The "Dark-Brown" Taste in the Mouth of The Lumber Industry

By H. R. Isherwood Secretary-Treasurer Concaten3ted Order of Hoo-Hoo

A "dark-brown" taste isn't always a symptom of serious illness. Frequently it is merely the result of too rich living,and I think that this istl,e cause of the ."darkbrown" taste in the mouttr of the Lumber Industry today.

In my , travels among lumbermen, through correspondence reaching my desk every day, and in contacts with- lumbermen visiting Hoo-Hoo Headquarters, I am constantly reminded of this "morning after" feeling within the Industry.

Ours is not the only industry that has had such a reaction from more prosperous times, but it seems that we are hanging onto it longer than did the others. A noted economist said _recently that the Lumber Industry is grappling with problems today that other industries solved ten-yeari ago.

The strange thing to me about the whole sltuation is that the Lumber Industry is alive to the existence of this "hang-over" and knows the remedy for it, butfor some reason not quite clear to me, has not yet summoned the courage to take its medicine.

We are still striving for a great volume of 'business----: often without regard for cost and a fair return. To a 'certain extent we have made the lumber market a birvers' market, and the result has been that the whole Induitry. from rnanufacturer to distributor, has sufiered.

Several noted economists have pointed out that the Lumber Industry mUSt forget about big volume if volume must b,e obtained at the expense of a fair 1sfu1n-fh2t we must establish cost systerns'through which we will know definitely the cost of delivering our'product to the ionsumer-that the Industry must roll up its sleeves and go to work as one man, rather than as individuals.

It_is not my province, nor my intent, to attempt to teli the Lumbermen how to run their business. Hoo-Hoo is not directly concerned with the production and merchandising methods of the Industry, its costs systems or the prices to be charged for lumber.

Human Element

But Hoo-Hoo is very definitely.identified with the.human element in the Industry, and unless we first utilize our human resource, we can talk ourselves blue in the face about production and merchandising and coSts- and yet not get to first base.

Every now and then I hear pbout or meet a Lumberman who thinks he is an altruist because he pays a few dollars every year into his Association or to Hooi-Iioo. He doesn't t_ake the tlgub]e to find out what these organizations are doing for his Industry and for his own buiiness.

This type of T,umberman comprises the greatest wasted resouice of the Lumber Industry, and thC Industry will never be. entirely rid of its "dark-brown', taste untii such men have been converted to an enthusiastic loyalty to the Association idea and to IIoo-Hoo.

To the man who thinks his dues to his Assobiation and to Hoo-Hoo are a donation, I would suggest that he consider the_ dugs paid into their organizatidi by union workmen, and the resultant'benefits to the union man in scale of wages and working conditions.

A,survey in a mid-western city recently Shoived that ironworkers q1I $60_ a _year into their union; bricklayers, $50; printers, $6O, and plumbers, $30. A dozen ironworkers pay as much for organization as the largest bank in Ameiici pays for membership in the American Banliers, Association.

The cost of membership in Retail Lumber associations ranges from $15 to $50 a year. Suppose that a lumberman pays.the. maximum late and an. additional $5 a year for membership in Hoo-Hoo. He still pays less than ihe ironworkers pays to his union. And for the $5 he pays into workers And w_urKcrs pays ru nrs unron. l1no ror tne +J ne pa]rs Hoo-Hoo his life is insured to the extent of $100.- which means that hE reallv dues for the first 20 vears. ?. s rl1?r ne really _p_ays no hrst Z0 years.

The object of Hoo-Hoo is to ireate opportunities-for lumbermen to get together in a spirit of friendly relationship-

(Continued on Page 36)