Random Editorial Ramblings

By JackDionne

And now the tourist summer crop is surging over the free state of California, coming in through the passes, the highways, by rail, and by water, from all directions, and in all conditions and circumstances. The streets and roads are thronged with motor cars bearing the names of other states, and of Canada as well. It is a goodly sight, and one that Californians generally are glad to see. For it is a gold bearing crop, one that matures quickly, and brings a strictly cash harvest. Maty of them will go back home to tell of the glory of California. A certain percentage every year stay. They find here more than they care to leave. The California summer sells itself.

round that this plant might continue on Fir after it exhausts its Pine forests this year. Other Southern manufacturers have been thinking of such future operations, but so far they are all future. However, with the fast dwindling supply of Southern Pine, and the great stands of Western lumber, it is reasonable to assume that, in the parlance of the street-"ft won,t be long*now-,,

In timber, the matter of availability is the great value maker. Much American money is invested in the forests of Mexico-some of it for th6 last 25 to 35 years-and most of it has been a very bad investment. There are great stands of American owned timber on the Western coasts of Mexico that would bring $5.00 to gf O.00 per ttrousand feet if it were in this country and as accecsible for logging and lumbering as in its present location. But you could buy it for a few ccnts a thousand todan if you wanted it. Reason-it's in Mexico. That,s all. And that's enough' additional building in specific sections of the state, but itA man doesn't buf an adding machine iust for the sake hetp! a lot just the same. the dealer with a weak backy'of owning it. He buys it for what it can do for him. peostops cutting prices when the cost of replacement is un- ple buy building materials the same way. If you would known, and thereby helps himself and his competitor. The induce him to buy it you must first show him what it can builder and contractor feels the same effect. with the ex- do for him.

Things are better in the lumber businoss of California. They say so in San Diego. They tell the same story at the Oregon line. And werywhere betweerl those two widely spread territories comes the report that the lumber business has picked up-looks better than it has in a long timc. A strengthening wholesale market has a generally beneficial efrect on all parts of the industry. It may Rot create ception of places where local conditions are bad, there is plenty of volume in California to bring general prosperity to the lumber industry. What we need most is better morale, and the improved wholesale lumber situation has done much to bring that about. Business is going to be better as the season advances. Don't doubt it. It will be better with YOU if you help make it so. And when you help yourself, you help your competitor, and help your industrY'

Speaking of California industries, there is an orange juice plant in Los Angeles today that uses an average of 450 tons of oranges each. month, employs 150 girls in. sorting and handling the oranges and the juices, and uscs ovcr a million dollars worth of machinery. The drink is used all over California, and all wer*the *United States as well.

1928 Service in every line of business that you can mention, is an improvement over that of last year, and the year before. Is it in yours? Now don't say "They can make these continual changes in other lines but my business is different." If it is, the only difference is YOU and your lack of enterprise.

Shipping Fir logs or squares to the Gulf district to be manufactured in Coast mills, has been much discussed but not attempted as yet on anything like a large scale. .The Long-Bell Lumber Company have sawed some Fir at their Lake Charles, La., mill, and the rumor has been going

The world will never again consume the same percentage of finish lumber in standard lengths that it uscd to do. Shop lumber and its products, and the growing use of short lumber for short length uses, is the answer. Remanufacturing at the mill for specific purposes is making untold millions of feet of shop lumber do the work that long finish used to be cut up on the job to do, and this is developing all the time. It is worthy of note that the West far outstrips any other part of the country in remanufacturing lumber at the mill.

As an example of the trend of the thing, Mr. R. A. Long plans to ship no long haul lumber by rail lower than Nor One grade, after he finally completes his Longview, Washington, plant. The low grades will be sold over the water route, for western short haul consumption, or will be cut up in the cut-up plant, the defects burned, and the good lumber used for specific purposes. Jim Hill, builder of the Great Northern Railroad and pioneer in the development of the Northwestern forests, used to say that population must be induced west of the Rockies because low grade lumber would never pay the freight rate east. That was before the day of shop lumber and its uses. Saw out the defects and you can ship the short clears remaining, any distance.

Read freely and get "lnu"irr."a lt,n ,n" great men who are dead. It vrill help compensate you for all the smallsouled fry with whom you come into contact.