Lumber Placed Under the Priorities System

H. R. Northup, secretary-manager of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association, Washington, D. C., in a letter to the Federated Associations discusses the main features of the new Conservation Order M-208 directing and resulating all softwood distribution. This order reDlaces Li*itaiion Order L-121. Its effective date is August 27, 1942. Mr. Northup's letter follows :

The order regulates and controls the selling of lumber by everyone engaged in that business-large and small siw milis, distribution yards, wholesalers and retail lumber

Dealers

In this first bulletin transmitting a copy of the order to the industry, no attempt is made to explain the order paragraph by paragraph. - Rather, we shall discuss the main ieatures-of'theirder in order that you may have a general understanding of the procedures set forth.

Classes of Lrinber Usls and Applicable Preference Ratings

The various lumber uses in accordance with their imoortance to the war program are set forth in the order and io each class of lum6er irses is assigned specific preference ratings as determined by the Bureau of Priorities of the War Production Board.

Any seller of lumber is required to accept and fill any and ail orders he may receive in accordance with the rating system set forth in the order.

Classifications

Note carefully the classification system set forth in this order under Paragraph 3049.1 (.), (b)' Note that Class 1 orders are orders-bearing AAA, AA-1, and AA-2 Priority Ratings. These are chiefly Army and Navy jobs.

Noti next that Class 2 orders are for uses enumerated in List A of the order. Class 3 orders are for uses enumerated in List B of the order. Class 4 orders are for uses enumerated in List C.

Please study carefully the lists of uses attached to the order in ordei that you may be thoroughly familiar with the preference ratings that are assigned to the various uses. You will note that a majority of the more important war and essential civilian uses being serviced by the retail lumber industry are included within Lists A and B and that the retaileis' major present day market is represented by uses to which are applied a rating of A-l-a or higher as the case may be.

Restrictions of Use of Certain Items of Softwood Lumber

Paragraph 3049.1 (f) of the order restricts the use of certainbf the structural grades of certain species to specific classes of orders.

Most common grades of our major species are also restricted to the first three classes of orders which embrace all of the uses shown in Lists A and B of the order, as well

GAMII|0 QUALITT LUIIIBDR CAllrORTIA SUGAR AIID POIIDDROSA PIIID

as Army and Navy uses. This clause will, of course, be of prime interest to retailers.

Stock Piling and Replacement of Inventory

Paragraph 3049.1 (e) of the order is important:

The first (1). prevents consumers of lumber from accumulating greater stocks than they can use within a 6Gday period.

The second (2) prevents the building up of inventories of lumber by distributors of greater than a 6O day supply.

Under this order replacement of inventory is possible on the basis of replacement of an equal number of board feet of lumber sold on any rated order.

Endorsement Procedure

The endorsement procedure set forth in this order is that procedure authorized under Prioities Regulation No. 3. Retail lumber dealers may extend the preference ratings assigned to the various uses, by endorsing or attaching to each purchase order placed by them a certification in the following form (Priorities Regulation No. 3) :

The undersigned purchaser hereby represents to the seller and to the War Production Board that he is entitled to apply or extend the preference ratings indicated opposite the items shown on'this purchase order that such application or extension is in accordance with Priorities Regulation No. 3 as amended with the terms of which the undersigned is familiar.

Name of purchaser Address

By (signature and title of duly authorized officer) Date All secretaries should have and will be sent copies of Priorities Regulation No. 3 in order that they may fully understand this procedure.

Rerating of Orders

The order states specificallv that on the matter of rerating of orders which is a taik which will confront many retail lumber dealers the regulations of Priorities Regulation No. 12 will apply. In general these are:

If a person who is entitled to rerate a delivery to be made to him has not yet applied or extended a rating to such delivery, he may apply or extend the new rating in the same manner in which he could have applied or extended the earlier rating subject to the provisions of Priorties Regulation No. 3, as amended (944.23) and to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this Regulation.

Copy of Priorities Regulaton No. 12 will be forwarded to you immediately.

Status of Inventories Earmarked Under L-121 Endorsement Procedures

Paragraph 3049.1 (n) states: is well-aeqsoned, usERs

"Effective August 27,1942, the provisions of Limitation Order L-l2l and authorizations granted thereunder shall have no force and effect."

