ileedeil: Return 0f The Davs 0f ilIiracles An ilditorial

On the third day of September,L946, there went out from the offices of The Lumber Branch of CPA, Washington, D. C., a telegraphic message to the various lumber manufacturing associations of the nation, stating that that body had been charged u'ith a new and great responsibility to be transferred to the shoulders of the lumber making industry. The responsibility is that of expediting deliveries of lumber, millwork, flooring, and plywood to meet the requirements of 2fi),000 FPHA housing units to house veterans and their families at various colleges and universities. Campus housing for veterans, in other words. This program, authorized by Congress, is a part of the Veterans' Housing Program, but, according to the telegrams, takes precedence over the regular program.

It will be remembered that only a few days before this announcement, Mr. Wyatt had publicly announced that thenceforth 80 per cent of our lumber production must be diverted in the direction of veterans' housing. Now comes the notice that this campus housing program takes precedence over the rest of the veterans' program, which in turn takes precedence over all other building. The September third notification says that "we will, if necessary, issue MANDATORY DIRECTIVES to fill these orders."

And that is just what has happened. Mandatory di- rectives have been issued for 150,000,000 feet of softwoods, fir, pine and redwood, and this order takes precedence over everything. This new lumber will be backed up by tremendous quantities of used lumber, recovered from torndown barracks and other mililary camp structures all over the country.

The sad and solemn fact is that there isn't enough lumber being made to supply the vital and tragic needs of this postwar world. It looks as though we are trying in vain to feed a multitude with what is comparatively just a basketful of supply. If we direct the flow of materials in one direction, it can only be at the expense of others. There is not enough to go round. The Black Market takes its heavy toll, and will as long as there are regulations and restrictions. Don't let anyone fool you about the size of that leak. It is tremndous.

There are only trvo rvays to solve the problem. We could turn lumber loose, free from all hobbles and restrictive regulations. This, no intelligent and informed man can doubt, would cause a flood of new lumber production. The other alternative is to pray-successfully-for miracles. Since one seems as unlikely to happen as the other, we can only conclude that our tragic lumber shortage will continue to be just that-indefinitely.