ls The Lumber Industry Worth Saving?

(Continued from Page 25) the next step which takes the raw material, puts it in useful form, refines it, gives it individuality, justifies its value.

Unless we can deliver standardized units of studding or rafters or sheathing on the job; unless we can improve on the wire nail as a binder and the hand-saw for accurate cutting, we do not deserve to survive in that field against steel and other materials that will be delivered in finished units. The development of fabrication is an engineering job; its results cannot be reached in a day, but a recognition that lumber must be fabricated is the first long step toward its realization, and perhaps the first long step toward a profit in lumber.

We speak of brick houses and stucco houses and many kinds of houses but, fortunately for us, thus far the heart of every one of these structures is lumber, We are very fortunate that this is so; but it will not continue to be so unless our lumber can be fabricated at the point of shipment with a lot more speed and more precision than is possible on the job. Unless these units reach the job sufficiently fabricated so that we shall not suffer from the laziness and inefficiency of the casual carpenter. We must not permit our product'to be mistreated by him as it has been thus far, 'We are not condemning carpenters as a whole, but we put the best of them in position where they cannot compete against the factory methods used in other materials.

And last and most important is the complex problem of curtailment, Let us do everything we can to extend the uses of lumber. But when we reach that total, whatever it is, there we must stop producing or our lumber cannot be sold at a profit. No over-produced commodity can be profitable.

How can production be controlled? Even if it were physically possible we are not permitted by law to conspire to hold our production in balance through agreement.

There remain two alteinatives. Governmental control. if we cannot and do not intelligently run our own business. It is unthinkable that this sturdy, pioneer industry would have to submit to government regulation of its cutting in order to survive. We do not mean there is imminent danger of governmental interference, but ultimately there is only one other alternative if our business is to be successful; and that is voluntary individual action, following the development of enough individual appreciation of the facts and intelli gence to act accordingly-the recognition that personal sacrifice is the price of success for the industry; that each individual unit must voluntarily carry its share of the load-and in addition some of the load that should be carried by the irresponsible operator who will not cooperate. The emphasis, you will note, is on individual action.

Curtailment is the most immediate of all remedies. The needs for it are perhaps best understood and appreciated, and this last year has proven that the machinery for curtailment already exists if we will but use it. The amount of lumber to be consumed during each period is pretty definitely known. The proportion that should be produced by each Regional Association can be determined without much argument. And the manag:ement of each Regional Association is now sufficiently strong and has the confidence of its members so definitely that its schedule should be followed. Our industry has, because of its very nature, been widely separated and strongly individualistic; it is only in recent adversities that we are really learning to pull together, We have plenty of leadership. We know what we should do. What we must learn now is to follow those leaders: to realize that the individual cannot succeed unless the industrv succeeds; and that the only road to profit lies in the voluntary acceptance of curtailment so that our production may always be in balance. That is the only situation in which lumber can be sold at a profit.

It is not wise'to attempt to discuss so wide a subject in such a brief time. But it is done in the hope that a plain statement of these facts, on which we do not believe there is any disagreement, may help to clarify the picture and speed our progress to the necessary goal. Let us definitely state that goal as profit, as the Atmighty Dollar, Sometimes we pretty nearly lose sight of the ob- jective. Let's not do it, Let's make lumber profitable.

We are almost as naive as the small-town merchant who exolained that he figured he lost a little money on every sate, but that hi made enough sales to make it up. Struggling every day to get every possible foot of lumber through the mill so that we shall have as large a total as possible against which to charge our costs-when we know that volume is the first big stumbling block in our path today that keeps lumber from being profitable.

We do not know whether curtailment will come to lumber through merg:er, through the formation of geographic units which will work in harmony with each other, or through following the leadership of these Regional Associations-but come it must before there will be a profit. We do know that in these Regional Associations we havc an instrument experienced in the job for whose services we are already paying; who can do the job for us when we are sufficiently punished; when we finally get the lesson that the West Coast would be a lot better ofi to make five billion feet of lumber a year and sell it at a profit than to make ten billion feet and sell it at a loss.

If I had but one thing to say to you today it would be to urge that we talk and think and saw and sell in terms of profit rather than in terms of volume, Let's travel the interesting road that lies directly ahead with a lot of enthusiasm. Let's march a step ahead Let's rust ultimatc- of our competition by doi our competltron Dy dorng now those fl ly do. It has been said that American things that we must nerican industry is "Too ly do. It American "Too cowardly to fight and too fat to run". That is not true of lumber. Certainly we are not too fat to run. Neither are we too cowardly to fight. Lumber IS worth saving; but the fight is not for a day or for a year; salvation lies only in eternal vigilance; in constantly trying out new ideas; in an open mind; and a consistent development and molding of our product and our methods to meet these changing times.

I do not believe that I am too idealistic when I tell you that the industry can save itself by voluntary action without government control or help, if we can just get the picture and can see clearly those things that must be done if our business is to be profitable. It requires a lot of patience in educating ourselves to the new viewpoint that volume is not profit; and still more patience in dealing with the competitor who will not fully cooperate; that fellow we shall have always with us, but this is the period and the kind of a year in which we can sit down together and talk these things out to a conclusion, when our needs are so great that almost any sacrifice will be accepted that will get results.

To conclude, let me then repeat, that what we need first is curtailinent-voluntary curtailment; the balancing of supply always with demand. Our product must be improved, new forms anil uses found for it. We must develop as much fabrication as is possible at the mill, and we must advertise and sell our lumber efficiently; remembering always that the object of being in business is to make a profit. We must believe in lumber; that it is the best product for so many uses that it is our duty and our privilege to perfect it and offer it at a profit and with a lot of self-respect and assurance to a world that needs it.

Add Equipment to Produce Millwork ltems

The Landreth Bros. Lumber Company of Wenatchee, Wash., box and lumber manufactur'ers in the Ponderosa pine section, have recently added equipment to produce items of millwork to take care of the local demand. A section of their plant has been rearranged for this department and it is expected that it will operate steadily.

To provide properly seasoned lumber for use in building and interior millwork. a Moore Reversible Cross Circula. tion Internal Fan Kiln will be installed. The kiln building will be of brick and concrete fireproof construction located so that the lumber will be handled directly into the millwork department. A feature of this kiln installation is that the fans, which will be mounted on a single longitudinal shaft. will be located at the side of the kiln loads instead of above or below the loads as is customary.

A new boiler plant has already been installed to provide steam for the kiln and for heating the modern factory erected several years ago.

W. P.

Attends Convention At Spokane

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