Federal Home Construction Program Ejlective Jan. 15

Washington, Dec. 21.-The government's program on home construction will go into effect Jan. 15, John D. Small announced today.

The chief of the Civilian Production Administration ordered that dwellings costing $10,000 or less be offered first to veterans and said the top rent on these dwellings will be $80 a month.

Small estimated that at least 400,000 homes rvill be built under the program in 1946.

He said, too, that if a preponderance of applications for homes to sell at $10,000 are received, C.P.A. will have to establish quotas "to see tl-rat a shar'e of nerv dwellings are in the lower price ranges."

The C.P.A. chief outlined a new regulation restoring 10 kinds of criticaliy scarce building materials to a priority system and announced that the Federal Housing Administration will handle applications for these through its 52 field offices.

Beginning Jan. 15, home builders who qualify r,vill be assigned a so-called "H.H." rating for these materials.

Ratings will be alvarded either to individual veterans who rvish to build for themselves, or to builders desiring to erect one or more buildings.

Housing already under way may be brought within the program, Small said, if it meets the $1O,000 price limit, is offered first to veterans and meets other standards outlined in the regulation.

All applications for priorities assistance in obtainir.rg materials must agree to make the housing available to veterans during the period of construction and for 3O days 11t"1gafler. At the conclusion of that period it may be sold or rented to a non-veteran at the same sale price or rental applicable to veterans.

Building materials covered by the new regulations are: common and face brick, clay sewer pipe, structural tile, gypsum board, gypsum lath, cast iron soil pipe and fittings, cast iron radiation equipment, bath tubs, lumber and millwork.

Ifere are principal provisions of the new regulations clrawn up at the direction of President Trttman in a move to ease the acute housing shortage: l-Applicants for the so-called "H.H." ratings must submit specifications on homes to be built under the program, along rvith the price or rental at rvhich the dwelling will be made available to veterans of Worlcl War II, including merchant seamen. The F.H.A. must be satisfied that the proposed price or rent is "reasonably related to the cost of the proposed accommodations."

2-Builders must show they 'ivill be ready to start construction within 60 days. They also must demonstrate that they have control of the land, financing is assured and arrangements have been made for local building permits, utility service and the like. If construction has not been started within 6O days, the H.H. rating becomes void and a new application must be filed.

3-In the case of I resale, veterans or other purchasers are pledged to the same 30-day waiting period during which the dwelling must be offered exclusivelv to other veterans. Tl.re sale must be made at or belorv the maximum sales price originally paid.

4-The regulatior, also provides for couversion of existing construction where it can be shon'n that this will result in increased housing facilities.

S-Building materials also may be channeled to dormitories or group housing for educational institutions for the benefit of veterans.

Announces Promotions

A. J. Macrnillan, general manager, Consolidated Lumber Co., Wilmington, Calif., announces that Rex Clark, who has been general sales manager, has been promoted to assistant mallager in charge of sales and lurnber purchases. Also that J. L. Moody, who has been yard foreman, has been promoted to general superintendent in charge of the plant, succeeding Doyle Bader, who has resigned to become associated rvith the Ed Fountain I-umber Co., Los Angeles.

Wholesale and Jobbing Yards

Joins Bob Otgood's Organization

Robert S. Osgood, Los Angeles, wholesale distributor of lumber and veneers, has announced that Lieut. Col. James H. Forgie will join his organization on January 1. He will call on the trade with particular attention to Pacific Coast woods.

Orrick-Hogan

Miss Mary Francis Orrick was married December 1 to Thomas P. Hogan III at'Corpus Christi Church, Piedmont, Calif.

Lieut. Albert Hogan, USNR, brother of who had just received his discharge from best man.

The honeymoon was spent in Southern Mr. Hogan is general manager of the Co., Oakland.

the bridegroom, the Navy, was California. Hogan Lumber

Lumbermen's Dinner Dcnce crt Sqn Diego

ten-Blinn Lumber Co. He is known California lumberman.

Jim has just been released by the Army Air Forces after four and onehalf years of distinguished service in the Pacific area. He is an experienced lumberman, and before going into the service was with the Patthe son of Bob Forgie, well

Northern Calilornic Ass'n Directors And Members To Meet in S. F. Jan. 4

There will be a meeting of the board of directors of the Lumber Merchants Association of Northern California in the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, on Friday, January 4, at 9:00 a.m.

All members of tl're association are urged to attend this meeting, at which matters will be discussed that are important to every member of the retail lumber industry.

The lumbermen's dinner dance held at the San Diego Country Club, Chula \rista, Friday evening, December 7, was an enjoyable affair, and about 150 attended' Following the dinner, dancing continued until 1 a'm' The party was sponsored by the San Diego Hoo-Hoo Club.

