Random Editorial Ramblin$s

By Jack Dionne

The latest lumber thing of importance, coming over the famous old "I understand" route, is an impending merger in the Redwood industry. In California where the affected mills and timber is located, there are only rumors. But in the South and East the declaration is being openly made of late that a great merger, including a large majority of Redwood production, is a certainty. In Saq Francisco they only admit that there are merger negotiations going on' but the opinion is expressed by prorninent Redwood people who do not care to be quoted, that there is an excellent prospect of somethin* O"l"t*Uole along this line.

Speaking of Redwood, the report is current in San Francisco that there is a strong probability of Redwood flitches going to still other sawmills on the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico, besides the several in Mississippi and Louisiana that are now engaged in such cutting. For several years there has been much talk of some of the cutting-out Pine mills of the Gulf Coast continuing their operations by importing and sawing Fir flitches. This has not worked out, the chief obstacle being the low price of Fir on the market that will not allow so much handling and hauling. But Redwood brings nearly twice as much as Fir, mill average' and allows much more cost latitude, and all the Redwood in existence is close to the Pacific waters.

The center of gravity of hardwood production in the United States has been steadily but surely creepin,g Southward and Westward. At a national meeting of hardwood manufacturers at New Orleans the other day, the announcement was made that the center of gravity of hardwood production today is the state of Louisiana. There is hardwood production all over Louisiana, and immediately on the west the state of Texas is surging forward every year with increased hardwood output, until that combined territory is THE big hardwood producing part of the country. Every year the Pine production in that territory drops, and hardwood production increases. And this being newer territoryfor hardwood cutting, production will hold up much longer than in the older hardwood sections, where the mills are dropping off in clusters, due to exhausted timber supply. Hardwood authorities report that 41 mills, cutting 355 million feet annually, will cut out this year; 48 mills cutting 378 million annually will cut out next year; ivhile 52 mills cutting 333 million ahnually will cut out the following year. That's going "o**.;

An article in a recent number of "Nation's Business{ dwelt on the continually improving selling and merchandising efforts of these,lines of business that"are making out- standing successes in the present era, giving particular attention:as they naturally would-to automobile marketirg. "Automobiles are now displayed in ornate showrooms where they can be compared like bonnets," is one of the statements about auto merchandising, and the question is asked in the heading, "Has YOUR business sex appeal?" "Is YOUR business keeping up with this constantly improving art of selling?" is the gist of the article. Speaking for the lumber industry, what would YOU say about it?

Woman spends most of the family income, according to the best and most reliable of authorities on the subject. It has been figured by a recent intelligent survey that women buy 81 per cent of the groceries, 78 per cent of the drugs, 82 per cent of the department store stocks, 80 per cent of the electrical apparatus, 80 per cent of the jewelry, 98 per cent of the silks, 75 per cent of the MEN'S SOCKS' 63 per cent of the men's neckwear, 49 per cent of the hardware, 67 per cent of the leather goods, and 78 per cent of the pianos. She likewise buys a huge per cent of the homes that are sold-figures not*,given.*

A distinguished scientist recently remarked: "The South has one great raw material that she isjust beginning to appreciate." "What's that?" was the query. "Sunshine," replied the scientist. .Proving that he is philosopher as well as scientist. For Sunshine, properly exploited and appreciated, is a wonderful crop. California has been explointing it successfully foryears. So has Florida. But the rest of the South has just begun to market it. Sunshine means more than winter comfort and sport. It means twelve months of industrial activity, with no shut-in seasons when the sound of industry is stilled. It means twelve months of building activity, as well as twelve months of golf.

Why did Hoover go tovisit South America as soon as he was elected President? Political reasons? They were secondary. He went down there because we, who have twenty times as much to sell them as they have to sell us, are still BUYING a lot more from South America than we are SELLING down there. Hoover isn't a politician. He's a highly trained business man' Duriog the first half of 1928 the United States sold to Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Chile, Venezuela, Peruand Ecuador, just $199'000'000 worth of our goods. THEY sold US during that same period $291,000,000 worth of goods. Which simply means that our selling has been neglected down there, and Mr' Hoover went down as our business ambassador. Even ryg H"mmond's overseas a6liations provide a direct source of supply of imported hardwoods. Over 50 varieties of imported and domestic woods are carried in stock. Over 1,000,000 feet of practically every known variety of hardwood always on hand, from Sugar and Vhite Pine to the hiShest priced mahogeny rnd walnut.

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DouGr-As rrn: Manufactured by Hammond mills in the select timber stands of Oregon, supplemented by the output of Vest Coast mills whose manufacturing standards are in keeping with Hammond requirements, provide a continual supply of this lumber to maintain the quota of stocks at our distributing yards.

REDwooD: A modern sawmill plant at 3F*, c"lif., provides a direct supply of Redwood, manufactured under expert supervision. Redwood, through its adaptability for nearly every form of construction and supplemented by an extensive advertising campaign, is becoming more and more favored by the building trades throughout California.

Tbcsc manufaclaring facililit's, sourccs of sufply and at.ailfile stocks, lorn a defnite seruice to tbe retoil hntbcr clcaler.