There are dealers with earmarked stocks of lumber whom this paragraph will affect. Those stocks of lumber are now subject only to the limitations of this new order.

There will be a great many questions in respect to the operation of this order and many questions that will occur to you are now being submitted to the Lumber Branch of the War Production Board for clarification and interoretation. As soon as possible we will inform you as to WPB's interpretations-.

We are certain that you will do everything possible with your dealers to clarify the procedures they must follow and to cooperate in this endeavor to get lumber to "the first uses first."

Amendment 19--Genelal Maximum \(/ood Furniture Industry Can Aid on Price Regulation Civilian Shortages

Section 1499.24 is amended to read as set forth below: 1499.24 Appendix A: General Maximum Price Regulation-Report of Maximum Price Determined Under 1499.3 (a)-Form GMPR:2.

This Form GMPR:2 shall be used for the reporting of a maximum price for sale at wholesale or retail determined under 1499.3 (a) of the General Maximum Price Regulation. The maximum price for sale at wholesale or retail may be determined under this section only if the seller cannot determine maximum prices under 1499.2: that is, if there was no sale or offer to sell of the same or similar commodities by the seller reporting or by a competitor during the month of March, 1942. Any seller who has determinqd a maximum price under 1499.3 (a) is required, within 10 days after such determination, to report such price to the appropriate field office of the Office of Price Administration. If the maximum price reported is incorrectly determined or otherwise unreasonable the seller will be required to determine a new maximum price and to file a new report.

The Office of Price Administration has the right at any time for cause to revise the price so reported.

Any seller who under 1490.4 (a) of the General Maximum Price Regulation has received authorization of the Retail Trade and Service Division to determine uniform maximum prices pursuant to 1499.3 (a) for a group of stores under its control in which it has been the practice to charge uniform or substantially uniform prices, shall file his report or reports in accordance with and at the place or places designated in the Order issued by the Office of Price Administration authorizing uniform pricing.

The amendment became effective August 6, 1942.

Wood Pulp Ruling

In order to eliminate superfluous administrative operations, the director general for operations today removed shipments of less than five tons of wood pulp in any calendar month from the restrictions on deliveries imposed by general preference order M-93.

John Bryant In Army

lohn T. Bryant, Strable Hardwood Co., Oakland, was inducted into the Army August 17.

Washington, August 12.-The wood furniture industry can help in alleviating shortages of many civilian products normally made of metal by using its facilities to make such articles out of wood, W. A. Adams, chief of the WPB furniture branch, said today.

At the same time, Mr. Adams cautioned that high quality timbers must be used primarily for military purposes, and that the wood furniture industry, therefore, should use the lowest grades that will yield cuttings of suitable quality and sizes.

According to the lumber and lumber products branch, the high common grades and the top structural timbers of softwood lumber and the No. 1 common and better grades of hardwoods should be conserved for war purposes.

Mr. Adams listed the following as examples of products that must be made of materials other than metal if adequate quantities are to be available for essential civilian and industrial purposes: lockers, shelving, ice boxes, wash tubs, shipping containers, pails for home and civilian defense use, stirrup pumps for incendiary bomb protection, factory conveyors and track, lamps, trailers, and truck and bus bodies.

New developments in the use of plywood make possible a greater utilization of wood than has ever been possible in the past, he pointed out. Wood furniture manufacturers are cooperating with producers of metal goods in solving design, distribution, and other problems involved.

Conservation Ord er M-9-c-4

Conservation Order M-9-c-4 issued luly 22, t942, by the Director General for Operations prohibits the use of copper or copper base alloy in building construction, except 25 pounds or less for repairs where th6 metal so used is to replace copper building material previously used. The Order, however, does not affect wiring.

ROBERT R. SCRIM COMMISSIONED ENSIGN IN NAVY

Robert R. Scrim, secretary of the Scrim Lumber Company, Van Nuys, has been commissioned an Ensign in the Navy and is now at Northwestern University. For the past several months he was stationed in Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. He is a son of Walter G. Scrim, Los Angeles importer of hardwoods and lumber.