The committee that arranged for the party included Mearl L. Baker, Charles D. McFarland, John Stewart, Nihl F. Hamilton, George V. Johnson, Carl B. Gavotto, J. C' Evenson, Syd Smith and Charles L. Hampshire.

"Uncle T.Ieqs" Ccrlendcr

The Moore Dry Kiln Company has mailed its 1946 "IJncle 'Neas" calendar to the lumber and woodworking manufacturers. These calendars have proved very popular with the lumber trade in the past. On the back is printed the story, presenting another incident in Uncle 'Neas' long career, which explains the picture on the front of the calendar.

If you have not received the calendar, you can obtain one by writing the Moore Dry Kiln Co., North Portland, Oregon.

OUR NEW YEAR'S \flSH FOR YOU

Thcrt you mcy crwcken every morning, Iilled wiih the ioy ol living, thrilled with'the boundless possibilities oI the dcrl',. etrger to be up cnd in the sunlight; enthusicsticclly recrdy lor whcrt the dcy mcy bring; prepcred to meel every crcqucintcnce with c smile, every lriend with q grin, cnd every decrr one with such wealth ol expression cs they best understand,' thct you mcy be crble to crowd every dcry to overllowing with those things ol the spirit that defy humcrn expression, yet fill the heart with hcppiness, the mind with inspircrtion, and the soul with pecce.

"Of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these-'It might have been."' Thus wrote the poet, long ago, We know today it isn't so.

Fountains of tears these days unlax, At those saddest of words- ..BEFORE FEDERAL TAX.''

Most everyone that r*UJ ,i.r" lines will appreciate that philosophy. For federal taxes are closer to most men than their undershirts, right at this time.

A Happy New Year a.;"* "i ,or who have the temerity and the sticktoitiveness to read this column. It is, indeed, a much happier New Year than most of us have known for a long time; and in spite of ,,clouds that lower," the future, with its freedom from the horrors of war, certainly loofts a million times better than the days we have been through for years, with all the pain, the horror, the bloodshed. It should be easy to say at this time-,.Happy NewYear'"

Speaking of happiness, here's a little poem that I think fits in fine, written by Nick Kenny: "I often wonder what becomes of all the smiles so gay, And all the little chuckles that we chuckle in a day, And all the happy laughter that has poured from human hearts.

It must be in some land, I know, that isn't on the charts. And yet I feel this land I seek, is not so far away, We pass it by and know it not, a thousand times a day; Could we remove the veil of gloom we place before our eyes,

We'd find that in each ter lies." human heart, the Land of l-augh-

When you open your diary and take your pen in hand to inscribe your last entry on the records of 1945, you can at least say THIS: "I have lived through the most important, the most momentous, the most terrific year in all the history of this world." It's something big to be able to say that, because it is true. you could fill this volume with proofs of that statement.

During that year ,tu gi",lrtlu", in history reached its climax, the greatest armies were built, the greatest navies reached their maximum, the greatest battles were fought, the greatest feats of production were recorded, the greatest victories were won, the greatest deeds were done. Search backward through all the tides of time, discover the most momentous, the most notable events, and then turn back to 1945 and you will find deeds that make all events of the past sink into the insignificance of molehills by compari- son'

Thank God 1945 is over ! For it was truly one hell of a year! ***

Not much to be gained by reviewing with any effort at detail the lumber events of 1945. They have been reviewed constantly in these colu.mns as history was made. When the end of the war came in the fall, it found the mills of the entire country trying in vain to supply the war needs for wood products; it found the lumber yards and sheds, both mill, and wholesale, and retail, almost free from lumber; it found the mill production low because of lack of labor, and low labor efficiency; it found the mill order files piled high with government orders; it found the public clamoring for lumber that did not exist; it found a rapidly increasing housing famine.

*r<>k

It found lumber production unusually low because of a great strike at the lumber mills of the West; mills that normally produce an enormous volume of ordinary items of building material. This was the most serious item in the lumber situation. In the South there was little or no strike trouble, but extreme shortag6 of available sawmill labor'

Today all the war and government orders have been cleaned up on the sawmill books, and if the strike in the West ends, there is going to be a much greater production of lumber from both West and South than there has been for a couple of years. In the South the mill labor famine is over, most of the mills have filled in their crews during the last few weeks of the year, and there is the first semblance of orderly and efficient lumber production in a long time. The mills are showing every disposition to make all the lumber they possibly can, and with many lines of equipment more plentiful than they have been in years, it is safe to predict that such a supply of lumber will be flowing into retail channels from this time on as will considerably alleviate the distressing lumber shortage, and the present housing famine.

