Oh! Those Red Cedar Shingles

By Jack Dionnc

Nothing published in this paper since the war has blought us more returns than our rec'ent editorials on Red -Cedar Shingles.

And naturally so, because the lumber dealeris almost as vitally interested in Red Cedar Shingles as the shingle men themselves; they are si'mply working the other side of the street, but the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations of the shingle folks, come back to the retail dealers like the back-wash from a passing ship.

There is just one fellow who would like to see stabilization of some kind come to shingles worse than the shingle manufacturer, and that is the retail lumberman.

fust as, in the old days, he used to get sick and tired of the continuous and rapid variations in the market, so today the ,gyrations, tail-spins, nose dives, banked climbs, and all-too-frequent crashbs of the Red Cedar Shingle'market, gets on the dealer's nerves.

Look at the shingle situation now, for instance.

A month ago, after trying for'an altitude record which ended quickly and didn't get much height-the shingle market crashed, and did it quickly. Bewildered, the shingle folks rushed together in Seattle, held a session that was deep indigo in atl its tints, and rushed George Bergstrom, of Everett,-one of their stalwart leaders-to Washington to see if theii was inyone cohnicted with the Go*'einment who migfrt,hglp them out of their continual difficulties.

Then the ;tnill men went home and closed down their plants, and for thirty days 85 to 90 per cent of the shingle production of Washington and Oregon has been shut down and producing'noth'ing.

Now com'es the news that on November first about 95 per cent of the shingle mills in British Columbia, closed down for an indefinite period. I

And yet,'the shingle market-in price-has just barely held its own during the past month, justifying the declaration of the producers that there was no business 'being placed, therefore why make shingles ?

Of course, if the American mills and the B. C. mills both stay shut down for several weeks, lack of shingles is going to bolster the price. But as yet, shingles are still low in price, and about holding level.

George Bergstrom went to Washington and sat down across the desk of our good friend Herbert Hoover, and told him all the shingle troubles. Just what George told hi,m, and just how Hoover replied, is not public property, but Bergstrom reports that Mr. Hoover expressed great concern and sympathy for the industry, but could suggest no direct means for lifting it out. He made a number of pertinent quggestions to Mr. Bergstrom, sorne of which are:

STOP MAKING THIN SHINGLES.

MAKE BETTER SHINGLES.

HAVE FEWER AND BETTER KNOWN GRADES.

It looks like the world is agreed about that first sugg€stion of Mr. Hoover's. Most of the troubles of the shingle industry-the FHYSICAL troubles---can be traced to the

(Continued on Page 34)

Wha you fmil a oholesale conryany thal hoc; The Facilifreu The Orgaizotiont Tk Stocf,r: omil The Wholaome DESIREz lo s€rve !rou, anil rctl.e you Delf:

WE ARE BUILDING AN. OTHER BIG HARDWOOD MILL IN EAST TEXAS. WE ALREADY HAVE THE BIGGEST MILL IN THE STATE. BOTH FOR

PRESENT AND FUTURE

WE ARE CALIFORNIA'S BEST SOURCE OF HARDWOOD SUPPLY.

You Can R"ly o";; Products.

You Can Rely On Kirby Senrice.

Yor Can Rely On Kirby Dependability.

KINBY-LljilIB[N OO.

Harry T. KcDdalL General SalG! Agent HOUSTON, TEXAS

(Continued' from .Page 34 door of the thin shingle. It is time to quit making them.

In fact, we have been making suggestions No. I and No. 2, ourselves right along. And we indorse No. 3. :i

On his way west.from Washington Mr. Bergstrom stopped off in Kansas City, and there the retail dealers gave him a luncheon, and they lalked shingles. M'r. Bergstrom reports that the dealers made the following suggestions' to hinr, there: lVe believe that is a true r€port:r".' ' '. '

STOP MAKING THIN SHINGLES.

STOP SHIPPING SHINGLES IN TRANSIT.

MAKE BETTER SHINGLES.

STABILIZE YOUR MARKET AT ANY COST SO THA'T YOU CAN MAKE A PROFIT AND GIVE US A CHANCE TO SELL SHINGLES WITHOUT DODGING YOUR PERPETUAL GYRATION,S (or words to that effect.)

He likewise reports that he found tHe dealers everywhere more interested in and syrnpathetic concerning wooden shingles than thei have been in the past, dnd desirous of seeing the shingle tragedy remedied.

We know, of our own experience, some very big retailers who have swung in strong behing shingles of la(e, who sort of had shingles blacklisted, for a couple of ,yeass. And in each case that we know of, the answer is that tJiey have begun using better shingles.

For instance; 1ve knoun',ortp'retail lumber yard ip Texas that sold THREE CARS "'OF MACHINE STAINED PERFECTION SHINGLES IN ONE MONTTI,, THIS FALL, and reports selling a lot of machine stained ROYALS also. When a yard can sell machine stained shingles of this quality.in such quantity, it ploves that these ,comparatively high priced shingles CAN.6e sold. And we are likewise adv,ised that they'were sold try showing samples of these shingles, and pictures of roofs carrying them, to consumer and architect both.

Which likewise is in lirre with our. recent preachrnents on the subject. The old cow don't, "du"" milk any more; you have to take it away from her. And so it 'is hvith shingles.

George Bergstrom said to The "California Lurnber Merchant": "I am convinced of one thing. , Shingles are going to have to be SOLD better. than they ever have been before, if w are to solve our problem."

Sure !

Perhaps, in later issues, we will be able to tell of some of the now developing effbrts to do such selling.

WESTERN STATES LUMBER CO. MOVE TO LARGER QUARTERS

The Western States Lumber Co., San Francisco, forqnerly located at 605 Fife Building', are now located in larger offices at 900 Fife Building. Their telephone number is the same, Douglas 3415.

R. G. HISCOX CALLING ON REDWOOD MILLS

R. G. Hiscox, of the '\fo'estern States Lumber Co., San Francisco, accompanied, by Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hoffman, of Los Angeles, has returne'd from a weeksribusiness trip calling on the redwood mills in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties. Mr. Hiscox states that the redwood mills are working. to capacity. Mr. Hoffman represents the 'Western States Lumber Co. in Southern California.

Y0u'il IIKE OUR SERI'ICE "ITE

HURRY''

Our new DRY KILNS are now in operation and 'we have sufficient SHED CAPACITY to carry complete stoclc for prompt shipments. Try us on SOFT OLD GROWTH YFI LOW FIR CLEARS.

We can ehip in STRAIGHT or MIXED CARS immediately: DOUGLAS FIR-REDWOOD{EDARWHITE and SUGAR PINE-SPRUCE.