Fir Plywood Association Holds Annu.l Meeting

Although greater PIYwood production to speed the national housing program stands as the immediate objective of Northwest panel manufacturers, simultaneously the Douglas fir plywood producers are committed to expanded research and continued product promotion for long-term development of their 33-factory industry

These prqnouncements came {rom the annual meet'ing at Tacoma, Wash., of Douglas Fir Plywood'Association, the industry-wide trade proqnotion organization. Moite than 150 officials of Oregon and Washington plywood firms were in attendance as were representatives of several governtnental agencies concerned with veterans' housing

Forceful evidence of the manufacturers' determination to continue apace the progress rvhich has characterized their industry for the past decade was presented in the disclosure that already $250,000 has been appropriated to Plywood Research Foundation, founded a year and a halI ago. While this organization is a separate corporation from the promotional association, it is maintained by and {or the same fir plywood manufacturers.

The foundation, which has Tacoma laboratories, was established to "develop new products which plywood firms can produce, devise means of utilizing wood waste, and improve the production and properties of fir plywood." The report on the laboratory and the progress of research being undertaken there was given to the plywood makers by Dr. John Meiler, managing director of the research foundation. He spoke to the group after the meeting of the association was formally closea.

Subsequently, the manufacturers reviewed for the first time the laboratory facilities as Dr. Meiler conducted the officials through the research headquarters. Not only did they witness the laboratory equipment in operation, but also they viewed several samples of entirely new products which have great potentialities. Some of the panel materials already have been developed through the pilot plant stage and are nearly ready for mass-production.

Prior to devoting their attention to the long-ferm researih program intended to perpetuate and advance their industry, the panel makers heard Thomas B. Malarkey, president- of the trade association, urge that the 33-factory industry,increase operations to a three-shift, six-day-week basis to boost production for the veterans' housing program.

Elis recommendation was spurred by government assurance that more timber will be made available to plywood rnanufacturers in the immediate future.

This assurance had come in the form of a report by \{athias W. Niewenhous, director of forest products division' of Civilian Production Administration, that a half dozen actions have been instituted to increase the log supplylong the bottleneck to increased plywood output'' Mr' Niewenhous was one of several CPA and NHA officials present at the plywood meeting.

"To obtain its objectives, the Plywood Research Foundation organization has perfected threg methods of attack,"Dr. Meiler explained. "Fiqst, the establishment of a laboratory, now functioning as a complete unit, to pursue pure research and product development; second, introduction of a plan that will capitalize on the inventive power of every worker within the industry in development of new products and processes, and third, use of license authorizations from individuals and firms already holding patents of value to flywood manu{acturing."

The second phase of the research foundation program promises to bLaze a new trail in employee-management reiationships. Through the plan, kn6wn as "PRF," there is established a method whereby every inventor in the industry can submit his ideas to the foundation for perfegtion and development with the foundation working in his behalf if the ideas are deemed, by investigation, to be patentable and practical. Developmental expenses, patent fees and other expenses incidental to transforming the idea into a device or process will be advanced against such future royalties as will be payable to the inventor when his patent is licensed. The employee, of course, becomes the patent holder.

As industry leaders and government officials discussed plans for increased plywood output, cause for the current pan.l shortage-which has harassed builders, dealers and dirtribotort-was brought out in bold relief' Because of the log shortage, Douglas fir plywood production now is at the rate of only about 1,200,000,000 square feet a yearabout the same as last year but far below that of the 1942 peak. Half of the output is channeled by CPA into lowcost houses for veterans; the remainder can be sold without priority but seems only as a dribble as compared to the demand.

At the meeting, Mr. Malarkey re-stated the plywood manufacturers' contention,that government alone holds the key to greater panel production because "government ow-ns 65 per cent of the merchantable timber in Oregon and Washington"-the states producing two thirds of the nation's construction PlYwood.

Until recently, government's efforts to get plywood for

President Trugran's'housing program for veterans have been concerned primarily with allocation of whatever plywood is made. Nolr', acting under fegislation recently passed by Congress, log subsidies are being invoked intended to 'stimulate cutting of "peeler logs" that constitute the raw material for plywood factories. So far, details of this progfam have not been released.

"Plywood makers long have fought the incentive payment proposal and remain unalterably opposed to the principle of subsidies," the industry spokesman announced. ,,And, although, naturally, we must do our best to co-operate when the order is issued, the plan can succeed only if additional timber is opened to cutting operations."

' As though in answer to this statement, Mr. Niewenhous annouirced, "Both the U. S. Forest Service and Department of Intgrior have promised, and have already commenced, accelerated timber cutting programs."

He pointef, out also that the $15 million which was set aside from the veterans' emergency housing subsidy for access road building on federally owned forest lands will result in substantially more timber, although estimates not yet have been completed. The Washington state .,tiebid" deadlock, which has blocked sale of state-owned timber, is about to be broken, Mr. Niewenhous reported. This, of ,itself, will unlock a billion feet of timbei this year, he predicted.

Other speakers at the plywood industry meeting included E. W. Daniels, president of Harbor plywood Corp. of

Hoqriiam and chairman of the industry management committee, and W. E. Difford, managing director of the plywood industry trade promotional association with Tacoma headquarters.

Both these men, as well as Mr. Malarkey, stressed the importance of maintaining high standards of quality for the panel material during this period of ,.bulging order files" in order that plywood may retain its position as a preferred building material. The leaders expressed concern, too, over disruption of normal distribution of their product. Usually, the bulk of plywood is solcl through 7/M retail lumber dealers throughout the nation; under the 'housing program, however, half of it is allocated by government directly to prefabricators and builders.

All association officers, including Mr. Malarkey, were re-elected for one-year terms. Arnold Koutonen, president of Olympia Veneer Co. of Olympia, is vice president; Herman E. Tenzler, president of Northwest Door Co. of Tacoma, is secretary; and J. P. Simpson, general manager of Buffelen'Lumber & Mfg. Co., also of Tacoma, is treasurer.

Trustees of the all-industry board include: E. W. Daniels, J. R. Robinson, president of Robinson Mfg. Co. of Everett; Craig L. Spencer, president of Elliott Bay Mill Co. of Seattle, and Frost Snyder, president of Vancouver (Wash.) Plywood & Veneer Co., the only new board member.