E. L.Carpenter Makes Forecast For L930

Complying with request from the Detroit Free Press for an expression on the outlook of lumbering interests for 1930, to be published in an annual editorial symposium compiled by the J. L. Hudson Company for Detroit newspapers, President E. L. Carpenter, of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, says :

"During the first six months of 1929, the lumber industry enjoyed a volume of business equal to the same period in 1928. Values were well stabilized and the industry gener- ally on a fair earning basis. The volume of new business being placed began to decline early in June and has continued at a sharply reduced level to this time. This reduction was coincident with the marked decline in building permits throughout the country. The situation was strongly influenced by a lack of credit at reasonable rates for construction purposes, and by the growing uncertainty as to the stock market situation. which was at the time obsorbin-g all available credit, both domestic and foreign, in an effort to maintain inflated values for Ameri,can stock securities in all the stock exchanges of the world.

Long-range forecasting is not an exact science and is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly. I am willing, nev,ertheless, to g'o on record as believing that the volum-i of lumber business in the United Statesln 1930 is reasonably certain to equal, and qui,te possibly many exceed, the corresponding volume for either 1928 or 1929.I am willing to make this statement for the following reasons:

1. Credit for construction purposes ii now available at reasonable rates.

2'- An expanded program of highway construction, as well as Government construction, both Federal and State, is assured.

3. The ag-ricultural regions of the United States, excepting- only a- few isolated districts, are seriously under-built, and h-ave, in fact, had no real building program for a number of years, owing to conditions which are=well understood and generally recognized.

.4. Recent developments and present trends indicate quite clearly _that the crisis in our agricultural districts is pass- ing and that the purchasing power of these districts is increastng.

My cgnclusion, then, is based upon two assumptions:

(a) That the demand for lumbei from the railr^oads and large industrial consumers, considered in connection with the expanded highway and Government programs, assure a consumplion of ^lumber in these directions it least equal to either 1928 or 1929.

.(b) Tllat the same can be said of the agricultural dis- tricts, with reasonable assurance here. thit the demand ma-y -exceed the corresponding demand in either 1928 or 1929;'

F. P. Sappington Elected Booklet on Small Dimension President Lumber

At the annual meeting of the San Gabriel Valley Lumberman's Club, held at the Aztec Hotel, Monrovia. Tuesday noon, January 7, F. P. Sappington was unanimously elected president for the coming year. Mr. Sappingtoh is one of the old timers in the lumber business in ealifornia, having been in business in El Monte for the past t_wenty-six years. Steve Westover is secretary of the San Gabriel Lumbermen's Club.

A. A. KAYSER ON NORTHERN TRIP

A. 4. Kayser, Los Angeles, California representative for the West Coast Lumbermen's Associa,tionf is on his reg- ular monthly trip in Northern California; He will make stops at various points in the Valley districts and will also spend a few days in San Francisco. He will return to Los Angeles the latter part of the month..

W. R. CHAMBERLIN BACK FROM SAN FRANCISCO

W. R. Chamberlin, W. R. Chamberlin & Company, Los Angeles, has recently returned from San Francisco, where he spent several days on business.

JACK THOMAS MAKES NORTHERN TRIP

Jack Thomas of the Coos Bay Lumber Company, Los Angeles, has returned from a ten-day business tlip to the company's office at Bay Point.

PLACERVILLE LUMBERMAN VISITS SAN FRANCISCO

S. G. Beach, of the S. G. Beach Box & Lumber Co., Inc., Placerville, was a recent visitor to San Francisco.

Washin$on, Jan. 7.-savings in freight costs to wood consumers and an increased utilization of raw materials have resulted from the use of smail dimension or ready-cut stock. Both the producers and consumers of this commodity will be interested in a bulletin, "Small Dimension Fto*: Its Sealoning, Handling and Manufacture,', which procl: rrs Jeasontng, flandllng Manutacture,,, has just been released by the Nitional Committee on Wood Utilization of the Depaitment of Commerce. This booklet, which is obtainable from the Public Printer. the Suner- the Printer, the SuperGovernment Printing Office. intendent of Documents, Printing tce, Washington, D. C., summarizes present conditiois in thi dimension stock industry, explains the advantages of pro- ducing and using ready-cut stock and discussei the diffi, culties encountered in its manufacture. Cost finding, standardization, and the approved practices of manufact-ure, seasoning and handling are discussed at length. :

The National Committee on Wood.Utilization is concerned with promoting a more economical manufacture and use of forest products. Among the industries which can use small dimension stock to good advantage, the publica- tion mentions those manufacturing automodile bodies, furniture, refrigerators, agricultural implements, sporting goods, turned articles, toys, novelties, ind a large genera-l CJoqp including manufactures ranging from coflins to clothes pins. Radio cabinet manuficturers are also materially interested in the published results.

" The booklet emphasizes the importance of proper dry- ing or.seasoning and proper stacking or storing of small dimension stock awaiting re-manufaclure. It recommends bundling of small stock to facilitate handling'in shipping, discusses production and requirement standardi-zition within practical limits, and emphasizes the importance of cost knowledge and proper cost accounting melhods.