National Retailers Reelect Officers

Washington, D. C., Sept. 27.-At a specially called annual meeting at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, September 22-23, the board of directors of the National Retail Lumber Dealers Association unanimously re-elected the officers of the Association: namely, Carl Blackstock, of the Blackstock Lumber Co., Seattle, Wash., president; John Alexander, Jr., of the Alexander Lumber Co., Aurora, Ill., vice president; G. W. LaPointe, Jr., of the O & N Lumber Co., Menomonie, Wis., treasurer; and H. R. Northup, of Washington, D. C., secretary-manager.

the farm. It also pointed out the part that could be played by the retail lumber industry in providing the necessary housing and service buildings on the farm if proper consideration were given to the ability of the dealer to substitute materials and at the same time. to secure the small amount lbove-Ccrl BlcrcLetocL, President. BiEht-H. R. Northup, Secretcry-Mcncger.

President Blackstock announced the retirement from the executive committee of S. D. Baldwin, of Jersey City, N. J., and R. S. Finkbine, of Des Moines, Iowa.

Members of the new executive committee are J. A. Detweiler, of the Exchange Lumber Co., Rochester, N. Y.; Fred R. Stair, of the Farragut Lumber Co., Knoxville, Tenn.; Leonard Lampert, Jr., of the Lampert Lumber Co., St. Paul, Minn.; S. L. Forrest, of the Forrest Lumber Co., Lamesa, Texas; Carl Blackstock; W. W. Anderson, of the Anderson Lumber Co., Ogden, Utah; F. Dean Prescott, of the Valley Lumber Co., Fresno, Calif.; John Alexander, Jr.; and G. W. LaPointe, Jr. All other active committees of the association were reappointed.

The board spent an entire two days in discussion of the effect upon retail operations of the national defense prog'ram, including the Supply Priorities and Allocations Board, as well as actions and programs of the Office of Price Administration and the Division of Civilian Supply. The new defense housing priorities orders were explained and discussed, and the board considered the recently issued consumer credit regulations of the Federal Reserve Bank board.

It was recommended by the board that those agencies in Washington in charge of priorities and civilian allocations give every consideration to the recognition of civilian housing, farm housing, and the need for service buildings on of critical materials necessary to enable a large volume of needed building projects to proceed. It was the consensus of opinion of outstanding retail lumbermen from all sections of the country that the operations of the priorities system to date had caused many unnecessary shortages in accessory building materials which are necessary to the continuance of much needed private building which does not have the label of defense housing.

The board pointed out the obvious difficulties of local suppliers of building materials in maintaining an adequate supply of certain critical materials which should be on hand in order to enable them to service promptly even socalled defense projects in many areas.

It was recommended that retail lumber dealers everywhere give concerted consideration to the possibilities of substitution and simplification in line with a nation-rvide movement in this respect, and discuss ways and means in which the retail industry might cooperate with Washington in its effort to get a clear picture of the national inventory situation, in order that proper allocations can be finall1. made for building projects in all parts of the country.

The services available to the consuming public and to the government, as well as to producing groups generally, tlrrough the well-stocked, well-organized building material merchant. were reiterated.

Probable Conrumption of \(/estern Pine Lumber for Fourth Quarter ol 1941

Portland, Oregon, September ?.7-In a statement issued here today by the Western Pine Association, an estimate is given of the probable consumption of lumber from the Western Pine region for the fourth quarter of I94I. The following is the statement in full:

Latest reports indicate that shipments from the Western Pine region during the third quarter of 1941 will be approximately 1,775 million feet or an advance of about 15 percent over shipments for the like period of last year. This is an all time high for the movement of Western Pine lumber during any quarter of any year in the history of the industry.

Third quarter production ol1,975 million feet was up 323 million feet from the second quafter and showed a gain of 14 per cent over last year in spite of adverse weather conditions for logging operations. This record production constitutes an excellent response by the industry to appeals made in August by OPM and OPACS for greater lumber production during this period of emergency needs. However, the demands of Government and other customers for shipments were so insistent that even this immense production did not permit the usual normal accumulation of stocks during the quarter. Stocks grew less than 200 million feet during the period.

The extremely favorable month by month comparisons of 1941 shipments over those of 1940 began to narrow in August and probably by the middle of the fourth quarter will be showing no increases at all because the stock accumulations which helped make such heavy shipments possible last Fall are lighter this year. A larger percentage of shipments this Fall and Winter will have to come from current production.

The August 14th report of the Lumber Survey Committee, U. S. Department of Commerce, states that the prospects for the lumber industry indicate continued great activity regardless of difficulties arising out of' priorities, price ceilings and other regulations of prices and supply. With a probable new cantonment program, continued heavy industrial building and the proposed program of 625,000 family dwelling units to be built in the fiscal year l94l-I942 as compared with 600,000 in the previous fiscal year, the lumber industry's capacity will be heavily taxed in the coming months. Especially important in the case of Western Pine is the constantly increasing demand for boxes and crates in which to ship planes, shells, rifles and other munitions.

Based on such general predictions and on all other available information relative to the use of our products, it is now estimated that during the fourth quarter of 1941 the consumption (shipments) of Western Pine lumber will be about 1,461 million feet. This would mean a volume of shipments 71 million feet lower than the 1,532 million feet shipped in the fourth quarter of.1940 and,17.3 per cent under third quarter shipments of this year. An unusually late dry Fall, permitting later than normal seasonal production, would increase this volume of shipments because the demand during the fourth quarter apparently will absorb practically everything the industry can ship.