Lumber Manufacturing lndustry of Nation Discusses Problems at \(/est Coast Meeting

The midsummer conference of the directors oJ the National Lumber Manufacturers Association was held during the last week in July, in Seattle, Washington, and proved to be a national lumber event of great importance. It was more than a meeting of the directors of the National, for lumber folks showed up from all parts of the nation, many of them vacationing, and, with the West Coast Lumbermen's association and the Tacoma Lumbermen's Club acting as hosts and furnishing entertainment, amusement, and hospitality, they had a big time, both socially and with regard to their business conferences.

Much optimism was noted at the meeting. It was like some of the meetings of the same sort that have been held on the Coast in years gone by. To prove that lumber is not a declining industry, for example, Captain John Woods of the conservation department of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, made the statement that the increase in timber resources in the United States today, by reason of tree growth, is equal to or greater than depletion of timber through cutting and all other agencies. He predi.cted a perpetual crop of timber.

J.H. Bloedel, President of Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Mills, of Bellingham, Washington, made a most interesting talk on lumber conditions in the Northwest. He said that in spite of the fact that the workers in the mills and camps of the Pacific Northwest draw by far the highest pay of any lumber workers on earth, more labor trouble has developed out there than anywhere else, and he blamed it entirely on the radical influences at'work in the labor organizations in that part of the world, and not on either hours or wages. Government encouragement he charged with much of their troubles. He spoke in favor of collective bargaining, but against the closed shop. He said that Western mills are paying double the wages of Southern mills.

f. N. Tate, of Weyerhaeuser Sales Company, St. Paul, made a grand talk on the need for and the possibilities of progressive lumber trade promotion, whi,ch was promptly declared by C. C. Sheppard, lumber stalwart of Louisiana, to be the best lumber trade promotion speech he had ever heard.

Dr. Wilson Compton told of the legal and legislative situations as developed in the recent session of Congress.

P. A. Hayward, chief of the forest produ,cts division of the United States Department of Commerce, told the lumbermen of various phases of the present lumber export situation and urged the industry to organize efiectively to take advantage of the Government foreign trade policy.

R. G. Kimbell, of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association technical service, spoke glowingly of the work the National is doing and preparing to do along trade extention lines.

The activities of Timber Engineering Company, a subsidiary of the National, created for the purpose of promot- irg, manufacturing, and distributing fabricated timber structures, was related by two of its officers, George 'W. Dulany and Harry G. Uhl.

C. C. Sheppard told of the trade promotion work of the Southern Hardwood Produ,cers, of which he was the first president and he made an enthusiasti,c report of the things that organization has demonstrated can be done to create a mafket for lumber from unknown and unexpected sources.

J. W. Watzek, Jr. described the national situation with regard to oak flooring.

The meeting was called to order at the beginning by T. V. Larsen, president of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association, who acted as presiding officer.

H. C. Berckes, of New Orleans, secretary-manager of the Southern Pine Association; George W. Dulany, of Chicago; Roger Sands, of Seattle; H. W. Cole, of San Francisco; Carl Blackstock, of Seattle; B. W. Lakin, of McCloud, California; J. H. M'cDonald, of New Westminster, B. C.; Frost Snyder, of Tacoma; Walter B. Nettleton, of Seattle; and C. P. Winslow, of Madison, W,isconsin, all made interesting speeches during the meeting.

Dr. Wilson Compton, of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, reminded the lumbermen that prior to l92O the United States was the first in the world in lumber exports; today it is fifth. Potentially he declared this to be the most important and most able lumber exporting country.

With regard to legislation he cataloged the new feder:al tax bill as a mathematical monstrosity. The Walsh- Healey Bill he passed over as something the lumber industry need not worry much about, as it applies only to orders for $1O,00O and upward. The Patman-Robinson bill he cataloged as so vague that it will be some time before lumber folks can hope to discover just what it means to them.

Dr. Compton reported the National to be in the best of shape, nearly all the regional assqciations being members on an equal basis, and its work being done in most progress.ive manner.

W. G. Mugan

William G. Mugan, prominent San Francisco lumberman, and secretary of Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co., died at his home there Monday night, August 3. He had been identified with the Redwood industry for over a half century. He went to work for Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co. as a young man on January 2, 1884, during which time he had the opportunity to observe numerous changes take place within the Redwood industry. At the time of his death, and for many years prior, he was secretary of Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co.

Mr. Mugan \Mas one of the original organizers of the Merchants Exchange, San Francisco. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Elizabeth M. Muir Mugan, and a sister, Mrs. John R. Cole. Funeral services were held at San Francisco, Wednesday afternoon, August 5.

Appointed Division Manager

W. W. Wheatly is now with Graham Brothers, fnc., of Long Beach, distributors of building materials, as manager of the Harbor division.

Twenty years ago, Mr. Wheatly was manager of the George M. La Shell Company at Long Beach. On July 13 last, he returned to Long Beach to become associated with Graham Brothers, Inc., which concern is the su,ccessor to the La Shell Company.

Mr. Wheatly has been ,connected with the lumber and building material business for a long period. His first lumber experiences was with the Consolidated Lumber Company in Southern California and Arizona, handling their business in California for a time. He was with this concern for about seven years. After a few years in I-ong Beach with building material firms, he operated a retail lumber business for himself in San Diego, and later organized and managed the Imperial Valley Lumber Association. For a number of years, he represented the Paraffine Companies, fnc., in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and San Diego territory. He also represented the Pioneer Paper Company in the San Joaquin Valley for two years, and re'cently was with the J. S. Schirm Company, San Diego, as manager.

Appointed Secretary

W. T. Spears has been appointed secretary of the Riverside Lumber Association. He was formerly secretary of the Building Service Bureau at El Centro.

Jerry Stutt \7ith Campbell-Moore

J. H. (Jerry) Stutz, for many years with Coos Bay Lumber Company, and for the last eight years with Chas. R. McCormick Lumber Company in the San Joaquin Valley territory, is now with the Campbell-Moore Lumber Company of Portland, Ore., as salesman in the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys.

Jimmy Atkinson is California representative of the Campbell-Moore Lumber Co., progressive Northwest wholesale lumber firm, with offices in the Pittock Block, Portland. He will continue to contact the trade in the San Francisco Bay District and Coast territory, making occasional trips into the Valleys where he also has a host of friends. Jimmy announces the opening of an office at ll2 Market Street,. San Francisco; the telephone number is GArfield 1810.

R. H. Swayne

Robert H. Swayne, 76 years of age, founder of the customs brokerage and steamship firm of Swayne & Hoyt of San Francisco, died at his Alameda home, August 6, after an illness of several weeks. Mr. Swayne was president of the Swayne Lumber Co., operating a Pine mill at Oroville, Calif. Swayne & Hoyt also at one time operated the North Bend Mill& Lumber Co. plant at North Bend, Ore., on Coos Bay.

Mr. Swayne was born in Canada and was brought to San Fran,cisco as an infant. He is survived by his widow, a son, Lloyd Swayne, and three sisters. He had been a resident of Alameda for nearly fifty years.