Is Lumber a "Rotting" Business?

By Curtis Williams Veteran Lumberrnan of Los Angeles

Inherently the forests provide businesses that are inspirational and broadening in their scope; scientific, and even sentimental, when we consider the products as those of nature, taking an expanse of time to develop, with no two trees or pieces of lumber alike. Furthermore, the trees are ridiculously like humans in characteristics and habits; and are theonly natural products used by man which he can reolace. '

Enormou. ."pit"l is investecl ancl millions of individuals are employed in lumber and collateral enterprises, and yet, there are evidences of dry rot, over-ripe timber, narrow, warped and stained heart and a great deal of sap.

Why this ,condition ? Possibl'r' the industryhas not snapped out of the pioneer days rvhen timber cost little or nothing; when it was marketed on a hit and miss basis for what it would bring, and graded in the same manner: Much of this atmosphere has followed clorvn to the present day, and many of those engaged in the brrsiness, while they may have made money, are of the old school-hence the "dry rot" and "over-ripe timber."

Lumber manufacture and distribution suffers from being a disjointed process of many separately owned and operated units ; interdependent, but frequently without cohesion or'co-operation: viz., Timber, Logging, Mills, Transportation, Wholesale and Retail distribution ; and like the flea ditty each unit has the next follorving one on its ba'ck to bite-em and fix prices, terms and conditions under which they may do business; with lastly the wholesale and retail distributors succumbing to the dictates of their 'customers. Horvever, the final bite is always taken from the producers' hide. therefore. direct control of production and coastwise vessel transportation. through ionsolidation or holding concern, would eliminate the intermediate difficulties and go far toward regulating the entire western business.

Horvever, in thelast analysis, the distribution unitwholesale and retail-is the deterrnining factor in producing and extending the business of the industry, the success or failure of rvhich means life or death for all of the units ; and this unit permits more "sap" than any of the others. As i\Ir. Chester Hogrre said in a recent San Francisco speech, "Lumber is sold too much on price and not enough on its merits and sellers should knorv more about the oroduct to enable them to sell on merit."

But. most important ofall is the educati,on of the man who has alwayi been kept in the clark-the lumber consumer, or more parti'cularly the building owner. Generally he knows nothing as to what lumber is suitable and correct in grades and species for his structnre.

Cement and steel are replacing defective lumber. Thousands of shingle r'oofs not twenty years old are being covered u''ith composition shingles because the lumber dealer sold what was asked for and didn't try to Dromote the sale of a better and proper grade: as *"l1 as interest himself and the customer in the proper type of nails. As a result the big demand for rvood shingles is gone. The composi- tion roofing concerns and other producers of lumber substitutes have taken advantage of the situation and do not hide their light under a bushel, but, through attractive advertising let the world know what they have. Have the lumbermen ever d,one anything of this kind? Educate the buyer to ,consider quality and the proper size and quantity for his particular work and he will not skimp the quantity nor haggle about price and cheap competition. (SEV- ENTH AND BROADWAY DOES NOT WORRY ABOUT THE COMPETITION OF MAIN STREET.)

In a recent radio talk Mr. Iulius Seidel of St. Louis stated: "The lumber industrv iodav ofiers the consumer every con,ceivable kind of information required for the correct use of lumber in constru,ction." I think he should have said-can offer if he prys it out. But, does it hurl at the potential consumer as well as the immediate consumer, facts concerning lumber and why it should be used? I did not hear any broadcast of the ,con'cluding paragraph 'of the news item regarding the Brawley earthquake of March,-"1here was little property damage in the country, due to the FRAME construction of the houses."

Isn't it a sad commentary on the lumber industry when the advertising and pushing ofits products; the adoption of building codes; the fight against shoddy construction and poor building materials; things all vital as lifeto the materialman, are left by him to the building and loan associations and kindred concerns? Recent evidence of this is shown in a column article, with head lines, in the Los Angeles Times of De,cember 8, 1929, spons,ored by building and loan associations, advocating the use of wood c'onstruction and showing its desirability and advantages. Again, the nation wide propaganda through the American Building Association News against inferior materials and shoddy construction. They say in part-"that construction has been for a number of years considerably below the standard of quality every home owner has a right to expect. Thousands are laboring under the burden of maintenance and repair; and by observation thousands of others have been made to doubt the probability of .getting value and refrained from buying or building. Produce better h'omes and more will be owned by the people who live in them. Out of these facts ,comes the irresistible conclusion that it is time for all organizations and industries connected rvith home construction to join hands for a better product."

There is yet time to do what should have been done vears ag,o; campaign through the architects, money lenders,. building departments of the cities, and owners, to force a better class of construction. This would mean the use of MORE and better materials; it would help to eliminate the irresponsible builder, who is the cause of most of the price and other grief ; would give substan,ce to ,our cities and ,confidence to the home buyers. This ,cannot be done hit and miss. but must be accomplished by the full weight of the industry thr'ough a competent leader and association.

An association is defined as "a body of pers.ons acting together for the promotion of some object of mutual inter- est." Unfortunately they are generally operated as fair weather ships, and when the weather becomes foul and the sea heavy the ski is thrown overb'oard and the ship neavy sklpPer tnfown overD'oaro ano snrp and cargo deserted by the crew. During the past thirtyfour vears I have seen the rise and fall of many. nearly four years everyone of which, as a field mushroom, sprang rapidll' into existence during spring rains, from fertile but uncultivated ground; and as quickly decayed. Bear in mind that mushrooms are grown the year around with the care and culti.vation of experts, and handled in like manner an associati.on can be made to produce continuously. Why do associations decay? They are hurriedly thrown together at a time when everyone is sick and tired of a business war and the loss of legitimate profits. 'No construct'ive and definite program is outlined for the benefit of the industry as a whole, but the sole thought is the matter of price regulation.

What is needed are strong associations, presided over by trained expert managers who will dictate and not be ruled. Backed by far visioned enthusiastic boards of directors of limited size, who will give honest, thoughtful consideration and effort to promote the lumber industry as a whole.

Such an association, with a department of Trade Extension (expansion of territory, beneficial freight rates, etc., etc.) ; Trade Ethics and Practice; Credits (free interchange of information on this subject would have saved many concerns from serious losses in the past three years); a statistical department to pass on and order all price changes-(I have attended many association meetings that ordered price ,changes, without thought or reason, merely on the suggestion of one man); would function the year around and in all weather. Under such conditions price regulation would be a secondary instead of the all impor-' tant consideration. I hope I am not asleep when I think this can be accomplished.

Lumber is a man's business and the industry is worth man's supreme effort.