Wood [Jtilization Committee Los Angeles Buildin$ Permits to Take up Small Dimension For L928 Stock

A plan of close wood utilization affecting forty percent of American factories now using wood as a primary raw material, is now being worked out by the National Committee on Wood Utilization of the Department of Commerce. Under this plan, these industrial consumers will be enabled to obtain their supplies of lumber cut to exact sizes, ready for use without farther cutting waste, as contrasted lvittr present practices, which involve the cutting of such small dimension stock from yard lumber. A special subcommittee made up of thirteen of America's leading authorities on lumber manufacturing under the chairmanship of Mr. Harry B. Krausz, is now organized and will prepare a handbook on the manufacture of so-called small dimension stock, according to an announcement made today by Axel H. Oxholm, Director of the Committee.

The small dimension stock idea is not new, but there seem to have been unsurmountable obstacles in the way of carrying it out, notably because of the lack of standardization in sizes and the difficulty of proper seasoning' Chiefly through the leadership of the Department of Commerce, standardization of sizes has been established in a number of the industries using wood as a raw material' In such cases the sub-committee will follow up and encourage further standardization of the component wooden parts of the articles manufactured by these industries' Before the National Committee on Wood Utilization takes up the u,,ork in the consumers' field, it will first develop a satisfactory source of supply; and the committee believes this can best be done by establishing standard practice for the cutting and seasoning of small dimension stock'

The r,vork seems to be very appropriate for this Committee, which has for this oLjeii a -closer utilization of rvood, as a means of encouraging the growing -of new supplies of timber. The character of our timber has changecl in'iitr ttt. gradual cutting out of old growth stands, *E9h p-a""" "-1".g. proportion of lumber-free from knots' The -.econd .top 6f timber is generally-of equally. good stru.cture; but -small sizes of lumber free from knots, splts' rvormholes, etc.. must now be produced by- cutting out these defects. That the use of such stock,. already.cut to size, is of great importance to our industries working- on ;;;; pro?uction icale, is an undisputed fact' This furii"t r"fi"i"g of lumber at its source,- is a healthy development and is-economicallv sound from every point of view' The subcommittee members working out this plan are-:

- ii";;t B. Krtrrrt, Chairman, Pearf-River-Valley Lumber Co., C"'ttto", Miss.;'A. Trieschmann' Vice Chairman, CrosJi W"t""t Gates, Chicago, Ill.; Ned G' Begle, Rerst-For.i"i-Oi"n"td Co., New York, N. Y'; George F' Cosg19v.9' Cosgrove Technical Service, Owosso, Mich'; A' r"' HaIl' iiiiS-Ctttrtters Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, Wis';-A' L-tvf"g."", Edward Hines -Hardwood & Hemlock Co'' F"tf.-f"flt, Wis.; W' M. Ritter, W. M' Ritter Lumber Co" W;;il"gtd", D. C.; Walker L. Wellford, Chiclas-aw Wg-od ptoau"ti ,Co., M.-phis, Tenn'; William A' Babbitt, Naiio".i nE;".'Wood Turners, South Bend, Ind'; C-!g]es 1 Dregge, Nichols & Cox Lumber Co., Grand 13qi1t' ltllh' i I R. EIIrwin, Potlatch Lumber Comp-any, Potlatch, lg3h9; I Roy F. Morse, Long Bell Lumber Co', Lon-gview' Wleh- | i;gi";; tti"*"t D.?erry, Bigelow, Kent, Willard & Co', Boston, Mass.

Building permit 'i'aluations during 1928 totaled $101,678'768, comp-irid with #123,027,239 duiing 1927, a decrease of 17.3 per tent. Following are the m'onthly figures:

N. L. Brinker Returns From Southwest Business TriP

Increased construction activity throughout Los Angeles' back country is in prospect lor 1929, as a result of the adoption of -the Boulder- Dam Bill and booming blsiness corditions in general according to N. L. Brinker, director of sales for thJEl Rey Producti Company, who has just-returned after th,ree weeks in Arizona, Nerv Mexico, the Im' perial Valley and Texas.

"Enthusiasm over passage of the bill authorizing construction of Boulder- Dam was general throughout the Southwest territory," said Mr. Brinker. "There was widespread rejoicing in the Imperial Valley and the sentirnent was similar in Arizona and tributary territory. There was a huge night outdoor celebration at El Centro in honor of the occasion."

The sales executive found excellent business conditions in Phoenix, Yuma, El Paso and other cities in the area he covered. He explained that while it was evident that the rush of trade in some lines was seasonal, the good crops and increased mining activity have reacted favorably on rnany other businesses.

"Building in prospect throughout the southwest territorv for tfie new year includes many school structures, hoiels. store buildings and residences." Mr. Brinker added, "I noied a prevailing: sentiment toward expanding lPerations in I9D in preparation fpr the impetus expected as a result of the passage of the Boulder Dam Bill."

The lettuce crop in Arizona has been excellent this year and general conditions have brightened. to a considerable exten"t as a direct result, according to the sales executive' Yuma, in particular, expects to start the new year with better business.

PARK LUMBER COMPANY BUILDS NEW \,tIAREHOUSE

The Park Lumber Company, La Mesa, Cal., is constructing a new warehouse, !O Uy 100 -feet,. for the purpose of stiring cement, composition shingles, lime, plraster, roofing and siirilar construciion materials to replace the two smaller warehouses notv in use.