Lumber Industry is Not Deleated Unless it Quits

Wilson Compton, in Annual Report, Points to Present Need for United lndustry Action

Chicago, June 3.-The lumber industry was discussed in the light of present day general economic difficulties by Wilson Compton, secretary and manager of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, in his report to the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Association at the Hotel Congress here today. Attacking the present day problems directly, Mr. Compton took as his theme -"Jhs Lumber Industry is Not Defeated Unless it Quits."

The important business before the present meeting is consideration of the future of "organized national activity in lumber trade extension, industry stabilization, industry representation and industry policy." In his report Mr. Compton named three outstanding affirmative needs for the national industry:

First: That the financial pressure to liquidate timber investments be relieved, either by reduction in annual timber carrying costs, or lightening the burdens and the extent of private timber ownership.

Second: fn,crease in profitable income sources.

Third: Lower cost of getting lumber and forest products from producer to consumer.

As a means o.f a.ccomplishing these and other needs, Mr. Compton offered ten recommendations. These recommended (1) maintenance of the essentials of trade promotion activity; (2) continuance of the work of securing basic supply and demand data; (3) maintenance of protective features of industry work; (4) permanent plan for sustaining essential industry activities; (5) responsible public representation for the forest products industries through 'completion of organization of the American Forest Products Industries; (6) that appropriate effort be made to seek the removal of the fundamental causes of over-production; (7) that the Executive Committee at the proper time analyze tariff discriminations with a view to framing a lumber tariff policy that will have united industry support and the acceptance of ttie regional associations; (8) that a special Joint Committee of the Executive, Trade Extension and Transporta- tion Committees be appointed to consider the practicability of united industry action seeking a substantial and permanent general reduction of the entire national level of lumber freight rates; (9) that action be taken to insure cooperation with the Lumber Survey Committee of the U. S. Timber Conservation Board with respect to its current recommendations of action for lumber industry stabilization; and (10) that in view of the recent decision of the Supreme Court ,confirming the broad powers of the States in the control of production involving natural resources' consideration be now given to the desirability, and the practicability, through a conference of the Governors of the principal timber states, of presenting plainly to the States two specifi,c problems:

1. Regulation of lumber production 2. Substitution, in part or whole, of yield tax for annual property tax on standing timber; and to this end, of securing the cooperation of the Timber Conservation Board and the President of the United States.

Brentwood Lumber Co. Opens Ne* Department

Brentwood Lumber Co., Brentwood, held a formal opening of their new home service department May 27 and 28' A large number of people attended in the course of the two days, and mu,ch interest was shown in the exhibits in the new display room. These included a complete Peerless Kitchen and other lines of Peerless Built-In Furniture, Creo-Dipt Stains, Masonite products, "Saginaw" Shingles, Pabco Paints, Pabco Linoleum, Pabco Roofing, Holbrook Electric Refrigerators, Fruit Trays, and a'complete line of builders' hardware. W. H. Anderson is manager of the Brentwood Lumber Co.