Standardi zation' P'lang "'Progressi ng

The entire lumber industry of the country is goirg forward with its plans for conforming to the suggestions-or were they DEMANDS?-of Herbert Hoover.

Our own California Secretary stepped upon the platform before the American Lumber Congress during the first week in April. IIe came. as an invited guest to deliver an address. The lumber folks were glad to have him. They expected sonething interesting.

They got something dynamic.

Mr. Hoover had, everyone present sitting up straight in hiri chair and listening with something of a thunderstruck appearance to what the Secretary was saying.

He told them the lumber business needed. house-cleaning, in the interest of the public; ga.ie them to understand that the Government had no desire to stick its nose in their business, but insinuated that a pure-lumber law on the plan of the pure-food law, MIGHT be expected unless something was d.one.

The lumber industry had thought its only danger of attack was against price conspiraey, etc., and knew it was safe from any just attack on that score.

But Mr. Iloover told them there were other things just as important. He dedanded. standardization of items, s that the consumer who ordered. a two by four would. know just exactly how wid.e and how thick it ought to be. Ee suggested that lumber be marked at point of production, to prevent tampering ancl falsifying between the producer and the consumer.

AnrI he tolcl the boys to get busy and "clean house".

They GOT.

They held a great national conference with Mr. Hoover in'Washington late in May.

They unanimously agreed-manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers-that Eloover wasright, and that they must arrive at and agree nationally upon standard specifications for lumber, stantlard grades, ete.

' They almost unanimously agreed upon grade-marking '.umber so that there eould be no manipulation of grades. fhere has been some hesitancy about this.

Most of the big manufacturing people have agreed to grad.e-mark

Most of the retail associations have voted for it.

In the fall there will be another great convention of the entire industry to go deeper into the mhtter. In the meantime aecredited committees are working on the details. Meetings will be held in various producing districts to secure inforsgiloa. {h ilpci of :tb. gtaendr mnittees will give the next big ocnference something conerete to work on.

One thing'is absolutely and utterly 'eertain.

. We are going to have a big shaking down in the inclustry. Lots of people don't like it, but it is coming. The men who heard. Mr. Hoover KNOW it is coming

We KNOW there wiII be standard. epeciffcations of a national iharacier. Hardwood as well as softwood organizations have acclaimed, the idea.

We BELIEVtr! there will be grade-marking.

The Southern Pine Association has already voted. to grademark its product.

The d.evelopments along this line will be watched with intercst.

In the meantime, Mr. Hoover isn't going to let them forget.

BEI,LFLO\TER'SCHOOL U{IIJR,ET{ ARE TAUGET .IIASITS OF THR,ITT

F. L. Lake, proprietor of the Bellflower I.,umber Co. at ellflower, believes in starting in eariy to teach the young olks of his community the value.of thrifrt and home o\vner* ship.

Each year he cond.ucts a thrift contest among the children of the Bellflower public school from the second to the eighth gra.de. Cash prizes are award.ed.

The child in eaeh grade of the Bellflower school who accumulates the most money in the bank, as the direct result of his or her own individual efforts, will be given $5 to be added to the bank aceount. A second prize of $2 will be given in each grad.e.

A parent may pay a child for work, but money given the chilcl cannot be counted in the contest.

The child must keep a memorandum of how each separate part of the.money is acquired. No pari of the money shall remain in his or her possessiori longer than one week, but shall be deposited to the child's credit in the Commereial Bank of Bellflower together with all other money that is being accumulated. in the contest.

The ratio of the amount of money aceumulated to the boys and girls entering this contest shall be six to ten in favor of thti girls.

The terms of this year's contest have just been an: nounced. Already the boys and girls of Bellflower are say; ing their pennies and nickels and dirneS. Interest is keen.

Mr. Lake says that a similar contest last year proved highly successful. In awarding the prizes Mr.-I-.lake wrote a personal letter to each of the successful contestants. The Commercial Bank of Bellflower, of which Mr. I-.,ake is a cli. rector, also takes a lively interest in the campaign each yeor and by the time the money is counted at the end of each season the whole community'is nore or legs aroused.