Random Editorial Ramblin$s

By Jack Dionne

The decision of the Southern District of the California Retail Lumbermen's Association at its meeting held in Los Angeles on April 6th, to put into effect on July first in Southern California segregated grades and American Lumber Standards for buying and selling lumber in the retail lumber yards of this territory, is a most interesting and im' portant one. Probably no more important step was ever taken cooperatively by the retailers of trhis territory.

raa since that action *tu;" ;" ,:*"" of much discussion between now and July first, a discussion of the merits of the movement, and its various practical aspects, should be timely hcre. The California Lumber Merchant suggests to all concerned that the step is a forward one, was bound to come to this territory sooner or later, and that every man and every firm give it operyminded consideration. In the beginning it wiU seem difficult to some, and to others obnoxious. Some will object because it wiil inject into trheir business afiairs details of operation that they have not formerly encountered. To others it wiU necessitatc chang.es that they would rather not encounter. And there will be other objections.

That decision was in the form of a resolution stating that since all the lumber clubs of Southern California had expressed theniselves as favoring the segregating of grades and establishment of American Lumber Standards, and the California Association as a whole had likewise gone on record as being of that same mind, then it was resolved that July first be set as a fixed date on which lurnber in separated grades will be available in retail lumber yards in Southern California in accordance with American Lurrrber Standards, and that thereafter the sale of mixed grades be discontinued.

To begin with, Ameri:* ;r.r,,l* Standards came into cxistence at the direct bidding of a well known and highly respected Californian, one llerbert Hoover, of Palo Alto. As Secretary of Commerce he was a mighty good friend of the lumber industry, as well as of all other worth while industry. He did more in his term of office to bring order out of chaos in American business than has been done in all the previous history of Americaq business. Mr. Hoorrer found too little uniformity, and great lack of known and fixed quantities in practically ALL busincss. He pro. ceeded to help iron out thoae difficulties, considering first the rights of the American public, and ncxt the welfare of the induetries thcmselvcs.

When he got to the lumber industry he probably threw up his hands in dismay. 'W'e've often wondered what his trained engineering mind must have t'hought when it in' ventoriod the lumber business? For in this industry there were fewer fixed facts, and more numerous G.O.K.ts (God Only Knows) than in any other basic irldustry. Truly' Mr. Hoover must have marveled.

And Mr. Hoover minced no words when he stepped before a great mass meeting of the lumber industry, cdled at his request in the City of Chicago. He didn't say that he thodght they should do thus and so. He was nice in his rernarks, and kindly in his tone, but every man iq that audietrce felt that, in the words of Longfellow, "The velvet scabbard held a sword of steel". He told the lumber industry to get together, get their business down to a firm foundation insofar as its contacts with the public are concerned, and create and devise and put into practice knorrn and fixed qualities, so that the public might know and understand what its trade terms meant, and what they guarantd- He told them to go ahead and do their own house cleaning, and hinted that by so doing they would save the Government the trouble, and that the Government much preferred that they do their own self helping.

From that time on the lumber industry as a whol,e' through centralized working bodies and committees, has been seeking to create and put into practice certain definite standards for lumber, thc idea being that grades, sizes, and iterns should be standardized, imd uniform, and understandable, anywhere and everywhere in the country. Goyernment approval of this campaign has been continuous.

The recent action of the Southern California retailers is simply the following along of this progtam" For several years the various softwood species have beeq busy with their grading rules, trying to make their grades comparable. In California, and in the coastwise lumber trade fronrr the North to this state, a much bigger problem presents its€lf than in almost any ottrer part of the American lumber industry, because of the time-honored trade conditions and usages. Cornmon lumber is not segtegated as to grade, but generally bunched. Moisture content is not considered in weighing the grade or value, most common lumber used in California being green (a usage found nowhere else except in the Coast of the Pacific Northwest). **tD

The American Lumber Standardization Committees have (Continued on Page 8.)