Southern California Dealers and Mill Men Confer on Trade Practices

With the view of establishing better trade practices in both ends of the industry, a committee representing the West Coast lumber manufacturers met with a group of Southern California dealers on November 12 and 13.

At the luncheon held at the Alexandria Hotel, Los Angeles, on November 12, which was attended principally by the representatives of the wholesale yards and the Southern directors of the State Association together with the mill men, the following questions were discussed: Segregation of Common Grades in the California trade; Standard sizes in the California trade as between American Lumber Standards and the prevailing California standards; Sizes on which the Association trade and grade-marking should be authorized; Whether or not grade-marking service should be furnished by the Association to the distributing yards in California. Harry A. Lake, president of the California Retail Lumbermen's Association, presided at the meeting.

The dealers were unanimous in favor of grade-marking separate grades under some central authority which could supervise the grading. As to American Lumber Standard sizes, it was felt that there would be no objection to flooring, ceiling and boards, but that the time was not ripe to adopt for a green lumber market the same dimension sizes as used in the dry markets as shipped to by rail. The dealers felt that if 2x4 were shipped into the Southern California market green l/6x3sf" it might shrink considerably before delivery, and thereby be under the minimum of ls/sx3s$" provided by the building ordinances.

The principal point of discussion was as to whether grade-marking should be done in Southern California yards or exclusively at the mills. It was finally agreed that it would be a long time before most mills would grade-mark, and to put the movement into effect it was practically necessary that grade-marking be done in the Southern California yards, under supervision of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association.

On Wednesday, November 13, the mill men were the guests of the Los Angeles jobbing yards and inspected the lumber plants at Los Angeles harbor. Following the visit to the yards, there was a luncheon and business session at the Pacific Coast Club, Long Beach

At the conclusion of the conferences, the mill men committee stated that they expected to recommend to the trustees of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association that wholesale and other yards'in Southern California be authorized. to use the West Coast Lumbermen's Association mark in grade-marking lumber, under the supervision of inspectors to be sent there for that purpose, using List No. 9 Grading Rules. The Board of Trustees are expected to forward a plan to the dealers setting forth conditions under which such an arrangement might be put into effect, and upon receipt of this, the Southern California yards will give further consideration to the matter.

John D. Tennant, Long-Bell Lumber Co., Longview, Wash.; Earl Houston, Long-Bell Lumber Co., Longview, Wash.; George S. Long, Weyerhaeuser Timber Co., Tacoma, Wash.; A. H. Landram, St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co., Tacoma, 'Wash.; C. W. Stimson, Stimson Timber Co., Seattle, Wash.; H. W. Jacobson, Westport Lumber Co., Portland, Oregon; Dean Johnson, Pacific Spruce Corp., Portland, Oregon; J. A. Thomas, Coos Bay Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Calif., and A. E. Mclntosh, Clark-Nickerson Lumber Co., Everett, Wash., comprised the committee representing the mill men.

W. B. Greeley, secretary-manager, West Coast Lumbermen's Association, Seattle, Wash.; L, A. Nelson, in charge of the department of grades, Portland, Oregon, and A. A. Kayser, California representative, department of grades, Los Angeles, 'West Coast Lumbermen's Association; A. C. Iforner, Western division manager, San Francisco, and Earl Bowe, Los Angeles representative, National Lumber Manufacturers Association; and Kenneth Smith, secretary, Lumber Dealers Association of Los Angeles, also attended the conferences.