General Hearing on Op"ration of Lumber Code

(Continued from Page 17)

H. Dixon Smith of Columbus, Georgia, des,cribed himself as one who was at first an objector to the Code, but who was now highly in favor thereof.

W. R. Melton, Secretary of the Georgia Roofers Club, Columbus, Georgia, said that the Club included 55 planing mill units for the produ,ction of 55 million feet per month, purchasing lumber from 400 mills employing 8,000 men. Although at first opposed, most of these members are nou, highly in favor of the Code. He characterized the attitude of the Southern Pine Association as fair and impartial.

Lee G. Bender. Wicks. Arkansas. described himself as a small mill operator who went to New Orleans "with a chip on my shoulder" but who got rid of it after several days of conference. He described the Southern Pine Association as very fair in its administration of the Code and said he thought the small mill men would work out their salvation under the Code.

Others testifying on January 12, were: W. F. Edens of Edensburgh, Texas;J. R. Oden, Oden-Elliott Lumber Company, Birmingham, Ala.; Phil R. Roper, Roper Lumber Company, Petersburg, Va.; Middleton L. 'Wooten, Columbus, Miss.; W. H. Fields, Pineapple, Ala.; A. G. T. Moore, Southern Pine Association, New Orleans, La.; J. H. Townshend, Hardwood Manufacturers Institute, Memphis, Tenn. Stark Insists Woodworking Industries

Must Rernain Under Lumber Code

M. W. Stark, Executive Officer of the National Woodwork Association, divisional administrative agency of the Lumber Code, categorically denied today statements by the Cabinet. Mill and Architectural Woodwork Institute before Deputy Administrator E. A. Selfridge, presiding at the hearing on the Lumber Code. In citing reasons why the present structure of the Code should be maintained, Mr. Stark advanced the following: "The inseparable relationship between the sawmills and the woodworking plants operated in conjunction therewith; second, the inseparability of an economic proposition of woodwork produced at the sawmills and that produced by stock woodwork manufacturers; third, the fact that the larger part of the production of special woodwork is inseparable from that made by stock producers because the products are identical or similar and in competition with each other."

In summarizing his statement Mr. Stark said that woodwork is an inseparable part of the lumber industry; the complex problem of conservation cannot be effectively solved with a divided industry; minimum wage rates must be kept from being impracticable, discriminating and unfair, and that a disturbance of present conditions would increase the cost of the products, reduce demand and reduce home building.

Following the statement of M. W. Stark, executive officer of the Woodwork Division, which featured the morning session of the last day of the hearing of the Lumber Code before Deputy Administrator E. A. Selfridge, Ralph E. Hill made a statement on behalf of the Oak Flooring Division in reply to an allegation that production allotment in that Division was discriminatory.

H. C. Fowler of Macon, Ga., hardwood sawmill operator, speaking for large and small mills of that Division, expressed satisfaction with the Code.

Justin McAghon, President of the Cabinet, Mill & Architectural Woodwork Institute, and George J. Leonard, Chairman of the Institute's Executive Committee. made another plea for a separate code for the woodworking industry. They were aided by H. W. Rlumenberg; represent- ing the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. Questioning of these witnesses by Deputy Selt ridge and by Asst. Administrator Alvin Brown, however, developed the fact that metropolitan woodworking plants were.better off under the Lumber Code than they had been prior to its adoption

Price Bulletins No. 14 and No. 32

The afternoon session was taken up entirely with discussion of Bulletins Nos. 14 and 32, concerning the costproduction price situation on the Pacific Coast. William Denman, representing the Coos Bay Lumber Company, attacked Bulletin No. 14 in an effort to have Bulletin No. 32 retained in effect. He de,clared that a return to the provisions of Bulletin No. 14 would deny his company a market it had enjoyed lor 25 years. Other witnesses interested in the Pacific Coast situation who had testified earlier in the hearings appeared again to protest against Bulletin No. 32 and were questioned by Asst. Administrator Alvin Brown and Deputy Selfridge, who read from a list of queries furnished by Mr. Denman.

Answers developed contradictory opinion. Col. Greeley, recalled to answer questions, defended the integrity of the governing body in the West Coast Logging and Lumber Division and expressed the belief that cost-protection prices should be based on average marketing cost. The hearing concluded with Col. Greelev's testimony.

Urges Home Financing

Asserting that a resumption of building is essential to business recovery, Floyd Dernier, Lumbermen's Service Association of Los Angeles, has written Mr. Louis Howe, Secretary to President Roosevelt, at Washington, D. C., urging that the Federal Home Loan Banks start functioning.

In his letter to Mr. Howe, he says in part: "I have visited every town in California and the same condition prevails everyrvhere. Home building is at a standstill through lack of financial assistance. Yet, we need homes, thousands of them, and it is the only National commodity for which there is not a surplus.

"It is this class of construction that gives employment to men in every district, town, city and state in the Union and with 70 per cent of the investment going to laborers, who immediately put it back into circulation, makes the financing of such projects represent the surest, quickest and most practical way for our government to create work and start business moving forward."

Takeg Over Yard at Culver City

The Betts-Sine Lumber Co. took over the J. K. Sine Lumber Co., at Culver City, Calif., on January 24. W. F. Betts, one of the owners and formerly manager of the Patten-Blinn Lumber Co., at Culver City, will manage the yard.

Oregon Lumberman On Vacation Trip

Howard E. Jenkins, manager of the Jones Lumber Co., Portland, recently visited San Francisco and Los Angeles on a yacation tqfpn,.ggcompanied by his.wife. ia.,