Washington Lumber & Millwork Company Announces New L. A. Warehouse

Jas.. G. Broune

The Washington Lumber & Millwork Company, of Los Angeles, James G. Browne, president and general manager' ,rrafes ."ltety interesting announcement in this issue. They have just fiiti.n.a the ionstruction of a big,and-modern, fire-pioof and dust-proof warehouse in Los. Ange.lgs, from rvhiih they will from this time on make their thipmgqts of truck dilivery, and mixed car orders for Southern California, supplementing their car lot delivery direct to dealers from their-mills at Tacoma, Washington.

It will be strictly a local service department. In it will be stocked only ihed stock and uppers' protected alike from rain, sun, dust, etc., thus ready for delivery in perfect condition to the dealer. It is a strictly wholesale department, installed for supplying the lumber dealer of Southern California.

The Washington Lumber and Millwork Co., with Mr. Browne as president and general manager' has been operatine in Caliiornia for the-last two years, specializing partiJularly in interior trim direct to the dealer from the Geo. M. Haity Lumber and Mfg. Co. o! Tacoma, whom- they ,ep..s.r,[ in this territory. - I-n,.addition to this exclusive connection other Northern Mill connections are being made, and they will be able to take excellent care of all the needs of the retailer, either from the local warehouse by truck or dirct car lots shipments from their mill'

Mr. Browne has had a great deal of experience in the milhvork game, having served his earl-y years of the lumber business i"ith " larg- Chicago rvarehouse, in the selling end, and later was cbnnected with the manufacturing end in 'i'acoma. Since coming to Los Angeles he has become very familiar with the retailers needs in that line and is peclliarly fitted for the managership of the new venture.

I\[r. Browne .announces that Mr. Walter R. Fifer will

Web R FtIq be in their sales department. Mr. Fifer came to l-os Angeles about a year ago as special representative of the Williams Fir Finish Cb. and previous to that conducted a general wholesale business in Seattle. He is very'familiar with the mills and conditions in the Northwest and since coming to Los Angeles, has specialized as has Mr. Browne on the interior trim and worked uPPer needs of the retailer.

The Washington Mill & Lumber Company at lhe plesgqt time occupies o-ffices in the Merchants National Bank Building in Los Angeles, but splendid offices are being fitted up in the new waiehouse building, and within a ferv days the downtown offices will be closed, and the entire business transacted from the new building.

Referring to the new warehouse,'l\[r. Brorvne made the following slatement to The California Lumber Merchant:

"For some time our company has realized the need of a first class completely stocked warehouse in Los Angeles to supplement car load shipments direct from the mill to the dealers. This is norv made possible with the early completion of a specially constructed brick warehouse in the industrial district of the city, adjacent to not only the city yards but u'ell located for speedy deliverv to the outlying yards.

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"Th's climate calls for special protection for high grade interior finish, casing base, mouldings and rvorked upPers and the new warehouse has been built *'ith that idea in mind. Built of brick and steel sash, concrete floors and concrete drivervays, we believe it is as near dust and heat proof as is possible, assuring the dealer of clean bright lumber.

"Trackage provides for unloading with dispatch directly into the warehouse and large driveways make it possible for delivery trucks to enter the building from three sides and load within, still protected from the sun and heat."

(Continued from Page 45,) and six months to adjust itself, both going and coming.

"Manifestly there has been a large consumption of lumber this year. Current reports would indicate that lumber stocks in local yards and lumber using industries are relatively low. Probably they are. Such a situation is entirely logical. As long as production and shipments are notably out of joint, hand-to-mouth buying is to be expected. Particularly so when manufacturers and wholesalers, finding themselves with an array of ill-sorted stocks, are making 'special' offers in order to move their surplus items. That condition makes bargain hunters. Btargain hunters do not buy in advance.

"Th,ese, however, are somewhat superficial. For the lumber industry as a whole there is a much more important underlying condition. Most lumber is used in construction in some form. In l92O the average Southern Pine prices reached $5a.00; they are norv about $23.00. The Douglas Fir in t920 reached $44.00; it is now about 922.00. Between the peak in 7920 and at the present, lumber mill prices have been particularly cut in two.

"Generally speaking, lumber products constitute from one-quarter to one-third of finished cost of an average lumber built house. The cost of installation, general building trades labor, constitute between one-third and one-half. For the country as a whole wages in building trades are now greater than in 1920, or than any time heretofore. Please do not mistake me as setting up an argument for lower wages. I am discussing not wagei; as such,-which is a separate matter,-but the labor price in building costs. I point out simply the fact that the 30 per cent cost factor has declined from forty to fifty percent (ancl likewise I presume the retail prices in substantially similar propor- tion), while the forty percent factor in building costs has dropped not at all.