West Coast Trade Extension Bureau is Name of Organization of West Coast Lumbermen That Will Handle $1,500,000 Advertising Fund

As a climax to the two lengthy sessions of the two day mass meeting of lumbermen held at Seattle, January 28 and 29, executives of 54 lumber manufacturers and logging companies representing about half the cut of the Northwest mills signed contracts subscribing their quotas and thus forming the West Coast Trade Extension Bureau, and taking the first step in the new plan of proper merchandizing and advertising of Northwest lumber.

The contracts being signed call for a contribution of five cents a thousand feet from mills and logging operators. Mills that do their own logging will contribute five cents on both logs and lumber.

It is expected that a large number of the remaining mills will sign up within a very short time, and that the fund will run over the minimum of $1,500,000 which will be spent in the next three years on market extension and advertising West Coast woods.

Henry Schott will direct the campaign from the offices of the bureau in the White-Henry-Stuart Building, Seattle, with the assistance of the following committee: George S. Long, Weyerhaeuser Timber Co.; John D. Tennant, I-ong- Bell Lumber Co.; Ralph Burnside, Willapa Lumber Co.; C. D. Johnson, Pacific Spruce Corporation; E. G. Griggs, St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co.: Myron Woodard. Silver Falls Timber Co., and R. W. Vinnege, North Bend Timber Co.

John D. Tennant in outlining the work to be done by the bureau mentioned the following points:

1. Research work in the uses of wood where other materials are making inroads.

2. Field and demonstration work to the consuming pub- lic showing new uses for lumber products and the proper and economical use of lumber for. construction and industrial purposes.

3. Merchandising helps, wood use instruction, literature, designs, posters, plans, advertising copy and cuts for retail dealers.

4. Publication and distribution of trade extension matter to architects, builders,'dealers and consumers telling facts about West Coast lumber and how it can be used.

'5. Educational work to encourage the use of short lengths.

6. Ironing out troubles and criticisms directed against lumber, and combatting unfavorable newspaper articles.

7. Field work among architects and builders. Best expqnents of the merits of Fir lumber will be hired to contact with these and all other users of wood in each territory.

It is recognized that it rvill take some time to perfect the organization of the bureau along these lines, and in the meantime the consuming public and lumber dealers will be reached quickly by a liberal amount of newspaper and trade journal advertising, and instructive news articles about West Coast woods in the daily press.

Proceedings rvere opened at the first session by George S. Long, manag'er of the Weyerhaeuser Timber Co., who acted as chairman. Mr. Long referred to the fact that despite an increase in the volume of business in the last two years, only a few lumber manufacturers made ariy profits and more than 5O per cent of them operated at a loss. In urging support of the campaign he pledged the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company to subscribe their full quota as loggers and manufacturers. and also to make a liberal contribution as timber holders.

J. D. Tennant, vice president, Long-Bell Lumber Co., was the next speaker. He said the committee had asked the other associations for assistance in formulating a campaign, and that they had responded 100 per cent, giving all they had in the way of information, including samples of their advertising.

Charles S. Keith, president, Central Coal & Coke Co., spoke for nearly an hour illustrating his talk with about 40 carefully prepared charts. Mr. Keith's arguments went a long way towards convincing every lumberman present that the time had arrived to tell the world about Northwest lumber.

Henry Schott was next. and said in part: "If you are going in for a campaign, go into it with both feet, not halfheartedly, not for six months or a year, but for three years or not at all. I predict that the most important and quickest result of the campaign will be the selling of your prodttct to yourselves. In the Southern Pine campaign 12 years ago prices began to strengthen before any printed word had gone out. This was not a coincidence but the result of putting a new value on theirproduct.You have a splendid product totalkabout. I think Douglas Fir possesses values that none of us quite understand or appreciate."

Discussion was invited and frankly participated in, after rvhich to the surprise of most of those present the chairman announced that no vote would be taken and no one would be asked to sign the contract until the next session on the following day. It was evident that just about 100 per cent of those competent to signfor their firms were ready to sign. So ended the first session of the biggest and most enthusiastic meeting of Northwest lumbermen ever held in the history of the industry.

The second session opened on the afternoon of January 29 with anothbr capacity attendance.

George S. Long, chairman, announced that the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association would hold a meeting in Chicago, February 16, when they will attempt to get the l2 regional associations to join in a national advertising campaign'to promote the use of wood as against substitutes. He urged the importance of contributing a substantial sum for this purpose out of any fund they might raise.

J. D. Tennant explained the proposed plan of campaign in further detail.

Charles S. Keith contributed another good talk and told of the success of the California White & Sugar Pine campaign.

C. D. Johnson, Pacific Spruce Corporation, said that if other associations could continue to expend large sums in advertising, it was certain that Fir industry could afford to follow suit. "Advertising," said Mr. Johnson, "is nothing more nor less than the up-to-date way of selling merchandise.

Other speakers were: FI. B. Earling, vice president Milwaukee railroad; Major Griggs, St. Paul & Tacoma l-umber Co., and William Thompson, vice president, First National Bank. Portland, Ore.

J. P. McGoldrick, who came from Spokane to give West Coast Lumbermen his moral support, said he was glad to see them take similar action to that taken by the Western Pine Association 18 months ago.

Contract forms were then distributed and 54 firms signed on the dotted line in about 1O minutes, showing clearly that the remarkable enthusiasm of the day before had not evaporated to any extent.