Lumber Code Now in Op"ration at Mills

With the President's approval of the Lumber Code on August 19 the machinery was soon set in a.ction to get the Code in operation. The National Control Committee,'the executive body of the Lumber Code Authority, under the Lumber Code-, met at Washington on Augult 21. The Authority had been incorporated under the laws of Delaware, and the Committee was duly clothed rvith all the powers entrusted to it by the Code.

As the Code provides that the hours and wage schedules become effective August 22, three days after its approval by the President, telegraphic instructions were sent to the forty-eight divisions of the industry to make the necessarv arrangements at once. Action was also taken to have all Divisions curtail produ,ction in accordance with prospective consumption.

Wages and hours provisions of the Code were put into effect by the Redwood industry on August 22. Other provisions of the Code will become effective August 29 with the exception of Rules of Fair Trade Practice which will be in effect at date specified by the Lumber Code Authority not later than November first. Redwood mill production quotas will be set for September 1.

The Pine mills put the wages and hours stipulations of the Code into effect Augttst 22, most of the mills making pay retroactive to August 1. Rules of Fair Trade Practice will go into effect as soon as possible.

Wages and hours conforming to the Code went into effect in the West Coast Lumber Division of the Northwest on August 22. Meetings to perfect arrangements for putting the Code into operation have been in session at Tacoma, Wash., this .iveek.

At a meeting of the Southern Pine Division held at New Orleans on August 25 and 26, final arrangements for put- ting the Code in operation r,vere completed. Among the important developments of the meeting were the fixing of a rnonthly production quota of 450,000,000 feet of Southern pine for the months of September, October and November; fixing of production of individual Southern pine mills for the month of September on the basis of "allorvable hours of operation" and the establishing of a code fee of fifteen cents per thousand feet based on shipments effective and including August 21, to be paid by the individual mills to cover the expense of administering and enforcing the code in the Southern Pine Division. It was estimated that administration of the Code rvould require approximatelv $50,- 000 per month.

The Southern Pine Association's set-up for administration of the Code, through its Board of I)ire.ctors, includes a Control Comr.rlittee-the executive agency of the board of directors in the adrninistration work; four maior administrative committees on Laltor. Production. Pricei and Trade Practices, and 28 local committees (consisting of three to five members each) rvho will serve in each of the 28 districts into rvhich the Southern Pine producing territory have been divided.

The Association is cornpiling statistics and information necessary to determine the .cost of produ,ction of Southern pine to -permit the establishment of minimum prices for the various items of Southern pine lumber.