American Wood-Preservers Hold 43rd Annual Convention

The largest national convention ir-r the history of the 43-year old American Wood-Preservers Association was held April 22 to 24 at the N{ultnomah I{otel, Portland, Ore, with over 500 n'ood-preserving officials, lumbermen, engineers and railroad and utility officers in attendance. A special train originating at Chicago brought members from the South, liast and Middle West to the. meeting r,vhere they rvere joined by a large clelegation from the eleven Western states.

In addition to technical reports on research der.elopments as lvell as a rvord of caution from the Service Bureau of the Association rvarning against departures from pressure treatments with standard preservatives, much attention rvas focused on the problem of distributing pressnre-treatecl Iumber through retail dealer channels. Wliile this method of distributing the industry's product has been steadily developed in Southern California and other parts of the Southwest, government officials pointed out that chemically-treated lumber lvill find increased use in futttre residential and farm construction in direct proportion to the material's availability to the home builder and the farmer.

I)resident Ralph H. Rarvson, consulting timber engineer of Portland, stated in his address that wood preservers, like the nation as a nhole, have been going through a period of readjustment during the past year. Despite some factors beyond control, the industry is en.rerging from the present reconversion period in a stronger position than ever.

Through research, Mr. Rarvson explained, the rvoocl preserver is expanding his field to cover not onl1. those treatments that may protect 'ivood against rot and insects but, in addition, treatments that may modify the mechanical properties of lvood or impart fire resistance.

Pacific Northr,r'est forests, like those in other regions, can be a permanent source of raw material for u'ood-preserving plants throughout the nation as "many of our sawmilis are now on a sustained yield basis and the tirnber interests in the Pacific Northrvest are solidlv back of tree farming," he said.

While recent shortages of creosote oil have resulted in the use of toxic extenders. fortifiers and substitute Dre- servatives. the Service Bureau of the Association rvarned that reports are being received of failure within a short time of material superficially treated during the past few y.ears u'ith non-standard preservatives. In encouraging the develol>rnent of nerv preservatives, the Bttreau also cautioned that nerv compounds should be carefully considered on their merits, based on satisfactory perfonnance over a reasonable period of time, before being placed on par with present standards for creosote and salt treatments which have 'n'on prestige for the industry and confidence in its products.

"The increased use of rvood treated for long liie and fire resistance in homes au'aits only progressive trade promotion and the establishment of distributing channels," J. L. N{uller, acting chief of the U. S. Department of Commerce Forest l'roducts Division, Washington, D' C., stated in a prepared address. "I hope to see the day when every retailer of moderate size will have a stock of material variously treated and in standard sizes, grades and items regularly used in l-rouse construction. The wood-preserving industry *'ould not be the only beneficiary. The entire lumber and millrn'ork industry would benefit. For any progress in increasing the market for wood is shared as rvell by the producer of the prin.rary product-logs, posts, or piling-dou'n the line to the sawmill, fabricator, distributor, contractor and tradesman," he said.

"There has been a steady increase in the uses to which the farmer has put pressure-treated lumber and he will use more treated u'ood in direct ratio to its availability to him." the Diveriified Uses Committee of the Association reported. "Farmers as a group use more wood under severe conditions. of exposttre aud have more different uses for treated rvood than any otl-rer element in our economy. Hou' far the rvood-preserving industry develops the farm market rvill in the long run hinge on how well its individual member companies cultivates and rnake a serious effort to supply the market through retail channels acljacent to their plants," the committee pointed out.

As the result of a study made by H. W. Angell and \\/. A. McFarland of the Technical Department of the ,A.merican Lumber and Treating Company, converting factors have been established that allorn' the moistttre conteut of treated wood to be determined by electrical moisture meters. Preservative che'micals alter the normal reading of such meters but the factors, in the form of correction tables, provide the necessary corrections, they explained.

Wood preservers were tlrged by H. F. Jefferson, general manager of the Nettleton Timber Company, Seattle, Wash', and C. A. Rishell, director of research for the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, Washington, D. C., to join in a cooperative research program to reduce the mechanical wear of wood cross ties. Heavier rolling equipment and higher train speeds are resulting in ties wearing out from friction long before their useful life should be exhausted, they said. While preservative treatment hirs increased the average life of a tie frorn between 3 to 9 years to between 20 and, 30 years, some method of hardening the wood, perhaps a resin treatment, must be found if this important market is to be saved for wood, they emphasized.

"Cost limitations should for some time to come prevent resin-impregnated plasticized wood from being used as a structural material for house building and similar applications, or for use in cheap and tnoderate priced furniture. However, the u'ood should immediately find use as a quality furniture ra\'v material. It should also find adaptation as a decorative and highly durable industrial flooring. It 'ivill go into novelty items such as trays and lamps and specialty trim and paneling," a report by Bruce E. Anderson, vice president of the Gavan Company, Inc., Atlanta, Ga., emphasized.

,^\. J. Loom, general superintendent of Wood Preservation for the Northern Pacific Rail'rvay, Brainerd, Minn., ."vas elected president of the Association for the coming year. Other offices named are G. B. McGough, superintendent, Bond Brothers, Louisville, Ky., lirst vice-president, and J. S. Giddings, superintendent, Sante Fe Tie and Lumber Company, Sommerville, Tex., second vice' president. H. L. Dau'son, Washington, D. C., was reelected secretary-treasurer. St. Paul, Minn., was chosen as the site for the 1948 convention.