Secretary Hoover Commends Lumber Industry on NationwideTradeExtension Program

CHICAGO, April 28.-Secretary of Commerce Hoover today sent Frank G. Wisner, President of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, the follorving letter relative to the nation-rvide five-year program of research and trade promotion rvork to be inaugurated at the TwentyFifth Annual Meeting'of the Association opening here todav:

Department Of Commerce

Office of the Secretary

Washington April7,1927.

Mr. Frank G. Wisner, President, National Lumber l\Ianufacturers Association, Congress Hotel, Chicago, Illinois

Dear Mr. Wisner:

I greatly regret that other obligations preveut my being presint on the occasion of your annual meeting. The notible accomplishments of the Association in standardization and improved business practices in rvhich the Department has so iottg coopetated, ire a matter of great pride rvith all of our officials.

I understand the Association is norv initiating a five-year program of research and for the promotioh of the proper irseJ of lumber and timber products. Lumber has been, and always will be, a most impbrtant factor in the development of this country, and any Cffort to increase its rrsefulness to the consumer will be a public service of high order.

The entire nation is vitally interested in the continued liberal use of lumber and other forest products, and the future prosperity of the lumber industry is directly related to it. It has been estimated that, at present, less than 50 per cent of the average tree content is converted into marketable products. Under these conditions it is hardly to be expected that the industry is earning its full need of returns or that reforestation may be carried'out as a large scale, commercial enterprise. It is, therefore, imperative that this percentage of marketable utilization be increased in order to make reforestation commercially feasible and to give greater stability to the industry-

A closer integration of the forest industries so that the non-utilized matlrials of one branch may be advantageously used as rarv material by other branches, is obviously a step in this direction.

Your campaign rvill undoubtedly stimulate interest in research in the uJe of wood, the expansion in use of its waste products and the entire nation rvill be benefitted- by this work. Moreover, it is entirely fitting that every industry should present the value ofits products to the public and seek to expand their use.

The Department will be glad to cooperate with you- in any effort-rvhich has for its object a more complete utilization of our forest resources, and in making forest products more useful to the consumers and more profitable to the lumber and rvood-using industries.

Yours faithfully, (signed) HERBERTHOOVER HH.AGS