N. L. M. A. Holds 37th Annual Meeting

M. L. Fleishel Elected President

I{. L. Fleishel, president, Putman Lumber Company, Shamrock, Florida, was elected president of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association at its 37fh annual meeting at the Palace H'otel, San Francisco, November 8-10. Mr. Fleishel succeeded James G. McNary who has served the lumbermen as president for the past two years. Edmund llayes, Clackamas Fir Company, Portland, Oreg'on, was elected first vice-president. Other vice-presidents elected were: W. M. Ritter, Ritter Lumber Company, Columbus, Ohio; Swift Berry, Michigan-Califbrnia Lumber Company, Camino, Calif.; P. A. Bloomer, Louisiana

Long I-eaf Pine Company, Fisher, La.; H. M. Seaman, Kirby Lumber Company, Houston, Texas. Wilson Compton, Washington, D. C., was re-elected secretary-ma,nager.

More than 100 lumbermen registered for the three-day meeting which was opened on Wednesday morning, November 8. The series of meetings gave special consideration to six current and important lumber industry pr,oblems : l-Conditions and problems arising out of the lvar;

2-Prospective recommendations b1' the Congressional Joint Committee of permanent Federal. forest policy legislation ; 3-Market, promotion and research opportunities;

4-National Small Homes Promotion, 1940; S-The status of lumber export and import tracle; 6-The proposed National Industry Economic Survey.

The opening session o{ the meeting on Wednesday morning was devoted exclusively to trade promotion with special attention centering o.n plans for the National Small Homes Demonstration-l94o: State Homes Foundations -1940; new policy of FHA; retail merchandising service; building code and engineering problems; the government purchasing program of the United States government; the report of Timber Engineering Company; export lumber; trade promotion and proposed trade promotion expenditures for 1940.

I. N. Tate, Trade Promotion Committee chairman presided and reports were made by members of the National Association staff, including R. G. Kimbell, H. G. Uhl, Henry Bahr and C. R. French.

The Advisory Committee composed of secretaries of regional lumber manufacturing associations met at a dinner meeting on the same day. H. C. Berckes, secretarjr of the Southern Pine Association presided.

Thursday, November 9, was devoted to committee meetings, most important of which were forest conservati,on under the leadership of G. F. Jewett; trade promotion under I. N. Tate; nominations and recommendations urider J. W. Watzek, and Timber Engineering Company. The annual president's dinner with an attendance of approximately 150 took place in the evening at the Palace Hotel. Approximately N rn'ives of lumbermen .ivere guests at the dinner.

Formal business of the Association was conducted in the two main meeting sessions on Friday. J. G. McNary, retiring president, presided at the morning session and gave the annual president's address, in r,vhich a forceful plea for increased financial support for the activities of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association was made. This was followed immediately by the annrral report of the secretary-manager.

An interesting feature of this meeting rvas the opportunity given to representatives of each of the federated associations to report the opinion of his group upon the question of "What ought to be done to meet the problems ahead of the lumber industry." Those reporting for the five regio,nal ass'ociations were Edmund Hayes, for West Coast Lumbermen's Association rvho stressed the need for more intensive cultivation of the small home market and greater attention to the problems of public forestry; G. F. Jervett, who spoke for Western Pine Association and asked for a closer 'contact between the mills and associations: H. C. Berckes, reporting for Southern Pine Association, who asked for increased trade promotion in behalf of quality lumber; E. R. Linn, Southern llardwood Producers, Inc., who spoke of increased appropriation f,or small home promotion, and John Landon lvho asked for better salesmanship and increased promotion activity in presenting the views of the Northern Hemlock and Hardwood Association.

The meeting on Friday afternoon, November 10, rvas devoted to election of officers, meeting of stockholders. election of directors and recommendations and resolutions for 194O.

Nearly half of the lumbermen attending the series of meetings were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Hammond at tea and cocktails from 5 to 7 on Friday evening. 20 manufacturers were the guests of the California Redwood Association on a trip through the Redwood prodttcing country of California for two days, beginning on Saturday afternoo!, November 11. Other lumbermen attended the football game Saturday, at Berkeley, between the University of Washington and the University of California.

Resolutions Passed By Board Of Directors At 37th Annual Meeting

Lumber Indusiry Economic Survey

For many years considerati'on has been given to the possibilities of an economic survey of fundamental conditions, trends and prospects in the lumber and timber products industries. The current supply and demand information now available to the industry is, we think, the most complete and authentic which it has ever had. Further Federal forest policy legislation is in prospect which may greatly affect the future development of forest industry.

Our industry is in a stage of transition. It is no longer a migratory industry. Its interest in and dependence on new timber growth is constantly increasing. It is confronted with many new conditions and many baffling problems. We should like to see the National and Regional Associations undertake surveys to develop information on which probable future conditions and prospects may be more accurately judged by our individual companies.

Accordingly we ask the Committee on Economics to explore the possibilities of securing more comprehensive economic information of interest to timber owners and manufacturers of lumber and timber products as far as it can be accomplished with the aid of our National stafi and in consultation with the affiliated associations.

Amendment of Anti-Trust Laws

Until the uncertainties of applications of the anti-trust laws have been clarified by further legislation, if necessary, amendments to provide drastic civil penalties for vi'olations such as are proposed in the pending O'Mahoney-Hobbs Bill are unreasonable and unjust. The possibility of effective civil penalties for clear and kn'own violations of the anti-trust laws should be further explored by Congress and by the appropriate Federal agencies.

Shipping Aids to Lumber Export

We endorse the provision of such shipping aids to lumber export as are proposed in the Holman-McNary Bill (5.2546) and the Boykin Bill (H.R.75OS). We hope that the United States Maritime Commission for this purpose will interest itself in encouraging practical steps consistent with its major shipping and subsidization policies. We urge prompt consideration of these problems arising out of the critical needs of our highly competitive lumber export trade.

Log E>rports

We ask that agencies of the Federal Government con'cerned with foreign and domestic commerce, employment, conservation and national defense, undertake promptly a thorough study of and a public report made on the econ,omic facts and consequences of unrestricted export of logs, and its bearing upon the permanent structure of for- est industry and employment and forest conservation in this country.

Joint Congressional Committee on Forestry

Recognizi,ng the importance of problems under study by the Congressional Joint Committee on Forestry, w€ have put at its disposal all pertinent facts and facilities available to the National Lumber Manufacturers Association. We ask that in its study and report it give full consideration to more complete utilization and more diversified and dependable markets for forest products to the end that forest owners and forest industries, through private enterprise, may deal permanently and effectively with these problems.

U. S. Forest Products Laboratory

The U. S. Forest Products I-aboratory has frequently sought and invited a closer advisory contact with the lumber and timber product industries. We think that the lumber industry should respond to this invitation and in so doing should seek the cooperation of other interested forest industries. We ask that appropriate steps be taken to accomplish this objective.

Housing Program-1940

In view of the continued importance of housing, particularly the small home, as a market for the products o[ our industrl we recommend that the National Lumber Manufacturers Association continue its efforts to promote adequate housing in all fields, and particularly of small homes.

The national needs for housing, with the liberalized