Plywood Manufactu rers Produce Projected Postwar Promotion

Peacetime Markets Again to be Developed Through Lumber Dealers, Jobbers

Manufacturers of Douglas fir plywood, whose twentynine factories long have been at top production for war needs, concerned themselves primarily with future peacetime markets when they held their annual industry convention at Tacoma, Wash.

"The plywood operators must prepare now to get back in the consumet market coincident with the cessation of to gear their planning to future markets. ,,Your entire output today is for government needs; the industry will have to make the most abrupt ,change in its history with the termination of war," he warned. He recommended estabIishment of committees to study tomorrow's production and sales needs so the plywood men can "solve our own problems" but suggested that the association president make the appointments at a subsequent date.

Officers Named

At the meeting N. O. Cruver, vice-president of Wheeler Osgood Sales Corp., was named president of the trade association for a .second term. Other ofificers re-elected include: Frost Snyder, president of Vancouver Plywood & Veneer Co., as association vice-president; J. P. Simpson, vice-president of Buffelen Lbr. & Mfg. Co., association treasurer; H. E. Tenzler, president of Northwest Door Co., association.secretary. All the men are from Tacoma, 'Wash. Trustees of the all-industry board are: T. B. Malarkey, vice-president of M & M Wood Working Co., of portland, Ore.; Clay Brown, manager of the plywood division of Smith Wood-Products, Inc., of Portland; J. R. Robinson, president of Robinson Manufacturing Co., of Everett, Wash., and E. W. Daniels, president of Harbor Plywood Corp., of Hoquiam, Wash. Mr. Daniels was association president for two years prior to Mr. Cruver's election a year ago and has headed the trade group's management committee for the past five Jrears.

military orders," W. E. Difford, managing director of DougIas Fir Plywood Association, told the manufacturers. He followed with a preview of the program already prepared by the trade association for expanded plywood promotion to become effective with victory.

That program, he explained, is directed toward getting plywood back on the shelves of lumber dealers and distributors with the greatest speed. (Although the sale of fir plywood has remained free from restrictions, demands of the armed forces and war industries have been so great that at present the panels are available only for purposes warranting high priority ratings. Output in l94Z totaled 1,800,000,000 square feet, an all-time record. But unlike other industries fir plywood makers had expanded their capacities prior to the war to meet civilian demands; the government merely has become the buyer rather than individuals.)

The manager of the plywood industry's research and promotional organization also urged the individual operators

"Prior to a year and a half ago the management committee concerned itself with development of markets for plywood and improved performance of the product," Mr. Daniels told the assembled plywood.producers. ,'Now its duties include furnishing complete data on the industry to the War Production Board."

War Theme

The annual meeting of the plywood producers, which in previous years was staged as a several-day sales clinic, this year was pared to an appraisal of plywood's war duties and future marketing and production problems. A recapitulation of accomplishments of the industry during l94Z was presented in a printed leaflet distributed early in the meeting. Mr. Difford, in reporting to the industry, merely expanded certain phases of the report.

He commented on the drastic changes in the promotion of plywood to fit the campaign into the war economy. He recalled that advertising for the past year served as a presentation of how the military forces and war goods manufacturers are utilizing the panels for maximum efficiency. A second promotional theme-designed to have long term results-is that of explaining the research activities now greatly expanded not only to develop an improved product but to answer questions posed by the military looking to the panels to do more and more different jobs.

"One of the great benefits of getting our industry in the war tempo," Mr. Difford remarked, "is that we have learned more about our own business. Partially as a result of this, plywood will be a better material in the future and the manufacturers may process it further."

The report shows that the field representatives of the association have spent their energies, not in promoting the material, but in showing new plywood users-the military and war industries-how best to capitalize on the inherent properties of the material. And much valuable technical information has been supplied these users in literature recently made available, the most notable booklet being "Technical Data on Plywood," edited by N. S. Perkins, technical director for the plywood association.

She kneels in sblemn prayer each nightHis pictured face grows dim, She clasps the frame untg her heart: "Dear God, take care of him."

He kneels on battlefields afarThe signal-"Ready sir."

The picture o'er his heart is pressed: "Dear God, take care of her."

-Florence E. Balcom.

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Webster defines a wied as "a plant economically useless." That doesn't sound a bit like what I heard my victory gardening neighbor call them.

The prohibition eleme., ," a*"* advantage of the war emergency to bring prohibition back again. Depcndable statistics on the supply and consumption of "licker" indicate that this time the nation is going dry over an entirely different route than previously; it's drinking itself dry. And fast.

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The old Veteran said to the young soldiers: .'Lads, bars are thingJ that if you stay out from behind them and don't rest your elbows too often on them, you might some day get some on your shoulders."

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According to the ration book rate you pay an eight point stamp for a pound of tripe, when everyone knows you can get a ton of it free over the radio every evening.

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An Arizona gal was tried and convicted of bigamy. They proved she was married to two soldiers and one sailor. Looks like the Marines weren't up to their usual standards in this case. Sorta froze'em out.

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A well known magazine writer says we should begin now to save our timber. We refer the gentleman most respqctfully to the Lumber Procurement Division of the War Production Board. But if he's easily shocked he'd better not ask them.

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A subject you hear frequently discussed nowadays is, when the war ends will the American public profit by the many valuable things they have learned about economy of tires, gasoline, and cars; or will they turn round in good old American style and drive like Billyhell on a spree? t{.*

Benjamin Taylor wrote: "It is the mark of superior minds to disagree and yet be friends." If that's the measuring stick, then it's plainly evident that no superior minds have appeared in American politics since the oldest man now living can remember.

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Ambrose Bierce is credited with the remark that "a rabbit's foot may bring YOU luck, but look what it brought the rabbit." I{e was purloining the thought of the guy who said that praising the early bird for catching the worm might be all right from one viewpoint, but where does the worm come in? But, as the Two Black Crows used to say over the radio: "Who cares about that."

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You've all heard about the elephant who got dclirium tremens and saw pink men; but have you heard about the pigeon who got people-toed? Or about the fy that looked down on the people in the room below, and said: "Aren't people queer? They build this beautiful ceiling and then walk on the foor." ***

And then there was the modern girl who said she sure wanted to join the WAACS but hated to go back to wearing skirts again t*$

The Ethiopians have requested the privilege of furnishing a picked group of soldiers as a spearhead when the Allies invade ltaly. Not a bad plan. Why not let thcm make a personal call on Mussolini to return the ones his sons used to make with machine guns on the unarmed Ethiopians a few years back? Good manners would suggest it. ***

If there is any remaining doubt in your mind that thic is really an "all out" war, just take a look at the stocks in your favorite meat market.