Looking About

By Jack Dionne

There is just one California. Not a Southern California, and a Northern California, but just one great and indivisible sovereign state, each district proud of the other, and reflecting credit on the other; each locality proud to see progress in EVERY part of California For that is the spirit that will continue to make California great.

I had a grand example of it the other day. I had lunch in San Francisco with one of the leading attorneys of that city, a man of the keenest judgment, and the most unbiased opinions.He had just returned from a trip to Southern California, the first he had made in quite a number of years. And of all the Southern California enthusiasts I have ever met, he was the most enthusiastic. I listened for a half hour while he extolled the marvelous things he recited concerning Southern California. It sounded much like my editorial oftwo years ago that was so much quoted.

"There is a tide of civilization growing up in Southern California such as the world has nqver before seen," said Walter Brann. "There are no past experiences of other districts by which to judge it. The man who derides it, or seeks to belittle it, only belittles himself.In my judgment nothing can stop it. It hasn't go-tten well started. It looks to me to be as substantial as it ist tremendous. Everything that I saw was more than I had heard.My hat is off to Southern California. I am very proud gf that part of our.

stite, and that prosperity will be reflected in every district of the state."

And I said to myself : "'When these good souhd San Francisco folks become as fair and open minded as this, then there is surely just the ong great state, and nothing can stop her development." Because from our first issue the Merchant has been preaching: "Just one great state, undivided."

All of California is looking up. There are a few spots less prosperous than others, which is always true of any great territory, but the conditions today are far better than they were throughout Cafifornia a year ago, and they will be still better a year from now. I have said many times this summer that the condition of California appears to me to be much better today, more healthy and consistent and apparently substantial, than they were in the high tide of three years ago. I like the looks of things very much.

The lumber situation in California is tremendously improved over the conditions of last spring, and they should be better still by the first of the year. The world is using more lumber than it did last spring, and less lumber will be dumped in California.

That is another thing that the builders of California should be grateful for, even though it is bad for the lumberman. California is the lumber dumping ground of the Northwest, and the result is that lumber sells cheaper in California than anywhere else in the country, most of the time.

They are getting ready to ship California Redwood timbers to Mississippi to be made into lumber there. It is reported plans are on foot for other Southern firms to keep their Gulf port mills going in that fashioq before long.

The Pine mills of California have built up a big trade in low grade boards and shiplap in Texas-Oklahoma-Kansas territory in the last year. It isn't bad business, either, even though I have heard some of them speak as though it didn't pay very well. They cut their boards six quarters thick, and resaw those boards into two pieces of shiplap that sells for full inch board measure, thus getting two board feet for each three board feet they actually cut. When you figure it that way you find they are getting more for their low grade pine shipped in that form than they can get for it in any other form or method of manufacture. fnstead of speaking slightingly of it, the California mills should be very proud of that business.

It is replacing the old reliable No. 2 Southern Pine Shiplap, and makes a hit with the carpenter trade. It is light to begin with, is lighter because it is thinner than Southern Pine Shiplap; saws, cuts, dresses and takes nails and tacks easily, and the carpenter falls for it strong.

It must be understood that in the large majority of Texas houses of modest size, shiplap is put over the'studs inpide, and wall paper laid right over the shiplap. The Southwest has always consumed huge quantities of No. 2 Southern Pine Shiplap for this purpose, and now California and Ari-

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L. H. IVES & COMPANY MERGE WITH SKINNER & EDDY CORPORATION

Seattle, Warh., October let, 1925: AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE HERE TODAY FROM THE GENERAL OFFICES OF THE SKINNER & EDDY CORPORA. TION OF THEIR MERGER WITH L. H. IVES & COMPANY. THE SKINNER & EDDY CORPORATION WILL OPERATE THE WHOLESALELUMBER CONNECTIONS OF L. H. IVES & COMPANY IN THE CALIFORNIA TERRITORY.

MR. L. H. IVES WILL MANAGE THE SEATTLE OFFICE FOR THE CALIFORNIA LUMBER DEPARTMENT AND MR. P. W. MASTERS WILL BE IN THE LOS ANGEI F,S oFFIcE.

SKINNER & EDDYARE PROMINENT IN LOGGING, MANUFACTURING AND SHIP. PING AND HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR SFVERAL YEARS IN THE ATL*A,NTIC COAST MARKE'T AS WHOLESALERS. DURING THEWARTHEY OWNED AND OPERATED THE LARGEST SHIPYARDS ON THE PACTFIC COAST.

(Continued from Page 10) anyone to slander Southern California than I would per- mit personal slander. I have little patience with the socalled booster who says fine things about his town but sits back and makes no attempt to counteract untruths.

It is my hope that everyone who reads this will share my viewpoint. Southern California has reached a point wherl "watchful -waiting" and passive empty boosting has got to give way for real sound selling. Perhaps some of the fault is our orvn ? Maybe we have done too much boosting and not enough selling.

To me the most remarkable thing in the world is that in spite of almost a solid year now of unfavorable publicity, rightfully or wrongfully emanati'ng from California, we have continued to step right ahead. Truly it is remarkable-it has been an acid test that no other community on the face of the earth has ever withstood-everything from hoof and mouth quarantines to earthquakes have been played up in Eastern papers. Plain, unvarnished lies have been repeated and repeated, yet the Golden State has gone right ahead. And today as I write this there is before us on every hand every indication of not only good business butbig business. The economic survey oi the community would say in prosaic stilted style that general conditions were favorable, etc., etc., and then cite all of the figures to prove the case.

I naturally assume that every wide awake business executive is watching the economic conditions affecting his community. I do not need to say what bank clearings; postal -receipts, building figures and harbor tonnage reports show. But the facts I would like to drive home and make them stay are that in spite of adverse criticism, knocks and untruths, Southern California has not only remained a white spot on the map, but continued to grow better.

It has only been within the past few years that Los Angeles .has really begun to step intothe forefront among America's leading industrial cities.

During_ the several years that it has been my privilege to serve Southern California as a director and for i year is President of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce I halre had a close insight into this remarkable growth.

The most outstanding fact that impressed me is that such a compa_ratively few of the people who live and prosper here really know how exceptional is this community. -

Tn'enty years ago few people realized that Southern California lvas anything more than a winter resort where Eastern tourists could come to escape the rigors of cold lveather. But as the East became more crowded-as Southern California began to grow a few of the far sighted industrial leaders turned their attention to the West eoast -particularly to Los Angeles.

Today many of the largest manufacturing concerns in the United States have built, or are planning to build factories on the Pacific Coast to supply the requirements of the rapidlygrowing population in the eleven Western States.

Have any of these man cancelled their plans-junked