)ftr<*

Right now the left-wingers (who are always present) are crying in the public prints that the building industry

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(Continued from Page 8) has fallen down on its job and the government must step in and provide housing for our needy citizens, particularly the returned service men. Yet anyone with sense enough to pour water out of a bucket knows that when it comes to building, the retail lumber trade can provide housing faster, better, and more economically than any government agency can possibly do or has ever done. All they need is the building materials. And since the proposed government housing would necessarily need building materials to do the jobs they propose, the sensible thing would seem to be to channel all the available building materials into the hands of the retail lumber dealers and the known and tried channels of building, and get the job done right. To turn great quantities of building materials over to governrhent agencies instead of giving those materials to business people who know what to do and what they are doing, would be folly vast and vicious.

***

How can the lumber dealer and his associates provide the vitally needed housing without materials to build with?

So far he has had only a shirt-tail full of building material since the war ended. But materials will be available from now on in ever increasing volume-all sorts of materials-and to put a lot of new, impractical, and visionary government agencies into the building business at this time would be a great step backward. Let's get the government out of business-all business. And let us see that new, impractical, and wasteful government agencies are NOT brought into existence and action at this time under the filmsy excuse that regular building agencieswho haven't had a Chinaman's chance because of lack o{ building materials-have fallen down on their job.

The building industry : ;Jt, experienced, economical, and dependable. There never was a government agency of any sort of which that statement could be truthfully made. All this hullabaloo about the need for the government taking over the building business because of weakness in the regular channels, comes from the same old gang who want the government to run the country so that armies of people who can't hold regular and practical jobs may be continued in government employ. Give the building men of this country the building material and the housing shortage will disappear like a fog before.the noonday sun.

And now, just a few philosophical thoughts for the New Year. It has been said frequently of late-and truthfully -that the average business man does NOT take enough interest in national affairs-in political matters, and for that _reason things are done that he hates and disapproves of, and men come into power for whom he has neither trust nor admiration. THIS would be a good time for every business man to enter himself in the lists of inter_ ested citizens who are going to see that the country is run better than it has been in the recent past. Then, hav_ ing done his best, if things do not go to suit him, he has not himself to reproach.

There was never a time in the history of this nation when it was so important that all good men place themselves on guard. If you do not understand that our American way of life is definitely threatened at this moment, then, dear friend, f seriously doubt if you would recognize the Goddess of Liberty if you met her on the street. Social and political conditions the world over are changing with a rapidity, never before known; ignorant and unworthy men, impractical theorists, blatant demagogues, radical left-wingers who want to change this government to suit their own ideologies, misguided men who seek to divide our people by arousing dangerous passions and prejudices, and Red Radicals-all of these are having their say in the world today, and all of them carry a certain amount of danger to our well being. Good men must be on their guard against them and all their works: must be bold of speech and prompt of action if our liberties are to be preserved.

Statesmen are scarce. "",r",. "* unorganized and hesitating in the face of trends they dislike and fear. Never was there a time when our public men seemed so fearful of the next election. It is difficult-well nigh impossible -to employ a high degree of statesmanship when fear of political defeat takes precedence over all other urges. Leadership is woefully lacking. Yet there was never a time in American history when so marvelous an opportunity presented itself to strong and ambitious men. William Allen White, the Sage of Emporia, said not long before his death a few years back that this nation is waiting for "another humble, kindly, gentle leader like Abe Lincoln." We still wait. The bow of Ulysses remains unbent. We are threatened by.socialism, communism and by various forms of anarchy. Therefore, we must be on guard, in order that this freedom that our forefathers bequeathed to us shall live a thousand-yes, a thousand, thousand generations yet to :"1.

Love of country must rise high this year among good men, and become highly vocal as well as physical. Love of country is the noblest emotion of the human mind. Syrthetic in its nature', it takes from every passion its purer portion. As passionate as love, it is more unselfish. As tender as friendship, it is more enduring. As deep as religious faith, it has a broader charity. Under its sacred influence the partisan becomes the patriot; the soldier, the hero; the scholar, the sage; the politican, the statesman; the prophet, at. ".it. * *

Patriotism is divided into two equ,al parts; to have and to hold. Let us not forget t6 hold, and hold hard, this year. Genuine Americanism is easy to define. It simply means equal opportunity for every man who lives underand honors-this flag.

Reopening Ycrd

Dolph Daugherty, owner of the Larkspur Lumber Co., Larkspur, Calif., is reopening his yard, which was closed for about 18 months owing to conditions brought about by the war.