden shingle ordinance, passed in that cit,v.

Editor, Berkelev Gazette, Berkeiey, Calif.

Dear Sir:

I u'as considerably interested in the formal statement from Mayor Stringham appearing in the Gazette on Friday, December 7. Presumably he speaks as a private citizen and not as lnayor' since as mayor he could hardly be expected to express the judgment of the city ofificially on a matter of this kind.

In advising the citizens of Berkeley not to sign the initiative petitions now being circulated in favor of giving properly manufactured and properly laid shingles a square deal, the mavor uses precisely the same argument advanced before the council by the opponents of the present ordinance. This u,ould.seem to indicate that said opponents rvere not unreasonable in their request that the council hold up the ordinan"" ,.tiil uuthoritative tests could be made by unprejudiced experts to determine the relative inflammability of well made shingles as against the other Class C roof coverings now allorved.

The mayor states that the U. S. Bureau of Stan<lards is now making such tests and the results should be available rvithin a few months and that, in his opinion, it is unrvise to sign initiative petitions until these results are available. It rvould seern that the same argument applied at the time the council passed the present ordinance. Since it was then ignored, there appears to be no sound reason rvhy the citizens of Berkeley shoulcl not no$' use their own discretion in determining whetlter or not they approve the action of their representatives on the council as enclorsed publicly by the mayor.

The mayor states further that there was very little opposition to the action of the council except on the part of lumber companies and lttmber dealers.

I had the privilege of attending one meeting of the council rvhen this matter was tlP for consid- eration and I recall particularly the very logical recommendations presented by Prof. Emanuel Fritz lvhich apparently had little effect. Prof. Fritz is teaching rvood technology at the Universitt- of California ancl is sttpposed to possess as much technical knorvledge about the properties and uses of wood as any rvitness before the council.

The fundamental cattse of the fire, namely conditions in the hills back of Berkeley as described by the Forestry officials, has received little consideration in the mayor's recommendation. It rvould be extremely difficult to find anybody, either expert or ordinary' citizen possessing reasonable common sense, rvho would not agree that under the conditions existing in the hills and the prevailing wind, the conflagration could not have been checked regardless of construction of the houses.

This letter is rvritten solely in the interest of fair play. It is true that the Association which I represent is composed of lumber manufacturers Lut the fifty odd mills comprising its mem'bership have never manufactured shingles and never intend to. On the other hand they are strong competitors of those mills that do manufacturc shingles. lfolt'ever, they are interested in seeing that wood products are not discriminated against in favor of other materials which have no more and sometimes less merit for a partieular use.

Very trulY Yours,

C. STOWELL SMITH, Secretary-Manager

Redwood Specialties

1000 Picccr 3 in. r 3 in. r 6 ft. Pointod Split Rcdwood Portr. t/zc cic\ F.O.B. cen FORTUNA. Gurrrn' tccd wci3ht l3l lbt.

I Crr No. 2 6 fcct Rcdwood Grapc Ste|rcr. $3000 M Piec,ct-Sft lbr. wcisht.

Terrnr net

Enormous D emnnd F or Ander sen F rames

URING L9Z3 there w€r€ 50% more Andersen'l7indow and Door Frames used than ever before. This shows how enthusiastic architects, conffactors and dealers are about a standard frame of '!7hite Pine that will eive lastinq satisfaction to the home owner. The support"of all clalses of builders has made Andersen Frames -the best known, and the Andersen frame factory the largest in the world.

Recsons Why '\nilssen Fromes Are Prefereil:

1. Immediate delivery-no expensive delays 6. Accutacy gives smooth running waiting fot special frames. yet e:<cludes weather.

2. lZL sizes ready for evety purpose.

7. Modern machinery, methods and specialization lower costa at the factory; quicknees of assembly saves you time, labor and money on the job.

4. ? units rnatead of 5?. No small pars to be- 1' **::t9"-'l ty'l-',:l:"-'-T-lj|1 --, r. i - y. Wnlte rlne pre8erve3 Or{rnar aCCUraCy anq come losr or DroKen' givea continrious s€rvice-

5, No sortlng, meanrdng or refttlng. The com- 10. Made bv larsest exclusive gtaddard frame plete frame nailed up with pockets and manufaciurer.- The trade,mark fu absolute protection.

3. Delivered in two compact bundles plainly marked for size and easily handled. pulleys in place in ten minutes.

Andersen Lumber Company

Dcpt. AC-|. Bayport, Minnesota