All Buildins Restrictions Lifted October 15

Snyder Turns Down OPA Demond for Control of Ceilins Prices on Construction

The biggest news in years came out of Washington on September 18, when Reconversion Director John W. Snyder, just returned from an official trip to Europe, announced that effective October 15 all building restrictions would be lifted, and home and other construction could go into high gear. The only restriction after that day will be the difficulty of getting materials and labor.

In announcing this most important news, Mr. Snyder turned down the plan of OPA and NHA to place price ceilings on all home construction, and turn the home building industry virtually over to the confused and impractical mercy of these bureaus. (See Vagabond Editorial, this issue.) This in spite of the fact that on the day of Snyder's announcement, Chester Bowles, head of OPA, had urged Congress to give his agency that complete control. No doubt the thousands of vigorous protests from every part of the country against this proposed OPA plan, fixed Mr. Snyder's decision. The building industry unanimously declares that to turn building restrictions loose and at the same time give OPA ceiling price control over the building of homes, would nullify the restriction cancellation, and leave the great home building industry in despair.

Snyder said swift expansion of building activity offered "the greatest single additional source of jobs in our entire economy," and he announced the following program: l. The War Production Board revoked its hotly disputed order, L-41, effective October 15, including the $8,000 limit on permitted houses.

The action will permit unhampered construction of stores, theaters, dwellings, office and hotel buildings. It will also uncork a big public works program which has been bottled up for three years. Curbs on factory and road building are already off.

2. The OPA prepared to issue strict dollars-and-cents price ceilings on nearly all building supplies. These will cover plumbing, hardware, and materials as well as rooflaying and contractors services-in fact, almost everything but the price of the lot and the finished house.

Snyder's office announced six plans to combat inflation, along with the announcement of restriction termination, as follows:

1. Increasing the supply of scarce building materials, if necessary by granting priorities to the producers and-as in the case of bricks-by modest price increases to step up production.

2. Strengthening inventory control, the machinery by which the WPB prevents over-buying and hoarding of scarce supplies.

3. Tightening of price controls over building materials. (This is understood to include issuance of flat dollars-andcents ceilings, uniform in each community.)

4. Cooperation of the federal lending agencies to "discourage excessive and unsound lending on mortgages," and the enlistment of voluntary help from banks, loan companies and other private lenders.

5. Calling of real estate men, building supply dealers and contractors to Washington to lay out a voluntary program for holding down costs and increasing production of homes snd materials.

6. Advisory service to home buyers, to be given by the national housing agency whether or not the prospective buyer gets federal aid in financing his purchase.

THE GREATEST BUILDING BOOM IN HISTORY IS NOW STARTING.

Appointed Secretcrry oI Burbcnk Chamber oI Commerce

Harry E. Whittemore, of San Diego, has been appointed secretary of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce to succeed C. C. Richards who recently resigned. He took over his new duties on September 15. Harry is well known in Cali fornia lumber circles, and was with the Benson Lumber Co., San Diego, for eighteen years, the last six years as general manager. He is a former president of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association. For the last two and one-half years, he was Industrial Manager for the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.

John Helm Heads Hoo-Hoo Club No. 39 Lumber Order L-335 Revoked

John J. Helm, Santa Fe Lumber Company, San Francisco, was elected president, and Tom Hogan III, Hogan Lumber Company, Oakland, was elected vice president of Hoo-Hoo Club No. 39, at the meeting of this organization held at Hotel Claremont, Berkeley, September 17.

G. W. Sechrist, who has served as secretary-treasurer for several years, remains for the time being as acting secretary.

K. E. MacBeath. GordonMacBeath .Hardwood Co., Berkeley, was appointed Sergeant-At-Arms.

The new directors are: Tom Jacobsen, Piedmont Mill & Lumber Co., Oakland; Everett Lewis, Gamerston & Green Lumber Co., Oakland; Jack Wood, E. K. Wood Lumber Co., Oakland; W. J. ("Nick") Nicholson, California Plywood Inc., Oakland, and Albert A. Kelley, Wholesale Lumber, Alameda,

William R. Paden, superintendent of schools for the City of Alameda, gave an interesting address on "The Oregon Trail."

Retiring President Wm. Chatham, Jr., who is an enthusiastic angler, was presented with a beautiful fly rod. Lewis Godard made the presentation on behalf of the Club

New Ycrd in Scrn Mcrteo

Horne & Winfrey recently opened a yard at 2701 South El Camino Real, San Mateo, for the sale of lumber and building materials. Lee Horne will have full management of .the yard. His partner, Mr. Winfrey, will not take an active part in the business.

Mr. Horne is well known in the retail lumber business, having been with Wisnom Lumber Co., Burlingame, since 1924. He was manager of the yard until it was closed during the war.

Washington, D. C., September l2-Distribution of lumber will be free from controls October 1, the War Production Board announced today.

The lumber order, L-335, issued in June 1944 to provide the vast amounts of lumber needed for carrying on the war, was revoked today, effective September 30.

Though lumber production this year is expected to amount to only 29,500,000,000 board feet, as compared with 32,500,000,000 board feet in 1944, military requirements' have declined so sharply since the end of the war that lumber is no longer in critically short supply. Controls established by Order L-335 are no longer considered ne€essary' WPB said.

The order was "open-ended" by an August 22 amendment to permit the sale of any kind of lumber on uncertified and unrated orders, provided such sale did not interfere with filling certified and rated orders'

Allotments of lumber for the third quarter remain in force until the expiration of the order, but no further allocation of lumber will be made, WPB pointed out.

Military requirements mounted from 15 per cent of total consumption in 1941 to 74 per cent in 1944. This heavy demand made necessary the issuance of an over-all control order.

Order L-335 was designed to provide lumber for military and essential civilian uses'through quarterly alloca-tion. The order controlled all species and grades of lum-' ber, and restricted sale by sawmills, purchase and'sale by distributors, and purchase by consumers. Allotments were made to the military, War Food Administration, National Housing Agency and other Government agencies charged with lumber distribution, and to WPB divisions for reallotment to industrial consumers and for other civilian uses. The amount of lumber available for householders and other small users was controlled by allotments to distributors. Purchasers were permitted to place certified and rated orders for the amount of lumber they were authorized to receive.

Convention Bcn Ends Oct. I

The ban on all conventions, group meetings, and trade shows will end October 1, according tb an announcement by the Office of Defense Transportation Septembet L2.